Page 82 - Tropic Magazine Issue 15
P. 82
TROPIC • REGIONAL HISTORY
Cairns Migrant Holding Centre 1954
You beauty “To promote amiability between green background.”
nations, inspire the ideology of a “Miss China was distinctive in her
In another era, foreign new Australia and to absorb some of high-collared national gown of mauve
newcomers were not only the culture of the Old World into the silk which, with its characteristic slit
which was shaped to her slender figure.
structure of the new.”
welcomed in Tropical North That was the philosophy behind the “Miss Amsterdam wore a simple
Queensland, but wanted and inaugural Miss New Australia beauty cyclamen coloured evening gown,
needed. pageant, staged by the Cairns Migrant which enhanced her
Holding Centre in 1954. milk-and-roses complexion and drew
Words Renee Cluff More than 1400 people turned out numerous admiring comments.”
on a Saturday night to see 12 girls The girls were judged by a “secret panel
and women, aged between 15 and who also took cognisance of public
21, appraised for their personality, opinion.”
appearance and posture. The winner of the contest was Miss
As well as parading in swimsuits, they Italy, Edie di Felice, who the newspaper
wore the national dress of the nine described as “a pretty, dark-eyed
countries they represented. 18 year-old with the typical olive
That was an era when ships pulled complexion of southern Italy.”
1954 Miss New Australia directly into Cairns to deliver migrants Organiser Mr Moloney declared the
Cairns Contestants to their new homes and special pageant a success.
housing and schools were set up to “I have always found the people of
Miss Italy: Edie di Felice help them adjust to their new lives. Cairns friendly and sympathetic to
Miss England: Myra Anne James The President of the Cairns branch of migrants,” he said.
Miss Holland: Truus Jansen the New Settlers League, Mr William “We of the League have always tried to
Miss Wales: Kathleen James Moloney, described the pageant in a promote a bond between new and old
Miss Ceylon: Ramona Drieberg newspaper article at the time. Australians.
Miss Amsterdam: Sonja Van Leeuwen “Miss Ceylon, Ramona Drieberg, “I feel that the foundations we have
Miss Cheshire: Dorothy Jervis appeared in the sari and gold slave laid for friendships will last long after
Miss Yugoslavia: Ella Tinus anklets of her native country and the major part of our own work is
Miss Malta: Doris Bonnici wearing a Hindu caste mark on her finished.”
Miss China: Lily Lee Chin forehead,” the article reads. As they say, the rest is history, because
Miss North Malta: Nancy Gauci “Miss Scotland got a great ovation the full line-up of contestants (shown
Miss Scotland: Kathleen Gearing when she paraded in the kilt of the left) includes some very familiar names
Miss Scotland II: Betty Anderson Royal Stuart hunting tartan, with its now prominent in the region.
distinctive black squares on a dark
82 • Tropic • Issue 15
