Rotorua Beauty Pageants in the 1990s

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land and Miss Rotorua 

All information on this blog post has been published in the Daily Post and full articles can be read at the Rotorua Library.

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land c1979-1997

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land Winner - Tania Warner in Daily Post 28 AUG 1987,  2 photos that are not on the same page, but are in the same issue.

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land Winner - Mrs Deborah Kay (nee Carrington) in Daily Post 16^th Aug 1989, 26^th Aug 1989. Runner- up Miss Thermal Land – Miss Lisa Figgins (Library Assistant at Rotorua Library)

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land Winner 1992-1994 Miss Rebecca Collie.

The 1993 competition was scrapped due to lack of interest see Daily Post 20 Oct 1993  'Registrations closed today with just one entrant... the committee was left feeling a bit disillusioned.'  see also the Weekender 22 Oct 1993, p.1.

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land Winner - Toni Kelly  'Beauty queen "roped into" competition'  in Daily Post 22.8.1994 p.2  The pageant was held at the Aorangi Peak Restaurant on Saturday 20th August.

Miss Rotorua Thermal Land contest founder [c. 1979-] Topsy Prier retires ‘established the contest to help young ladies develop their personal skills, confidence and deportment and to help promote Rotorua in a positive, professional manner’ Daily Post 12^th June 1995 p.1 -  includes photograph with Topsy and the current President of the Miss Thermal Land committee Mrs Myrtle Colebert.

Miss Thermal Land, 1996. Emma Nicholson 'left on a trip to Queenstown yesterday, her prize for winning the previous year's Miss Rotorua Thermal Land competition' in DP 11/3/96 p.2; 13/3/96 p.2; 23/3/1996 p.13; 4/4/96 p.3.

Miss Thermal Land may be canned in Daily Post  4/3/97, 8/4/1997, 18/4/1997 however later that year Miss Lisa Dixon was announced the winner in Daily Post 11/7/1997.

Beyond 1997 no further information has been found in the Daily Post.  Was this the very last time?
If you were involved or competed after this date please email us at Rotorua Library

Miss Rotorua 1993-1999

In 1993 Maureen Waaka took over the BOP Franchise for the regions beauty pageant, read about it in the Daily Post, 18th March 1993 p.9

Excerpt from Daily Post : 'there has apparently never been a Miss Rotorua represented in the Miss New Zealand contest. Three local girls have been crowned Miss New Zealand but not under the banner of Rotorua. Maureen Kingi was entered as Miss South Seas, Linda Ritchie as Miss Geyserland and Lisa de Montalk as Miss Taupo'

Winner - Miss Rotorua 1993, Tanya Rogers in Daily Post  28/6/93 p.4, 18/3/93 p.9, 21/4/1993 p.4, 20/10/1993 p.7  - Miss BOP  Daily Post  21/8/1993, 20/10/93 p.7 

Winner - Miss Rotorua 1994,  Miss Jane Lines in Daily Post - 27/5/94 p.2, 1/7/1994 p.1, 11/7/1994, 13/8/94 p.7.

Excerpt from the Daily Post, 11th July 1994 p.1
'Seventeen year old Jane Lines is still on "cloud nine" after being crowned Miss Rotorua on Saturday night... Jane becomes the first beauty pageant winner to hold the Miss Rotorua title, rather than represent the Bay of Plenty title.'

Winner - Miss Rotorua 1995 – Lynda Norton, in Daily Post 25/6/1995 p.1, 8/9/95 p.1, 19/9/95 p.3, 20/9/95 p.2

Miss Rotorua Teen – 11/9/1995 p.1
Excerpt from the Daily Post 8th September 1995, p.1
'Miss Rotorua, Lynda Norton, has practised her poise, packed up her pois and now she's ready for the crowning glory of the Kiwi glamour calendar - the Miss New Zealand beauty contest.' 

"Ten vie for beauty title" in the Weekender 27th September 1996.
'The title of the most beautiful will be up for grabs at the Miss Rotorua contest this weekend. Held at the Towers Nite Club... The 10 Miss Rotorua 1996 contenders are : Shareena Soloman, aged 17, Lisa-Marie Dixon, 18, Anne Long, 18, Jane Phillips, 18, Sarah Jackson, 21, Margaret Hawtin 20, Ceri Thomas, 18, Jo-Anne Bird, 18, Amalani Tupou, 18, and Melanie Robson, 19.'

