Melissa Hanna

Miss Australia was an Australian beauty pageant held from 1908 until 2000. It was replaced by Miss World Australia from 2002. From 1926 to 1992 the program operated as the Miss Australia Quest, after which the name was changed to the Miss Australia Awards. From 1954, the contest was associated with the Spastic Centres of Australia. The winner of Miss Australia raised money for the centres through...

Miss Australia was an Australian beauty pageant held from 1908 until 2000. It was replaced by Miss World Australia from 2002. From 1926 to 1992 the program operated as the Miss Australia Quest, after which the name was changed to the Miss Australia Awards. From 1954, the contest was associated with the Spastic Centres of Australia. The winner of Miss Australia raised money for the centres through her family and friends, raising money for children and adults with cerebral palsy. The Miss Australia Quest was sponsored and organised from 1954 until the early 1960s by the lingerie manufacturer, Hickory, until Dowd Associates transferred ownership to the Australian Cerebral Palsy Association in 1963. The pearl-encrusted Miss Australia crown was worn by titleholders from 1965 to 1991. The crown was hand-crafted in silver and blue velvet, and decorated with more than 800 pearls. Designed by Melbourne artist Ernest Booth and manufactured in Japan, the crown was presented to the Miss Australia Quest in 1965 by Toyomoto Australia Pty Ltd. The crown was last used in 1991, and is held at the National Museum of Australia. History The first Miss Australia contest was held in 1908 as a one-off event sponsored through the Lone Hand, with entrants from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The winner was Alice Buckridge from Victoria. The primary purpose of the contest was "to attract customers: whether they were newspaper readers, patrons at an amusement venue or visitors to a country fair" (Saunders and Ustinoff, 2005:4) The Miss Australia contests of 1926 and 1927 were sponsored by Smith's Weekly magazine and Union Theatres, with heats from each State, and were straightforward beauty contests, judged by an anonymous panel from the staff of the magazine and associated publications. Miss Australia 1937 was again sponsored by Smith's Weekly and again had heats in each State, but judging criteria were far broader, and the judging panel comprised prominent women. The prizes for the first two centred around screen tests and an escorted trip to the movie capitals of America. The 1937 prize was a chaperoned first-class travel world tour which included London for the Coronation season. Smith's Weekly was not involved in later Quests. In 1953, the contest was revised by Bernard J. Dowd to promote the American Hickory lingerie that he marketed in Australia. A panel of Hickory-appointed judges in each state selected a winner based on photos sent it by young women, and then a national panel of Hickory-appointed judges chose the winner, Miss Australia. In 1954, Colin Clay of the Queensland Spastic Welfare League asked Hickory if the Miss Australia competition could be used as a fundraiser for the league. Hickory agreed and from then on the contestants raised money for the league. Each state branch of the league would conduct its own contest to find a state winner, known as Miss Queensland, Miss New South Wales, etc, based on traditional "beauty contest" critieria. They would also award Miss Queensland Charity Queen, Miss New South Wales Charity Queensland, etc to the young woman who raised the most money in each state. The state finalists would then compete in the national competition for Miss Australia and Miss Australia Charity Queen. In 1963, Dowd assigned all rights to the contest to the League. Titleholders 1908 – Alice Buckridge 1926 – Beryl Mills of Geraldton, Western Australia 1927 – Phyllis Von Alwyn of Launceston, Tasmania 1937 – Sheila Martin of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 