Georgia Hoolihan, Mikaela Tapp to represent south west and central and north west in 2018 Miss Showgirl awards

Helping celebrate the next generation of the Queensland Shows movement in Wandoan on Saturday night were Miss Showgirl and Rural Ambassador representatives from Chinchilla, Miles, Wandoan, Taroom, Charleville, Cunnamulla and Dirranbandi show societies.

Dirranbandi’s Georgia Hoolihan was named as the 2018 South West Miss Showgirl, while Laura Murray from Taroom was awarded runner-up and Claudia Hart from Charleville was recognised for her outstanding community service.

Georgia, 19, works as an administration officer at the Cubbie Ginnery and is passionate about the agricultural industry and about bridging the divide between the city and the country.

“I’m excited and humbled to be representing south west Queensland at the Ekka and I can’t wait to show the rest of Queensland all that the region has to offer,” she said.

Competition coordinator, Lorraine Crothers, congratulated Georgia, saying the Showgirl awards made a significant contribution to the advancement of women in rural and regional Queensland. 

“The Queensland Country Life Miss Showgirl awards provide an opportunity for young Queensland women to gain personal development and pursue leadership roles both within the community and within the workplace,” she continued. “We wish Georgia all the best as she joins 10 other sub-chamber winners from around Queensland at the state finals for the experience of a lifetime.”

Joining her will be Mikaela Tapp, Miss Showgirl from Cloncurry and District Show Society, who was chosen to represent the central and north west sub-chamber at the Ekka in Brisbane in early August.

She was selected at the sub-chamber judging held in Winton on Saturday.

Melanie Groves, representing the Longreach Show Society, will do likewise as the central and north west sub-chamber Rural Ambassador.

The south west’s 2018 Rural Ambassador is Kasey Phillips from the Wandoan Show Society.

Kasey runs a successful Santa Gertrudis stud with her husband.

“The rural and agricultural industries are the backbone of small towns like ours and I’m excited to be able to represent the south west at the Ekka.” Kasey said.

The regional finals of the state Ute Muster series and Dark Rich Fruit Cake competition were also judged at Wandoan on Saturday with several utes and a fruit cake baked by Nell Blackley of Taroom qualifying for the finals at the Ekka.

In Winton, Lorraine Murphy’s dark rich fruit cake was the winning entry and will now represent the central and north west.