Melbourne is home to Australia’s royal court of beauty queens
Melbourne has emerged as Australia’s royal capital, with the city home to a royal court of beauty queens complete with crowns, sashes and gowns.
Fiona Byrne
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Melbourne has emerged as Australia’s royal capital with the city awash with queens.
While Mary Donaldson, the soon to be crowned queen of Denmark, once lived in the Victorian capital, it can be revealed Melbourne is currently home to a royal court of beauty queens complete with crowns, sashes, gowns, charitable endeavours and ambitions.
Melbourne residents have collected a trove of national pageant titles over the past year with winners flying the flag as unofficial ambassadors for Australia at international finals around the globe.
Melbourne model Moraya Wilson holds the Miss Universe Australia title and placed second in the Miss Universe international final in El Salvador in November.
Meanwhile, Mornington Peninsula resident Kristen Wright won the Miss World Australia crown in 2022 and will compete for the long delayed international title in India in March 2024.
While Miss Universe and Miss World are the best known pageants, there are numerous other titles, including Miss Global, Miss Tourism, Miss Grand, Miss Earth and Miss Intercontinental, up for grabs each year.
Melbourne based small business owner Janaya Reimers, 21, was named Miss Global Australia 2023 in April and on New Year’s Eve headed to Vietnam to compete for the Miss Global international crown.
“I have always seen becoming Miss Global Australia as a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Reimers said.
“I want to do the best I can overseas at the Miss Global final and represent Australia well, but I hope it can help open some doors in my career.
“It (the title) gives you a platform to amplify your voice.”
Public relations graduate Karlee Davis, 24, won the Miss Tourism Australia 2023 title in August and was anointed Miss Tourism Global at the Miss Tourism international final in Malaysia in December.
Davis, who previously appeared as an extra on Neighbours and is a model, was also named Miss Elegant at the pageant.
She said wanted to talk up Australia during her travels as titleholder.
“I hope it also leads to further opportunities including more modelling work,” Davis said.
“It was a wonderful surprise to win the Miss Tourism Global title.”
Mikaela Fowler, a disability support worker from Melbourne, holds the Miss Grand Australia 2023 title.
She recently returned from Vietnam where she took part in the pageant’s international final.
“Ten years ago I began my pageant career and little did I know that when I won the small town title Miss Westernport (formerly known as Miss Hastings), I was taking a life changing turn in my life,” Fowler said.
“I have since secured four national titles and represented my country (internationally) each time.
“I’ve had the honour of working with numerous charity organisations, I’ve trained with coaches all over the world, walked in fashion shows internationally, travelled to five countries, made lifelong friendships with women from every corner of the world and most importantly I have had an international platform to help me raise awareness for ADHD and disabilities.”
Fowler said, for her, pageants had been a positive experience.
“To those thinking of entering a pageant I urge them to do their research on each system,” she said.
“They all have their own values and ethos; choose one which aligns with yours best. Be prepared to fail … remember it will be hard, but if you make the most of it you will learn and have a lot of fun.”
There are plenty of former queens holding court in Melbourne as well.
Amber Sidney won the Miss Grand Australia title in 2022 and pilates instructor Brooke Rankin was named Miss Global Australia in 2022.
Melbourne’s Maria Thattil has made every post a winner since claiming the Miss Universe Australia title in 2020 having established herself as a writer, activist, brand ambassador, actor and reality show contestant.
Podcaster, Special Olympics Australia ambassador and brain health advocate Daria Varlamova, who was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2021, is based in Melbourne after stints in Perth and Sydney.
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