Video file
Miss New Zealand of 1949 was Mary Woodward of Taranaki. The contest was a fundraiser for a memorial to New Zealanders who served in the air force during the Second World War. Though the event differed substantially from modern beauty contests, this film contains similar elements: the drawn-out announcement of the winner, her beaming smile and barely stifled tears and the suppressed disappointment of the losers.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: Weekly Review 408. National Film Unit, 1949
Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.