Miss Australia

A Retrospective | 1908 - 2000

Miss Australia: A Retrospective 1908-2000 is a stunning record in words and pictures of a unique annual event that lasted almost 100 years, that involved tens of thousands of Australians, and provided more than $90 million to Spastic Centres & Cerebral Palsy Associations of Australia (of which Scope - formerly the Spastic Society of Victoria - is a member).

For many years, the awards were televised to an audience of millions, becoming one of Australia s most popular and productive fundraising events. They also offered young women an opportunity to directly contribute to a worthwhile cause, build self-confidence, and hone new skills. Many titleholders went on to successful careers in business and the media because of the experience and public profile they achieved through the awards.

However, the most lasting legacy of the Miss Australia Awards - and the individual state titles (locally, the Miss Victoria Awards) - was its ongoing support for people with disabilities. Despite controversy in recent years, the awards program was committed to raising money for services and increasing the profile of issues facing people with disabilities. The Miss Australia Awards remain an important part of our social history.

Author Katherine Beard, Miss ACT 1998, interviewed hundreds of people and collected personal stories from almost every Miss Australia since 1946. She shared the fabulous memories of all of those talented and caring women, from the beginnings, to the thrilling heyday of the quest when winners like Tania Verstak and Rosemary Fenton, to name but two, were front-page, banner-headline news, to the grand finale in 2000.

This beautifully designed volume captures the stories of these women, and answers the question, 'Where are they now?' At their peak, the Miss Australia Awards were one of the most popular events ever held in this country. Miss Australia the book is the lavishly illustrated history of the awards, and gives the reader an incomparable glimpse of Australian women across the 20th century.

• ISBN 186333 193 X
• 115 full-colour and 219 black-and-white photographs
• Standard edition: $49.95 (inc.GST), plus postage and packing
• Deluxe edition: $99.00 (inc. GST), plus postage and packing (leather-bound, numbered and signed by the author)

Available from:
Crawford House Publishing
PO Box 50
Belair SA 5052
ph 08 8370 0300
fax 08 8370 0344

or Contact Scope

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