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 | This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (May 2009) |
| Formation | 1908–2000 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Sydney |
| Location | |
Official language | English |
Miss Australia was the title for the winner of the Miss Australia Quest or the Miss Australia Awards, which ran from 1954 until 2000, when the last Miss Australia was named. From 2002, the Miss World Australia contest has been held, and the Miss Universe Australia contest has been held since 2004.
The title of Miss Australia had existed since 1908, although it was not until 1954 that it became associated with the Spastic Centres of Australia.[1] 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.
From 1926 to 1991 the program operated as the Miss Australia Quest, after which the name was changed to the Miss Australia Awards to reflect changing community attitudes.
Miss Australia raised money for the Spastic Centres of Australia through her family and friends. She was judged on merit, as well as raising the monies for children and adults with cerebral palsy.
The pearl-encrusted Miss Australia crown, 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,[2] and is held at the National Museum of Australia.
- ^ Cerebral Palsy Alliance. "Miss Australia" Archived 13 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Miss Australia crown, National Museum of Australia