Miss Australia
a short history
Excerpts from
‘Nothing Is Impossible’
written by Neil McLeod
with additional material
from various sources
Striving to achieve…
Doing our best…
This is what Australians take pride in when they
see outstanding people represent their country.
Whatever the event, it serves as a focal point in the
tapestry of time, whereas the pride which we feel
is the fibre that creates the fabric of the Australian
persona. One event that became a traditional part
of this Australian picture was the Miss Australia
Quest / Awards. But how many Australians know
when and where it began and what it achieved?
Many critics gave the Quest a lifetime of no
more than two years, but their predictions were
proven incorrect. Miss Australia was successfully
conducted for 45 years as a major fundraising
medium for The Spastic Centres of Australia. Over
its duration entrants, their families, committees,
sponsors and the general public of Australia raised
in excess of $87 million.
Compiled 2010
“In 1952, it became imperative that we should get together on
a national basis to provide an association which we hoped the
government authorities in Canberra would listen.
In June, we held a meeting in Sydney founding a national society
for the welfare of people with cerebral palsy (CP) – The Australian
Cerebral Palsy Association (ACPA). It did an immense amount
of work, with a Medical Educational Symposium at three-yearly
intervals. A national body was imperative if we were to make a
financial success of the Miss Australia Quest, as we had been
invited to do by Mr Bernard Dowd, who was prepared to fund
expenses within a reasonable sum.
In 1955, Mrs McLeod was named the President of the ACPA and
has been connected with the detailed organisation of the Miss
Australia Quest in the ensuing thirty years. Later, in 1954, the
ACPA had established a national fund raising organisation for
the Miss Australia Quest. We succeeded in raising that, from
small beginnings into a million dollar project in the 1980s. It was
founded on the idealism of 5000 entrants in Australia each year.
It was marked by the desire of the young girls to give something
worthwhile to our CP children. With this end in view, they were
prepared to give up their social life for a year, and to give their
families and friends something worthwhile to do towards the care
and education of a child with CP. Most girls realise that there was
value in what they were doing. If they were lucky enough to get
a prize at the end, there were no recriminations from the others.
From The Spastic Centre’s point of view, it put us in touch with the
community generally, and made people more aware of children
with CP than they were previously.”
Neil McLeod
2
First Beauty Contest
Miss Australia
Miss Australia 1908 - 1954
The first Australian beauty contest in 1908 was sparked off by an American
newspaper claim that Miss Margaret Frey, winner of one of the first US beauty
contests, must be “the most beautiful woman in the world”.
Australians refused to concede this and set about finding a girl to answer such
a challenge on behalf of local womanhood. The result was Miss Alice Buckridge
who wore boots, scorned make-up and weighed 70 kilos.
Australia’s second beauty contest was staged in 1911 at the Sydney Stadium,
however the winner Miss Millicent Mahy never got around to collecting her
prize - a Venus statue valued at £100.
Beauty contests were few and far between in those days and the next national
competition did not take place until 1928 when Miss Beryl Mills became Miss
Australia.
It was the first to be officially named the Miss Australia Contest.
Many organisations have intermittently promoted a Miss Australia Quest.
Some reasonably successful fundraising ventures under the Miss Australia
Quest banner were conducted, particularly during and immediately following
the Second World War.
The Miss Australia Quest again captured the public interest in 1926, when it
was introduced by Joynton Smith, owner of the Daily Guardian and Smith’s
Weekly as a means of boosting newspaper circulation. In those early times,
selection started primarily as a beauty contest and contestants were chosen
from photographs. The final judging was held in Sydney.
Miss Australia 1926 Beryl Mills - The Western Mail
3
First Beauty Contest
Miss Australia
Miss Australia 1908 Alice Buckridge
4
Miss Australia 1927 Phyllis Von Alwyn (insert) Feathered cape and sash
Miss Australia 1926 Beryl Mills
Miss Australia 1942 Mary White
First Beauty Contest
Miss Australia
Miss Australia 1946 Rhondda Kelly
5
Miss Australia 1949 Margaret Hughes
Miss Australia 1947 Judith Gainford
Miss Australia 1953 Maxine Morgan
The Fifties
Miss Australia
Many faces of Miss Australia
The Fifties
The contest lapsed until 1953, when it was revived
ed b
byy Be
Bern
r ar
ard
d
J. Dowd, Managing Director of Dowd Associates, mar
a ke
kete
ters
rs in
Australia of the American Hickory garments, to pro
romo
mote
te tthe
heir
ir
products. Basically, the selections involved only ne
news
wspa
paper
advertisements seeking photographs of young girls from
om which
a panel of judges, appointed by Hickory in each st
sta
ate, would
privately select a winner. Then each state winnerr would
d then
travel to Melbourne where a judging panel, agaiin appointed
by Hickory, selected Miss Australia.
