IT’S taken 52 years, but the North Coast National Show Society has its first The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl winner – Ellie Stephens from Lismore.
It was her commitment to her show society and to the showgirl competition which got her the winner’s sash this year, having also represented her zone – Agricultural Societies Council (ASC) Zone 1 – at Sydney in 2012.
The business development manager for a Lismore accountancy was only 19 during her first attempt and admitted she was “almost swallowed whole by the movement”.
“I didn’t have stock of myself at the time and as a result I didn’t get a huge lot out of it.”
North Coast National Show president John Gibson said Ellie’s sash was a credit to her dedication to her show and wider community.
“In our 52-year history as a show we’ve never had a (Sydney) showgirl win,” Mr Gibson said.
“We’re absolutely delighted and we know Ellie will do a wonderful job in the role.”
For Ellie, this year wasn’t about winning, it was about getting all that she missed out on last time.
“My focus was purely on creating solid friendships and making sure everybody around me made the most of the opportunity,” said Ellie.
The daughter of Sam and Annie Stephens, Ellie was born and bred on the family property, “Deep Creek”, near Coolah, but the persistence of drought forced the family to relocate to Lismore when she was 16.
As a way to get involved in their new community, Ellie and her father joined their local show society and Ellie’s commitment to the show movement took off from there.
She is currently the treasurer and secretary of the Far North Coast Group of Show Societies, and is president of Generation Ag, a sub-committee of the society.
She also sits on the beef and showgirl committees for the North Coast National Show Society.
“I see rural shows as having two important roles: firstly, it’s about the recognition of agricultural excellence and chasing opportunities to develop Australian agriculture; and secondly, it’s about the value of the education opportunities that stem from them,” Ellie said.
“The main things to come out of my showgirl experience was the personal development and networking skills I achieved... these are things I can use to ensure the sustainability of the show movement.”
Now 22, Ellie’s never been in a better position to make an impact.
In her full-time role with Thomas Noble and Russell Chartered Accountants she is in touch with rural families and businesses across the north of the state.
She said the profile of showgirl would help broaden her reach among the community and help her bring new ideas back to her local show.
Her father said it was Ellie’s start on the land in Coolah that fuelled her ambition to promote and further Australian agriculture.
“Being from the land, seeing and encouraging youth to participate in the agricultural scene is very important to her,” Mr Stephens said.
“Her persistence to come back a second time is a massive effort. I think that’s very inspirational for the youth she works with – if they want to do something they just need to get in and do it.”
Helping her celebrate were the first runner-up, Kate Boardman, 24, representing Camden (Zone 2), and second runner-up, Ema Marks, from Pottsville, representing Tweed River – also Zone 1.
Nine-to-five, Kate, the daughter of Bruce and Patricia Boardman, Orlanga Angus, Camden, is kept busy at Riverlea Piggeries Australia, Corowa, where she is the animal genetics officer, but after work she focuses on her contract embryo business.
Along with her partner Murk Schoen, “Killeneen”, Corowa, the pair transfer supplied embryos to donor cows and supply the client back with a weaned calf.
A self-described “show junkie”, Kate spends most weekends of the year at shows with her Angus cattle and Australian Stock Horses.
She said the best part of her intensive showgirl week was meeting the councillors of NSW’s best agricultural shows.
Kate receives $5000 in prize money courtesy of the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW.
Ema, 23, daughter of Debra and Raoul Marks of Pottsville, described her week as “an absolute whirlwind of amazing”.
The master of sustainable agriculture student will use her sash to promote careers in agriculture through her local show.
“Networking is something I enjoy and something that is beneficial not only to me but to my region,” Ema said.
“There was a lot of discussion about what works and what doesn’t at various shows and I’ve got a whole host of ideas to take back to Murwillumbah to make our show bigger and better.”
Ema receives $2500 in prizemoney courtesy of the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS).
Ellie’s big win tops off a week of Royal success for the North Coast.
Earlier in the week Blake O’Reilly, Ray White Rural, Guyra and Armidale, won the NSW Young Auctioneers competition; and the Northern District took gold in the District Exhibits competition.
As the 2015 The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl, Ellie receives $10,000 prizemoney courtesy of the RAS and The Land.
This year’s competition was judged by former The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl finalist and Rural Achiever, Dr Ellen Downes, Canowindra; former NSW Department of Primary Industries director general, Dr Richard Sheldrake, Sydney; Sydney Royal woodchop steward Craig Woon, Wahroonga, and associate judge The Land’s magazine editor Emma Downey, Kurrajong.
