Story: Beauty contests

Thelma McMillan, first Miss New Zealand, 1926

Thelma McMillan, first Miss New Zealand, 1926

The first Miss New Zealand contest was held in Auckland in 1926. It was run by newspapers in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Provincial contests were held first and the winners and runners-up in these contests competed at the final in Auckland. All of the contests were based on photographs published in the newspapers and the winners were chosen by a public vote. The supreme winner was 19-year-old Miss Otago, Thelma McMillan.

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Hocken Library, University of Otago
Reference: S12-223a

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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, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/38679/thelma-mcmillan-first-miss-new-zealand-1926 (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 5 Sep 2013, updated 1 Dec 2015