In 1954, during a luncchttim
i e converrsa
sati
tion
on, Mr Colin Clay, the
Queensland Spasticc Wel
elfa
f re
r Leagu
gue
e Ex
Exec
ecutive Director, asked
Mr G. Moore,
e the Que
u ensl
sland Di
Dire
rect
ctor
o of Hickory, if the
Quest could be
b use
sed as a mea
e nss of fu
fundra
rais
isin
ng for ‘spastic
children’’ (children with cer
ereb
ebral palssy)
y). This wass promp
pte
t d
by the tremendous publicc interestt ge
gene
nera
r ted by the
he judging
of Miss Qu
Q eensland. Th
his con
nve
ersat
atio
ion to
t ok place
e the day
before the proposed se
electtio
on off Misss Qu
Quee
ens
nsla
land
nd.. Ev
E er
eryo
yone
ne
wholeheartedly gav
a e th
their co
co-opera
ation and
nd tthe fi
firsst £2
£200
0 was
raised through
h the
h Miss Au
Aust
s ra
r lia Qu
uest.
t
Thus, instead of being used so
olely as a comm
mmer
e ci
cial
al promo
m tion,
the Miss Austr
t alia Que
uest was turned into
to a worth
thyy be
ene
efit to
the community.
y
Miss Jill Ja
Jack
ckson was chosen as Miss Queensland and
represente
t d the state at the national judging in Melbourne
the following week. Miss Shirley Bliss from New South Wales
became Miss Australia 1954.
6
No Charity
Queen
Miss Australia 1954
Shirley Bliss
Miss Australia Charity Queen
None
No Charity
Queen
Miss Australia 1956
June Finlayson
Miss Australia Charity Queen
None
Ann
Limbert
Miss Australia 1955
Maureen Kistle
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Ann Lambert
Beverley
Dickenson
Miss Australia 1957
Helen Wood
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Beverley Dickenson
The Fifties
Miss Australia
Wendy
Shipway
Miss Australia 1958
Pamela MacKay
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Wendy Shipway
No Charity
Queen
7
Miss Australia 1959
Joan Stanbbury
Miss Australia Charity Queen
None
Miss Australia 1955
Maureen Kistle holding trophy
The Sixties
Miss Australia
The Sixties
The Australia Quest, while it was sponsored byy Mr Be
Bern
r ar
ard
d
Dowd and Hickory, was conducted in each stat
ate
e by T
The
he
Spastic Centres and the funds those centres raised
ed p
pro
rovi
vide
ded
d
care and welfare for children with cerebral palsy in
n tha
at st
stat
ate.
The co-operation of that fundraising effort was un
unde
der the
auspices of the Australian Cerebral Palsy Associat
atiion – the
Federation of Australian Spastic Centres. In 196
63, Mr Dowd
gave to the Australian Cerebral Palsy Association the full rights
of ownership of the Miss Australia Quest.
In each state, the Austr
t al
alia
i n Cere
ebral
al P
Pal
alsy
sy A
Association owned
the Miss Australia Que
uest
s as a bu
usi
sine
ness
ss enterprise and had
the various titlles – Mis
isss Quee
eensla
and
d, Mi
Miss New South Wales,
etc. – registere
ed in
n its nam
me. Also re
regi
gisstered
ed w
wer
ere the Charity
Queens/F
/Fundrai
a sers titles as
a sociiated
d w
with each Region an
a d
State.
Jacqueline
Mason
Miss Australia 1960
Rosemary Fenton
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Jacqueline Mason
The ‘50s and ‘60s were the
h g
glo
ory day
ayss of the Q
Que
u st. Mi
Miss
ss
Australias were welcom
o ed
d in
n thei
eir ho
h me
e tow
owns
ns by cr
c ow
owds
ds
numbering thou
o sands, floa
oatss, bands and
d marcching
g gir
i lss.