Winner - Miss Rotorua – Ceri Thomas in Daily Post  25/10/96 p. 2 ; 20/3/1997 p.1, 23/1/97 p.1, 27/9/96, 30/9/96 p.1.  Ceri resigned due to other commitments and the runner up Miss Lisa-Marie Dixon took her place.

Winner - Miss Rotorua - Belinda Dunn in Daily Post  17/3/99 p.12, 5/6/99 p.1, 29/1/98 p.2, 7/2/98 p.1, 11/12/1998 p.3, 15/12/98 p.1,
Excerpt from the Weekender, 12 Mar 1999 p.3    'Belinda was crowned Miss North Harbour last year and two weeks later she was competing for Miss New Zealand. She says she "would have preferred to have competed in Miss Rotorua instead of Miss North Harbour, but was too late" ... Belinda who lives in Auckland, says she "promotes Rotorua when speaking to international tourists"... and "wanted to work along side a former Miss New Zealand and organiser of the Miss Rotorua pageant Maureen Waaka"

Miss Dunn seems to have been the last winner of the Miss Rotorua pageant.  Following this the Bay of Plenty heats for the Miss World New Zealand pageant were held in Rotorua on 6th June 1999. 

Excerpt from Daily Post 8th June 1999 p.1. 'Miss Leonie Kerr who was the runner-up for Miss Rotorua in 1998, won the Rotorua section and will go on to compete for Miss World New Zealand in September.   'Miss Teen 13 to 14 age group was Rosie Kininmonth, first runner up was Nadia Hadwin and Paula Duncan was second runner up. All were from Rotorua.' 
'Miss Teen 15 to 16  section was won by Amanda Te Hiko (Opotiki), while first runner up went to Rebecca Bloomfield (Rotorua).'  

Excerpt from the Daily Post 10 June 1999 p. 9.
"Sarah gets her chance - for Napier" by Kelly Blanchard.
'Rotorua's Sarah Hulton has been chosen to represent Napier in the Miss World New Zealand competition. The 18-year-old was selected after appearing as a contestant in the Rotorua heats of Miss World New Zealand on Saturday night in the Convention Centre... according to the rules, Sarah was able to represent Napier even though she lived in Rotorua'


Jumping forward a few years to the next beauty pageant to be held in Rotorua we come back to celebrate Miss Rotorua once more....

Miss Rotorua 2017 - Kharl WiRepa organiser and Miss Rotorua Pageant patent owner.

Miss Rotorua 2017 Winner : Nehsha Moynihan ; Miss Teen Rotorua, Promise Royal ; Miss Te Arawa, Mariana Morrison ; Mrs Rotorua, Stevie Jean Gear.

Nehsha Moynihan will compete in the Mrs Regency International competition. 

You can read all the articles on this year's pageant in the Daily Post online. July 17th, August 5th, 14th, 25th, September 16th, 17th & 19th 2017.

Note : previously the paragraph relating to Miss Rotorua 2017 said "franchise owner was still Maureen Waaka"  Mr WiRepa has given us the correct information.  20/08/2018.

Rotorua winners of Miss New Zealand and other Beauty Pageants

Rotorua's Beautiful Girls win National and Local Pageants

1. Winner - Miss New Zealand 1954, Moana Whaanga  (née Manley) Excerpt from 'Piupius and tiaras' by Aroha Awarau in Mana magazine, Jun/Jul 2016, p. 44-51.   Quoting Moana  Whaanga "I was a shy girl. The only thing I had going for me was that I was a swimmer, and that took a lot of shyness away. I remember this as being very special. " 
2. Winner- Miss New Zealand 1963, Elaine Daley (nee Miscall).

Elaine Daley went on to own her own Charm School in Rotorua, photographs of her graduation ceremonies are printed in the Rotorua Photo News 25th Oct 1969, 24th Oct 1970 and 17th Feb 1971.

