Linda Ritchie, Miss New Zealand 1971-72.
Linda entered the Miss Geyserland beauty contest as Miss
Super Value (sponsored by Durrants Super Value) She won that contest to become
Miss Geyserland 1971 and it was with this title she entered the Miss New Zealand
Beauty Contest in 1971 which she also won.
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| Published in Rotorua Photo News 17th February 1971 p. 16-17. Photographer Richard Krall |
Linda went on to enter the Miss Universe Beauty Contest in
Miami and Miss World in London, both contests also held in 1971.
Her wardrobe, an all wool wardrobe, was supplied by the NZ
Wool Board. It was designed in her favourite colours, browns and creams. The following descriptions were published in
the Daily Post along with photographs of Linda modelling each piece.
'The travelling outfit was a dress & jacket in a cinnamon
shade, with a pure silk scarf in tans, browns and cinnamon on cream. Another traveller piece, a ‘cream dress in
machine washable wool with permanent pleated skirt and a plain jumper worn with
or without a tie belt’. An apron skirt with
toplet a black wool felt, appliqued with gay emerald and daffodil yellow and
ornamented with black wool braid and a thick black wool fringe. A dress in autumn leaf gold pure wool
georgette which can be worn with or
without cream wool georgette trousers and a white leather belt embroidered with
flowers in wool.' DP 23rd July
1971.
Her traditional costume to be worn in the Miss World contest
was donated by the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and made by Emily
Schuster. DP 12th July 1971.
As part of her duties as Miss New Zealand, Linda was asked to crown Rotorua’s Miss Selwyn Heights winner Miss Adele Putt.
The competition was run as a fundraiser for Selwyn Heights Kindergarten. DP 6th
August 1971 and 10th August 1971.
All Daily Post excerpts are in Don Stafford’s Research
Folder ‘Rotorua Biographies’ v.5, R19a.
In the Gisborne Photo News, May 17th 1972, Linda
is photographed on her visit to Cobham School. This photograph can be accessed
online via this link Gisborne
Photo News
Click this link to see Gold Miss Geyserland gown worn by Linda Ritchie
In c.1982-c.1996 Linda owned La Rouge Perfumery in Tutanekai Street.
