Cooking with Miss Australia

Winners of the Miss Australia Quest were expected to look glamorous and carry off wearing an ornate pearl crown, but the ‘bevy of beauties’ who held the title in its heyday were called on for their cooking skills too.

Not to be confused with the Miss Universe or Miss World competitions, the Miss Australia Quest was one of Australia’s most successful charity events, raising more than $90 million in 46 years to support people with cerebral palsy. Although there had been national beauty contests before, the version of the quest most people remember began in 1954, when the Australian arm of an American lingerie manufacturer teamed up with the Australian Cerebral Palsy Association.