Queensland Country Life 2025 Showgirl Awards Morning Tea

Chairperson, Queensland Showgirl Awards, Ms Paige Caldwell and Showgirl Awards Committee members; 2024 Showgirl Winner, Ms Sarah Perkins; 2024 Showgirl's Choice, Ms Simone Silcock; State Finalists in the Queensland Country Life Miss Showgirl Awards; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here today.

One of the highlights of the Ekka each year for me and my staff is to host morning tea for the Queensland Country Life Miss Showgirl finalists here at Government House at the beginning of their busy program of Ekka activities and commitments.

I extend a very warm welcome to each of this year’s Sub-Chamber winners, as well as the 2024 Miss Showgirl and Showgirls’ Choice winner.

I also welcome the young women who have bravely crossed the border into Maroons territory as representatives of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales Young Woman of the Year contest.

And, I thank the representatives of the Showgirl Awards Committee for the countless hours they contribute, every year, to ensure that the Miss Showgirl tradition not only continues, but remains relevant and valuable not only to the contestants themselves, but to the regional and rural communities they represent.

I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the long-standing commitment of Queensland Country Life as a sponsor of this contest. From its very establishment 125 years ago, Country Life recognised that women were as vital as men to the success of Queensland’s agricultural sector, and the support given to Miss Showgirl for the past 42 years is a logical continuation of that ethos and commitment.

The articles of interest to women in Country Life today would definitely not include the hand-whitening recipe of hot milk and horseradish which appeared in their first edition in 1900, because Country Life has evolved to satisfy the changing needs and interests of its women readers. In the same way, the Miss Showgirl competition has modernised to meet the expectations and aspirations of young women in the 21^st century.

Over recent years, the age range has been extended, contestants no longer have to be unmarried, the formal pageantry has been reduced, and the message that this is not a beauty contest or a wardrobe competition has been clearly demonstrated since 2022 by introducing the now-iconic navy blue uniform that can take finalists comfortably from a lunch or a meeting to sashing champion cattle in the ring.

It's all evidence that, like the agricultural show movement itself, Miss Showgirl has remained relevant by changing with the times while staying true to its roots.

The 129 shows in Queensland are now a showcase for cutting-edge farming technologies and sustainable practices; they act as valuable educational platforms for both farmers and the public; they offer a blend of entertainment, food, and cultural displays that attracts a diverse audience and bridges the rural-urban divide; and they engage young people and foster future leaders through activities like Miss Showgirl.

Whatever the outcome of the 2025 contest, I urge you all to take full advantage of this week’s personal and professional development opportunities.

However challenged you may feel and however daunting the scrutiny may be, the Committee are there to guide and support you, knowing that the program they have put together for you will help you to become strong, confident leaders and ambassadors for the show movement and for the Miss Showgirl contest wherever you live in our vast State.

As Governor and Patron of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, I wish you all a memorable week and every success, now and into the future.