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Story: Beauty contests

Men's contests: Mr Tahuna, 1966

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Men's contests: Mr Tahuna, 1966

These men are the finalists of the Mr Tahuna competition held at Nelson's Tāhunanui beach in 1966. The supreme winner was Ross Hollyman (centre). He is flanked by runners up Mike Townsend (left) and Paul Loh (right). Their physique and poses suggest the event was more akin to a body-building contest than a true beauty contest, though, given the setting, it was the male equivalent of the latter.

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Nelson Provincial Museum, Nelson Photo News Collection

Reference: 808 fr 11

by Barry Simpson

Permission must be sought from Nelson Provincial Museum before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Beauty contests – Beauty contests, 19th century to the 1950s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/38676/mens-contests-mr-tahuna-1966 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 14 November 2012, updated 1 December 2015.