1946 – Rhonda Kelly 1947 – Judith "Judy" Gainford 1948 – Beryl James 1949 – Margaret Hughes 1950 – Patricia "Pat" Woodley 1952 – Leah McCartney 1953 – Maxine Morgan 1954 – Shirley Bliss 1955 – Maureen Kistle 1956 – June Finlayson 1957 – Helen Wood 1958 – Pamela "Pam" McKay 1959 – Joan Stanbury 1960 – Rosemary Fenton 1961 – Tania Verstak 1962 – Tricia Reschke 1964 – Jan Taylor 1965 – Carole Jackson 1966 – Sue Gallie 1967 – Margaret Rohan 1968 – Helen Newton 1969 – Suzanne McClelland 1970 – Rhonda Iffland 1971 – June Wright 1972 – Gay Walker 1973 – Michelle Downes 1974 – Randy Baker 1975 – Kerry Doyle 1976 – Sharon Betty 1977 – Francene Maras 1978 – Gloria Krope 1979 – Anne Sneddon 1980 – Eleanor Morton 1981 – Leanne Dick 1982 – Jenny Coupland 1983 – Lisa Cornelius 1984 – Mary-Ann Koznjak 1985 – Maria Ridley 1986 – Tracey Pearson 1987 – Judi Green 1988 – Caroline Lumley 1989 – Lea Dickson 1990 – Rebecca Noble 1991 – Helena Wayth 1992 – Suzanne Lee 1993 – Joanne Dick 1994 – Jane Bargwanna 1995 – Margaret Tierney 1996 – Suzanne Haward 1997 – Tracy Secombe 1998 – Suellen Fuller 1999 – Kathryn Hay 2000 – Sheree Primer Miss Australia at International pageants Australia is now represented by either Miss Universe Australia or Miss World Australia: 1952 – Leah MacCartney 1953 – Maxine Morgan (4th RU) 1954 – Shirley Bliss 1955 – no (Universe), Beverly Prowse (World Miss – semi-finalist) 1956 – no (Universe) 1957 – no (Universe), June Finlayson (Miss World) 1958 – Astrid Tanda Lindholm 1959 – no (Universe) 1960 – no (Universe) 1961 – no (Universe) 1962 – no (Universe) 1963 – no (Universe) 1964 – Maria Luyben 1965 – Pauline Verey (Miss Universe – semi-finalist), Jan Rennison (Miss World) 1966 – no (Universe) 1967 – no (Universe), Judy Lockey (Miss World) 1968 – Lauren Jones (Miss Universe), Penelope Plummer (Miss World 1968) 1969 – Joanne Barret (Miss Universe 2nd RU), Stefane Meurer (Miss World) 1970 – Joan Lydia Zealand (Miss Universe-2nd RU), Valli Kemp (Miss World-Semi-finalist) 1971 – Tony Suzanne Rayward (Miss Universe-1st RU), Valerie Roberts (Miss World-Semi-finalist) 1972 – Kerry Anne Wells (Miss Universe 1972), Belinda Green (Miss World 1972) 1973 – Susan Mainwaring (Miss Universe), Virginia Radinas (World) 1974 – Yasmin May Nagy (Miss Universe-Semi-finalist), Gail Margaret Petith (World-3rd RU) 1975 – Jennifer Matthews(Miss Universe), Anne Davidson (World-Semi-finalist) 1976 – Julie Anne Ismay (Miss Universe-4th RU), Karen Jo Pini (Miss World-1st RU) 1977 – Jill Maree Minahan(Miss Universe), Jaye-Leanne Hopewell (Miss World – finalist) 1978 – Beverly Frances Pinder (Miss Universe),Denise Ellen Coward (Miss World – 2nd RU) 1979 – Kerry Dunderdale (Miss Universe), Jodie Anne Day (Miss World – 3rd RU) 1980 – Katrina Judith Rose Redina (Miss Universe), Linda Leigh Shepherd (Miss World) 1981 – Karen Sang (Miss Universe Australia), Melissa Hannan (Miss World – finalist & Queen of Oceania) 1982 – Lou-Anne Caroline Ronchi(Miss Universe & Miss International – semi-finalist), Catherine Anne Morris (Miss World – semi-finalist & Queen of Oceania) 1983 – Simone Cox (Universe), Tanya Bowe (Miss World, Queen of Oceania) 1984 – Donna Thelma Rudrum (Miss Universe), Lou-Anne Caroline Ronchi(Miss World – 2nd RU) 1985 – Elizabeth Rowly (Miss Universe), Angelina Nasso (Miss World) 1986 – Lucinda Bucat (Miss Universe & Miss International 86), Stephanie Eleanor Andrews (Miss World) 1987 – Jennine Susan Leonarder(Miss Universe), Vanessa Gibson (Miss International – semi-finalist), Donna Thelma Rudrum (Miss World) 1988 – Vanessa Gibson (Miss Universe), Catherine Bushell (Miss World – Semi-finalist & Queen of Oceania) 1989 – Karen Wenden (Miss Universe, Miss Photogenic), Natalie McCurry (Semi-finalist & Queen of Oceania) 1990 – Charmaine Ware (Miss Universe), Karina Brown (Miss World) 1991 – no (Universe), Leanne Buckle (Miss World-1st RU & Queen of Oceania) 1992 – Georgina Denahy (Miss