From Gisborne Photo News 

    2.  Heather Gettings - Winner Miss NZ ~ of Rotorua in  Daily Post 7.6.66, 18.6.66, 4.8.66

Excerpt from Daily Post 7th June 1966 :
'A 19 year old Rotorua girl, Heather Gettings, was last night crowned Miss New Zealand 1966 in the Dunedin Town Hall before a crowd of 3000... Heather who is at present working in Auckland, was Auckland's entrant in the Miss New Zealand finals.... In January she was elected Miss Rotorua during the carnival season at the Soundshell'

Excerpt from Daily Post 4th August 1966 :
' Beauty Contest Disappoints' by Robyn Mullis.
New Zealand's representative in the recent line-up of international beauties in Miami, Miss Heather Gettings found there was little glamour attached to being a beauty queen... "One girl Miss Luxembourge was so fed up she ran away and had to be found by security police" Heather said...."Most of the girls, Heather said, were so worn out by the rigorous rehearsal routine that tears  and tantrums became quite common toward the end"

Published in Rotorua Daily Post 4th August 1966,
Daily Post Photographer

    3. Jennifer Hynd ~ Miss Rotorua 1986 in Daily Post 25/8/1986 p.1
        Excerpt from Daily Post :

        "Promoting Rotorua" 

        'Twenty-two-year-old, Jennifer Hynd was crowned Miss Rotorua 1986 at Hyatt-Kingsgate. Miss Hynd will not be will not be going to further beauty contests, but will spend the next year promoting Rotorua, attending functions and generally being in the public eye.... A journalist at The Review, Miss Hynd said "she had not previously had experience in beauty contests"...Her first duty as Miss Rotorua will be to present prizes at the Fun Run in October '

Miss Rotorua Thermaland competition new to Rotorua was formed in c1979 by Topsy Pried.  Topsy retired from her role in 1995. To read her story see the Daily  Post 12th  June 1995, p.1.

    4. Miss Rotorua Thermal Land in Daily Post 16/8/1989 p.19

The Daily Post published portraits of the 10 contestants sponsored by various businesses around the city. Contestants in no particular order are : Debbie Carrington, Lissa Haira, Leisa Rogers, Lisa Figgins, Wendy Conwell, Lola Rika, Shirley Black, Tracy Metin, Lynette Gates and Adrienne Gray.

Winner : Deborah Kay (nee Carrington) Runner up : Miss Lisa Figgins, Library Assistant at Rotorua Public Library.

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To see where Miss New Zealand contestants also competed in Miss World, Miss International, Miss Universe etc click this link Pageantopolis

Rotorua winners of National Beauty Pageants : Linda Edward (nee Ritchie)

Linda Ritchie, Miss New Zealand 1971-72.

Linda entered the Miss Geyserland beauty contest as Miss Super Value (sponsored by Durrants Super Value) She won that contest to become Miss Geyserland 1971 and it was with this title she entered the Miss New Zealand Beauty Contest in 1971 which she also won.

Published in Rotorua Photo News 17th February 1971 p. 16-17.
Photographer Richard Krall

Linda went on to enter the Miss Universe Beauty Contest in Miami and Miss World in London, both contests also held in 1971.

Her wardrobe, an all wool wardrobe, was supplied by the NZ Wool Board. It was designed in her favourite colours, browns and creams.  The following descriptions were published in the Daily Post along with photographs of Linda modelling each piece. 

'The travelling outfit was a dress & jacket in a cinnamon shade, with a pure silk scarf in tans, browns and cinnamon on cream.  Another traveller piece, a ‘cream dress in machine washable wool with permanent pleated skirt and a plain jumper worn with or without a tie belt’.  An apron skirt with toplet a black wool felt, appliqued with gay emerald and daffodil yellow and ornamented with black wool braid and a thick black wool fringe.  A dress in autumn leaf gold pure wool georgette which can be worn with  or without cream wool georgette trousers and a white leather belt embroidered with flowers in wool.'  DP 23^rd July 1971.

Her traditional costume to be worn in the Miss World contest was donated by the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and made by Emily Schuster.  DP 12^th July 1971.

As part of her duties as Miss New Zealand,  Linda was asked to crown Rotorua’s  Miss Selwyn Heights winner Miss Adele Putt. The competition was run as a fundraiser for Selwyn Heights Kindergarten. DP 6^th August 1971 and 10^th August 1971.

All Daily Post excerpts are in Don Stafford’s Research Folder ‘Rotorua Biographies’ v.5, R19a.

In the Gisborne Photo News, May 17^th 1972, Linda is photographed on her visit to Cobham School. This photograph can be accessed online via this link Gisborne Photo News

Click this link to see Gold Miss Geyserland gown worn by Linda Ritchie

In c.1982-c.1996 Linda owned La Rouge Perfumery in Tutanekai Street.