They stopped traffic in the stree
eets of capita
al ci
citi
ties as th
they glide
ded
past in open
n car
a s. The
ey traverrsed the gl
glob
obe
e ass a
amb
mbasssa
sado
dors
promoting Aust
s ra
ralila’s export products an
nd Th
The
e Sp
S asticc Cent
ntre.
8
Margaret
Smythe
Miss Australia 1961
Tania Verstak
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Margaret Smythe
Year of
Title changed to that
of following year.
Angela
Pulsoni
Miss Australia 1962
Tricia Reschke
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Angela Pulsoni
The Sixties
Miss Australia
Heather
Hamilton
Miss Australia 1964
Jan Taylor
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Heather Hamilton
9
Miss Australia 1965
Carole Jackson
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Rosemaary Ryan
1960s Logo
The Sixties
Miss Australia
The Miss Australia Crown
In May 1965, The Miss Australia Crown was presen
nte
ted
d to the M
Mis
iss Au
Aust
stra
ralilia
a
1965, Carole Jackson, at the Tokyo Trade Fair.
The Miss Australia Crown is a priceless wort
rth
h of a
art
rt.. It contains
approximately 800 genuinely cultured and perfect
ctly
ly mat
atched Australian
n
and Japanese pearls.
The design features the Australian wattle flower an
nd leaff. The flower itssel
elff
is made of pearls, while the leaf and all other meta
al parts of the crown are
carved from solid sterling silver plate. Eacch le
l af has been engrav
ave
ed by
hand.
Surmounting the crow
own
n is a large Austr
tral
alia
ian pe
p arl. Another slightlyy sm
smaller
pearl is nestled
d direc
ectl
tlyy belo
ow it. Bo
ord
rder
erin
ing
g the crown at regularr int
n er
ervals
ls
are four more larg
rge
e Australian pea
arlls in
nte
terspe
ers
r ed with smaller Jap
panese
pearls. There are also fourr pe
pearl-topp
ped hat pins to assist in sec
e urin
ng the
crown to head of the weare
r r.
It was designed by Melbo
bourne
ne artis
ist Mr Ern
nes
estt Bo
Boot
oth,
h, a
and
nd ccre
reat
ated in Ja
apan
n
by Emperor Hiroh
hit
ito’ss je
j we
welller and
d some off Jap
pan
n’ss greatestt craftssme
men,
n,
one of whom in
i 1911, created
ed the
h Japan
nes
e e Im
mperi
rial
a Cro
own.
The Miss Australia Crown wass then donate
ed to the
he Miss Au
A stralia Quest in
May 1965 by Mr and
d Mrs James Greenfie
field
ld,, th
he pr
pro
opriet
etor
o s of Toyomoto
Australia Ptyy Lttd.
The
e crow
wn sa
s t on a square blue velvet cush
hio
ion
n edged with
h 350
0 perrfectly
matched pearls. The cushion was encased in a magnificent whitte satin
lined case.
10
Top Carole Jackson, Miss Australia 1965,
receiving the Miss Australia crown from
Miss Japan at the Tokyo Trade Fair.
Bottom: Miss Australia Crown
The Sixties
Miss Australia
The Miss Australia Charity Queen Crown
The Mi
The
Miss
ss Aus
ustr
tralia Charityy Queen Crown was designed and presented by
Mr Cha
harl
r es G
Gre
r enfield off Toyomoto Australia. Greenfield also presented
and
d wa
as in
invo
volved with the
e design of the Miss Australia Crown.
A Melbourne
e je
jewe
weller, Mrr Noubar, made The Crown in Australia.
It took many monthss to ccomplete the basic form of the crown including
the
th
e detailed
de
en
ngra
avin
ng off the leaves, all of which was completed by hand.
The pearrls a
Th
are
re all handset and matched into clusters on the solid sterling
silver crown
wn.
Miss Australia 1966
Sue Gallie
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Carolyn Hannaford
The feature pe
earl is an Australian pearl found in Kure Bay, Western
Aust
Au
stra
r lia.
a Thiss pearl was specially selected for the crown and is held in
plac
ace by a dia
iamond set p
platinum cap made for the crown.
The crrown wa
was presented
d each year to the girl who raised the most money
in Aus
ustr
tral
alia
ia ffor children and adults with cerebral palsy.