Universe-Semi-finalist), Rebecca Simic (Miss World) 1993 – Voni Delfos (Miss Universe-finalist) Karen Ann Carwin (Miss World) 1994 – Michelle van Eimeren (Miss Universe), Skye Edwards (Miss World) 1995 – Jacqueline Shooter (Miss Universe), Melissa Porter (Miss World – semi-finalist) 1996 – Jodie McMullen (Miss Universe), Nicole Smith (Miss World) 1997 – Laura Csortan (Miss Universe-, Miss Amity & Miss world – semi-finalist) 1998 – Renee Henderson (Miss Universe), Sarah Jane St.Clair (Miss World) 1999 – Michelle Shead (Miss Universe), Kathryn Hay (Miss World) 2000 – Samantha Frost (Miss Universe), Renee Henderson (Miss World) 2001 – no (Miss Universe), Eva Milic (Miss World), Christy Anderson (Miss Earth) 2002 – Sarah Davies (Miss Universe), Nicole Gazal (Miss Australia World – semi-finalist), Ineke Candice Leffers (Miss Earth) 2003 – Ashlea Talbot (Miss Universe), Olivia Stratton (Miss Australia World – winner; Miss World People's Choice), Shivaune Christina Field(Miss Earth) 2004 – Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe 2004), Sarah Davies (Miss Australia World – semi-finalist), Alethea Lindsay (Miss World Australia runner up), Shenevelle Dickson (Miss Earth – finalist) 2005 – Michelle Guy (Miss Universe), Alethea Lindsay (Miss Universe Australia runner up), Denae Brunow (Miss Australia World), Ann Maree Bowdler (Miss Earth) 2006 – Erin McNaught (Miss Universe), Sabrina Houssami (Miss Australia World – 2nd runner up, Miss Asia Pacific World), Victoria Winter (Miss Earth) 2007 – Kimberley Busteed (Miss Universe), Caroline Pemberton (Miss Australia World), Victoria Stewart (Miss Earth) 2008 – Laura Dundovic (Miss Universe- top 10 finalist), Katie Richardson (Miss Australia World), Rachael Smith (Miss Earth), 2009 – Rachael Finch (Universe – 3rd runner up), Sophie Lavers (Miss Australia World – Miss World Talent 2009 3rd runner up) 2010 – Jesinta Franklin (Universe – 2nd Runner up), Ashleigh Francis (Miss Australia World) 2011 – Scherri-Lee Biggs (Universe – top 10 finalists), Amber Greasley (Miss World Australia – Miss World quarter finalist) 2012 – Renae Ayris (Universe – 3rd Runner up), Jessica Kahawaty (Miss Australia World – Miss World 2nd runner up) 2013 – Olivia Wells (Miss Universe), Erin Holland (Miss World Australia – Miss World Oceania), Kelly Louise Maguire (Miss Grand Australia- Miss Grand International 4th runner up). 2014 – Tegan Martin, (Universe – top 10 finalists); Courtney Thorpe (Miss World Australia – Miss World Oceania – top 5); Renera Thompson (Miss Grand Australia- Miss Grand International 3rd runner up). 2015 – Monika Radulovic, (Universe – top 5 finalists); Tess Alexander (Miss World Australia – Miss World Oceania – top 11); Claire Elizabeth Parker (Miss Grand Australia- Miss Grand International Winner). 2016 – Caris Tiivel (Miss Universe), Madeline Cowe (Miss World Australia – Top 20); Dani Fitch (Miss Grand Australia- Miss Grand International Top 20 finalist) Australia at Miss Global Color keys Exhibition In 2007, a National Museum of Australia exhibition, Miss Australia: A Nation's Quest, told the stories of titleholders, volunteers, fundraisers and sponsors involved in the Miss Australia Quest. Historic dresses, trophies and crowns were also included in the exhibition. See also Miss World Australia Miss Universe Australia Miss Grand Australia Miss International Australia Miss Earth Australia Beryl Mills Daphne Campbell Notes References External links Miss Australia and Charity/Fundraisers 1954 – 2000 (with photos) Miss Australia Titleholders 1954 to 2000. thespasticcentre.org.au Miss New South Wales and Charity/Fundraisers 1954 – 2000 (with photos) Miss New South Wales Titleholders 1954 to 2000. thespasticcentre.org.au Miss Australia: A retrospective 1908–2000 Katherine Beard (Hindmarsh, S. Aust. : Crawford House Publishing, c2001) Miss Universe Australia website Miss World Australia website Miss Australia Crown at the National Museum of Australia