COONAMBLE’S 2018 Showgirl Miss Emily Ryan has taken the next step in the prestigious statewide competition, being one of three winners announced at the Zone 6 Finals to compete at the 2019 Sydney Royal Easter Show in April.
Emily was among 21 other local Showgirls from Group 10 & 11 at the Zone Finals, a black tie event hosted by Young Show Society at their Show Pavilion on Saturday 16 February.
As the largest zone of the seven in NSW, Zone 6 is eligible to send three entrants through to the high profile final round in Sydney.
“There were honestly some amazing girls,” MIss Ryan said. “Any of them would make great candidates.”
The other winners were Josie Anderson, a trainee accountant from Dubbo and Sally Downie who is a Drought Worker from Forbes who has also started her own business.
The Showgirls gathered for lunch with officials before a fifteen minute interview with a panel of three judges.
“It was all about their criteria of local knowledge, general knowledge, knowledge of the Show movement and community involvement,” Miss Ryan said.
“They asked me about our local enterprises and industries so naturally we ended up talking about the drought,” she said.
“Another question was about the rural / city divide and they asked about your aspirations and where you want to go in life.”
Emily’s support team at the event included her parents Phillip (Binga), mother Kerryn, and grandmother Shirley Ryan as well as Sally Taylor who is Miss Showgirl Co-ordinator for the Coonamble Show Society.
At the dinner on Saturday evening, each Showgirl participated in live on-stage interviews in front of an audience of at least 200 people.
“Unfortunately I was third last to be interviewed,” Miss Ryan said. “Mum said she’d never seen me so nervous.”
“On stage they asked if I could change one thing in rural Australia what would it be,” Miss Ryan said. “I told them it would be to create more permanent jobs in rural and remote areas, especially in education to create stability for the children.”
“We’re losing really good teachers because there are not enough permanent jobs,” she said.
Miss Ryan recently graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Primary) in December 2018 and is currently teaching a Year 3 / 4 class at Coonamble Public School. “My class knew about it,” she said. “We were discussing what was going to happen and all they wanted to know was what new rides would be coming to our Show.”
“They definitely know what their priorities are,” she said.
For a 23 year old Emily has impressive community involvement credentials.
She is currently the President of Coonamble Rotary Club, the Secretary of Coonamble Show Society and Chief Steward of the Junior Judging Competition, Secretary of Coonamble F.I.T., and Vice President of the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW Next Generation.
“I also sit on a heap of other committees,” Miss Ryan laughed.
Miss Ryan will now need to take time-out from all her commitments to spend a week at the Royal Easter Show from 9 April.
“There’s lots of networking, exploring the Showground and behind the scenes tours,” she said
“Then there’s the half hour interview with three judges on stage in front of the public on 14 April.”
Emily doesn’t seem too daunted by the prospect and says she has enjoyed the competition so far.
“The best thing was getting to meet other like-minded women,” she said.
“I hope we keep the Showgirl movement alive because we need women like these across NSW to empower other women.”
“I’m very proud to represent Coonamble Show Society,” she said.
“Our last Miss Showgirl in 2015, Jill Robinson (nee Clear) was also a state finalist,” Miss Ryan said.
“In the last five years Jill and I have been the only (senior) Miss Showgirls and we’re now both state finalists.”
Other Miss Coonamble Showgirls who have reached the Sydney Royal include Sue Godwin, Barbara Mackay (Goldsmith), Margot Hannah (Church) and Jillian Kilby.