Rotorua winners of National Beauty Pageants : Maureen Waaka (nee Kingi)

Maureen Kingi (Waaka), 1942-2013. 

Maureen was first crowned Miss South Seas on 22 May 1962, then on 5^th June 1962 she was crowned Miss New Zealand.

From : Rotorua Museum Collection,
Photographer Jack Lang.

Excerpts from the Daily Post :

‘…Student Radiographer …in a daze for some minutes after the result was announced. Then she gulped, wiped away a tear and said “I shall represent New Zealand proudly and to the best of my ability”.  Her Father Mr Kingi of Ohinemutu was hoping Maureen would get 3^rd in the contest, because he was anxious there should be no interruption to her radiography exams’  5^th June 1962 p.1

‘Maureen’s brief return :  for nineteen year old Maureen… the all too hurried two day visit to Rotorua this week, during a ‘show-the-flag’ tour of New Zealand, meant a round of congratulations, receptions and a barrage of questions’ 16^th June 1962.

‘Miss New Zealand…Maureen Kingi was seen by 40 million American viewers, when she appeared on a C.B.S.  Coast-to-coast, television network in San Francisco. Miss Kingi was in California for the Miss International Beauty Contest’ 25^th August 1962.

‘In the weeks since winning the Miss New Zealand title, she (Maureen) can count only one quiet day. Once in America, she was so fatigued, she slept for 17 hours on end. “It’s no joy ride. It’s thrilling yes. But the pace is on…” 31^st August 1962.

Maureen Kingi went on the compete at the Miss World contest in London during November of 1962, unfortunately she was “eliminated in the first round”. 9th November 1962.

‘While in London, Maureen demonstrated the triple-long poi in an appearance at the Pigalle with the Maori Jazz group the Hi Fives’ 22^nd Nov 1962.

In the Daily Post published on 10^th December 1962, Maureen was photographed with her fiancé John Waaka at their engagement party in Ohinemutu.

Rotorua Lakes Council Photograph 

Just a few of Maureen’s contributions to the Rotorua community : Councillor, Te Arawa Standing Committee 1995-2013, Member of the Whakarewarewa Village Charitable Trust, Board member on the Lakes District Health Board, Miss Rotorua Beauty Pageant Co-ordinator (1993- ) and winner  of Miss New Zealand in 1962. Recipient of an MNZM award in 2001, for service to Tourism and Community.  Maureen passed away while still in office as a Councillor, on the 1^st July 2013.

Miss Rotorua and other beauty contests of the 1960's and 1970's

Beauty Pageants of the 1960s

Miss New Zealand 

Miss Bay of Plenty

Miss Rotorua

Miss Geyserland > Miss Super Value (sponsored by Durrants) 

Miss Tourist Diamond

Miss South Seas

Rotorua Local Pageants 1960's & 1970's

Miss Blue Lake

Miss Ngongotaha

Mrs Ngongotaha

Miss Selwyn Heights

Miss Geyser Court

Miss Rose Queen

Miss Hot Rod

Miss Silver Plough

Miss Rotorua Photo News

Rotorua Photo News March 13th 1971 centre-fold,
Photograph by Richard Krall

Earlier Beauty Contests:

“Bathing beauty” contests were held during the Rotorua Carnival c.1941-advertised in the Bay of Plenty Beacon published 5^th & 12^th December 1941. Unfortunately we haven't got any photographs of this contest.

Miss New Zealand Contest of 1949 did not have a swimsuit category. By 1954 when Moana Manley won the title, swimsuits were definitely part of contest.  See the below video clips on NZ on Screen.

Miss New Zealand Contest: https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/miss-new-zealand-1973

In 1976 three former Miss New Zealand winners fronted up for Max Cryer talk show Town Cryer — including a winner from the 1920's, who agreed to talk on condition her identity wasn’t revealed. The woman recalls her mother firmly turning down offers of travel to Hollywood. 1949 winner Mary ‘Bobbie’ Woodward agrees stamina was as important to the role as beauty. 1954 winner Moana Whaanga (nee Manley) was also a national swimming rep. After the show aired, Cryer heard from an earlier Māori winner, who in 1923 took away possibly the first Miss NZ title of all.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/town-cryer