From the young woman who’s been dreaming of the crown for years, to the lucky late entry, to the aged care worker who just wanted to try something new; this year’s Sapphire City Festival queen entrants may be few, but they are each very keen to represent their community.
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Alex Glover, Gaby Watkins and Tegen Lavender will carry the sashes this year as part of the festival’s 60th anniversary, and all three are looking forward to joining a long legacy dating back Gwen Campbell in 1961.
Gaby was the first cab off the rank, and said she requested a nomination form long before anyone else was thinking about the festival. Winning the princess in 2012 while her older sister was a queen entrant, Gaby couldn’t wait until she turned 18 and could enter the queen competition.
“I’ve just always been interested in it,” she said, and added that she looks forward to seeing the competition in the paper each year.
“I look straight at the photos of who’s going in it. It’s pretty cool, I’m always really into the festival.”
On life as a princess, she said “It was good to get a different perspective on things and go to different places that I wouldn’t really normally go to, and hang out with the other people”.
Alex was excited to sneak into the line up after missing the initial deadline, and said she was invited to try it out by festival publicity officer Peter Caddey. She said she loved having the chance to be a part of the historic event.
“I like to be involved in everything that’s happening in the community, that’s why I decided to work at the radio station, because I like to be kept up to date with what’s happening,” Alex said.
“It’s good to get involved in (the festival) because it’s such a big part of Inverell that happens every year. It’s good to actually be in it, rather than coming to events and just watching.”
She said her 2NZ/GEM FM co-workers wanted her “to make us look good!”
Tegen, who works at Sunhaven Hostel in Ashford said she was asked to enter and thought it would be worth a try.
“I just thought it’d be good. Something new, something different,” she said. She said she was particularly looking forward to receiving her sash at the Communicator of the Year event tonight, and was keen to be a part of the Saturday Spectacular on October 22.
All three were excited to meet the festival’s previous queens. “They’re lots of women that you’d see around town and not necessarily know that they were queen back in 1983. So I think it’s really exciting to meet them and get to know them,” Alex said.
Gaby agreed. “You would be walking down the street and you wouldn’t know that those people were appointed the queen back in the day.”
Naomi Shumack
Born and bred in Inverell, I'm passionate about community journalism. I'm the youngest of five kids, am a book worm and have a ridiculous movie collection. I have a double degree in Communications and International Studies from the University of Wollongong. I write stories for the Inverell Times, Moree Champion and Goondiwindi Argus. You can contact me at naomi.shumack@fairfaxmedia.com.au or on 0438 606 351.
Born and bred in Inverell, I'm passionate about community journalism. I'm the youngest of five kids, am a book worm and have a ridiculous movie collection. I have a double degree in Communications and International Studies from the University of Wollongong. I write stories for the Inverell Times, Moree Champion and Goondiwindi Argus. You can contact me at naomi.shumack@fairfaxmedia.com.au or on 0438 606 351.
