And, earlier this year the Upper Hunter celebrated her taking out a major title.

Maisie Morrow, 24, was the first Merriwa Showgirl to make the state finals in 2016 going on to be crowned the 2017 Sydney Royal Showgirl in April.

The agronomist and livestock nutritionist at Scone Landmark who completed her degree in rural science at Armidale is still heavily involved in the Merriwa Show Society and local community.

Now, with the 2017 Merriwa Springtime Show just around the corner, Miss Morrow is set to open the show on September 16 and is urging young women in rural communities to get involved. 

“This year we celebrate 50 years of Merriwa Showgirl – the event is held biannually with the next Merriwa Showgirl competition to be held in 2018 to ensure we have a healthy amount of young women attending,” she said.

But, Miss Morrow says just because applications aren’t open yet doesn’t mean that young women can’t get involved.

“You can still find out more by contacting showgirl coordinators about how to get involved,” she said.

“It is a fantastic thing for young women to be involved in and you don’t just have to be passionate about rural issues and agriculture– you could be a nurse or work in health or another area,” she said.

“Every aspect of rural communities are important, you just have to have a passion for your local area and be able to voice that.”

Merriwa Showgirl Coordinator Amanda Kemp urged that the showgirl competition is not a beauty pageant and plays a much broader purpose for young women.

“Girls must have a genuine interest in and be passionate about lifting rural communities,” she said.

“The competition also encourages the participation and awareness of issues faced by women in rural New South Wales, so contestants should be young rural women with purpose and ambition who want to play a significant role in the development of rural youth.” 

Miss Morrows also recommended getting involved in a fantastic event in Merriwa this weekend hosted by the Merriwa PAH & I Association.

“The Merriwa PAH & I Association is hosting a ball which will raise funds for the Where There’s a Will foundation on Saturday August 26 at the Merriwa School of Arts,” she said.

“This event is just another avenue for rural communities to show their support, this time for an incredibly worthy local charity,” she said.

The ball, named “A Prelude to Spring” will feature live and silent auctions, food and drinks as well as live entertainment with profits going towards Where There’s A Will, supporting and raising awareness of the ​significant mental health issues facing the Hunter community and beyond. 

For further enquiries about Merriwa Showgirl or about the Merriwa PAH & I Association ball, contact Amanda Kemp on 0457 485 150.