Miss Australia

Abstract

She made an early appearance in 1864, a timid young woman with soulful eyes gazing towards a prosperous future. Firmly identified by the rays of the rising sun and the stars of the Southern Cross at her back, she was flanked by images of a prosperous and civilised community. Australia, as the caption to the Sydney Punch cartoon made clear, was turning her back on her convict past, and seeking a new and gentler image.