11
Miss Australia 1967
Margaret Rohan
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Lynette McCann
Miss Australia Charity Queen Crown
The Sixties
Miss Australia
Miss Australia 1968
Helen Newtom
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Margaret Thiess
Merrilyn
Peck
12
Miss Australia 1969
Suzanne McClelland
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Merriltn Peck
Sponsor Coca Cola, Miss Australia
1966 Sue Gallie and workmen onsite
at the Sydney Opera House
The Seventies
Miss Australia
The Seventies
Miss Australia 1970
Rhonda Iffland
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Anna Lezzi
Corrinne
Collins
13
Miss Australia 1971
June Wright
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Corrinne Collins
1970s Logo
The Seventies
Miss Australia
Marianne
Postle
Miss Australia 1972
Gay Walker
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Jillian Beswick
Miss Australia 1973
Michelle Downs
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Deborah Roubin
Maria
Ferrigno
14
Miss Australia 1975
Kerry Doyle
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Sarah Gray
Miss Australia 1976
Sharon Betty
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Maria Ferrigno
Miss Australia 1974
Randy Baker
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Marianne Postle
Angela
Cecchini
Miss Australia 1977
Francene Maras
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Angela Cecchini
The Seventies
Miss Australia
Miss Australia 1978
Gloria Krope
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Marianne Crotty
Lynda
Rowe
Miss Australia Cookbook - Sewell, Elizabeth, Cookery Editor, 1971.
15
Miss Australia 1979
Anne Sneddon
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Lynda Rowe
Recipes contributed by fourteen Miss Australia Quest entrants,
covering English country cooking, health food dishes, Russian cooking,
American cooking, cocktail parties, outdoor entertaining etc.
The Eighties
Miss Australia
The Eighties
Angelica
La Bozzetta
Roma
Peace
Miss Australia 1980
Eleanor Morton
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Roma Pesce
16
Miss Australia 1983
Lisa Cornelius
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Judith Gallagher
Miss Australia 1981
Leanne Dick
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Angelica La Bozzetta
1980s Logo
Miss Australia 1982
Jenny Coupland
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Jullianne McLoughlin
Miss Australia 1984
Mary-Ann Koznjak
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Sherryl Fyfe
17
Miss Australia 1987
Judith Green
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Jeanelle Dendle
Miss Australia 1985
Maria Ridley
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Lynette Gibson
Miss Australia 1988
Caroline Lumley
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Julie Matschoss
Miss Australia 1986
Tracy Pearson
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Anita Davis
Miss Australia 1989
Lea Dickson
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Anita Stower
The Nineties
Changing Times
Sheona
Downs
Miss Australia 1990
Rebecca Noble
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Sheona Downs
Karen
Milner
18
Miss Australia 1991
Helena Wayth
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Karen Milner
In 1
199
992,
2, tthe
he M
Mis
isss Au
Aust
stra
ralila Qu
Ques
estt was changed
d to the Miss Australia
Awar
Aw
ards
ds tto
o re
refle
flect
ct m
more closely
l
y th
the
e at
atti
titu
t des, achievvements and aspirations
of you
oung
ng A
Australian womanh
nhoo
ood
d an
a d attracted
d renewed appreciation
forr th
fo
their skills, talentss an
and
d contributiion to
o community life. The trappings
trad
tr
aditionally associat
ated
ed with beauty con
ontestss such as the sceptre,
sashes and crowns were relegated to
o th
he archiives. in 1993 –
Joanne Dick was th
the
e fir
first
st Miss Au
ust
stra
alia to
t be awarded
a
a title
and not crowned.
The Australia
an Cerebral Palsy Asssocciation re
ecognised that
a major barrie
er to the rights of peop
ple
e with dissabilities lies in
community atttitudes.
Every effort was m
mad
ade
e to
t creat
a e pub
blic awareness, acceptance
and understand
nding of peo
eople
e wiith cerrebral palsy as contributing
members of the
e community. Li
Like eac
ach
h and everyy Miss Australia
entrant, people wi
en
with disabilitie
iess ar
are
e people with hopes, dreams
and aspiration
an
ons.
s The
he Que
est d
did
id not
ot represent an ind
dividual image,
b t ra
bu
rath
ther
er it symb
boliz
ized
ed a ccom
ombi
bine
ned
d concept of participation,
s ri
st
rivi
v ng, helping and
d ac
achi
hiev
evem
emen
entt. Thiss is wha
h t ea
ach entrant did
when she entered
wh
dM
Mis
isss Au
Aust
s ralila.
a
Men en
M
e te
t red in the M
Mis
isss Au
A stralia Awards. In 1993, Damien
Tayllor,, a Gold Coast hot
Ta
otel
el p
por
orte
t r be
b came the first man to win
the Wi
Wintersun Quest, a tradi
diti
tional stepping stone to the national
aw
ward. In 19
997
97,, Vi
V ctorian Brad
a Rogers had a separa
ate title created
for him
m (“Na
Nati
tion
onal
a Fundraiser”) when he scooped
d the award for
fundraising.
1990s Logo
The Nineties
Miss Australia
Miss Australia 1992
Suzanne Lee
Miss Australia Charity Queen
Maria Barone
19
Miss Australia 1995
Margaret Tierney
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Anne-Maria Romeo
Miss Australia 1993
Joanne Dick
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Kathleen Sergi
Miss Australia 1996
Suzanne Haward
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Lisa Mittiga
Miss Australia 1994
Jayne Bargwanna
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Kristylee Curran
Miss Australia 1997
Tracy Secombe
Miss Australia Fundraiser & National Fundraiser
Filomena Labbozetta and Brad Rogers
End of a Era
In October 1998, the Miss Australia Company
ann
nounced that in February 2000 it would cease to
ope
erate this great Australia icon. There were magic
mo
oments, even episodes that created national
con
ntroversy. This was the longest running quest in
Australia, and can take pride in knowing that the
Misss Australia Quest/Awards has forged a place for
itse
elf in the living history of Australia.
Miss Australia 1998
Suellen Fuller
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Bita Nejad
20
Miss Australia 1999
Kathryn Hay
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Amber Potter
Miss Australia 2000
Sheree Primmer
Miss Australia Fundraiser
Catherine Doggett
In 2000, the final Miss Australia, Miss Sheree
Prim
mmer, was selected and announced for the
Australian Cerebral Palsy Association. The final
jud
dging was held in Sydney.
Ma
any critics gave the Quest a lifetime of no more
tha
an two years, but their predictions were proven
incorrect. Miss Australia was successfully conducted
for 45 years as a major fundraising medium for
The
e Spastic Centres of Australia. Over its duration
enttrants, their families, committees, sponsors and
the
e general public of Australia raised in excess of
$87
7 million.
Plea
ase note: From 2001, Australia has been represented in
inte
ernational contests by Miss Universe Australia. This title
has sometimes been erroneously labeled Miss Australia by
the media – and this has caused some confusion.
Memories
Miss Australia
Memories
“IIn 19
1953
53,, I be
b ga
g n my ass
ssoc
ociation with
h The Spastic Centre as a two-year-old child.
Like m
Like
mos
ostt litt
ttle
le g
gir
irls
ls I w
wou
ould watch M
Miss Australia being sashed and crowned on
Nati
Na
tion
onal
al T
TV.
V. Wisshi
hing
ng and hoping tha
at one day it would my turn!
In 1
1987, I began
nw
wor
orki
king
ng for the Misss Australia Company. In the NSW and ACT
branch. Ovverr ttho
hose
se 17
7 ye
yearrs I design
ned tickets, posters, state and national final
programs
ms, newsletters et
etc.
c forr the en
ntrants and sponsors.
The ma
any entrants I have m
mett during
g this time, I have kept in touch with a few of
them.
I have
ve a
als
lso
o be
been forrtu
tuna
natte eno
nough to
o have sat on the NSW State Final selection
panel fiv
fi e times - an exp
perie
ience I willl never forget.
Since its closure in 2000
0 I have ma
aintained my interest in the Miss Australia
Quest.”
Judith Geppert
Miss Australia 1984, Mary-Ann Koznjak with Judith Geppert
at the Miss Australia Reunion Lunch 2005, Canberra
In 1990, I got my wish!,
h Canberra
b
21
22
Memories
Miss Australia
1
1
2
2
3
4
4
1. Helen Wood, with Australian Prime
Minister, Harold Holt 1957.
2. Suzanne McClelland, with Australian
Prime Minister, John Gordon 1969.
3. Jayne Bargwanna, with Australian
Prime Minister, Paul Keating 1994.
4. Tricia Reschke, with Paul Burke at
the Mosman Spastic Centre 1962.
5. Kathryn Hay, with Australian Prime
Minister, John Howard 1999.
23
5