Beyond The Crown

The Festival Queen Who Lost it All & Gave So Much (1982 - Teresa Matthews)

Bridge Media — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +1000

In this episode we're going back to the future....yep we're off to the 80s, where bigger was always better.

Teresa Matthews was crowned Festival Queen in 1982, in a time where discos were the fundraising activity of choice.

She was the queen who lost everything in a fire, but we still have her crown, sash, sceptre and gown, because Teresa donated them to the Stanthorpe Museum so that everyone could enjoy them, and learn more about the history of the Southern Downs.

I went out to the Storm King area, south-east of Stanthorpe for a fantastic chat with Teresa Matthews.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

This podcast has been made possible by the Regional Arts Development Fund; it's a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Southern Downs Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Bonus - 2022 Young Ambassador Update

Bridge Media — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +1000

In this bonus bit of Beyond the Crown I found myself at the International Club with to catch up with the 2022 Young Ambassadors, to find out what they've been up to and how they're preparing for the Gala Ball in March.

They've been learning a lot about themselves, but they've also been learning some modern deportment skills, as the young ambassadors get ready for the judging process.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

The Golden Jubilee of the Centenary Queen (1972 - Carol Skuze)

Bridge Media — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +1000

On this episode of Beyond the Crown, it's big hair, it's groovy gowns and so much excitement...for the 100 year celebration of Stanthorpe in 1972, with the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival.

I went south of the border past Tenterfield, to meet Caroline Robinson, who was crowned the Centenary Queen as Carol Skuze.

We talked about her career in nursing and midwifery around the world, and her beautiful gardens that she's designed and grown across the Granite Belt and New England regions.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

Miss Delicious and the New Festival (1966 - Jan Friar)

Bridge Media — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +1000

In this episode of Beyond the Crown we head south, all the way down to the border town of Wallangarra to speak to 1966 Festival Queen, Jan Friar.

Jan was crowned Miss Delicious at what became a new festival, with all the printed material that year showing 'The Apple Harvest Festival'.

Jan is a wealth of knowledge about the history of the Southern Downs, but also the Tenterfield Shire, just across the border in New South Wales.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

A Brief History of Apples in Australia

Bridge Media — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +1000

In this episode of Beyond the Crown we take a deep dive into the history of apples and the associated festivals in the Stanthorpe region, as well as across the country.

The mid-60's saw huge change to the Apple Blossom Festival, but to understand why we'll go back to the 1870's.

I take a visit to the Queensland State Archives to find out why there isn't much in the offical record books about apple festivals in Stanthorpe.

An we uncover a composer called Ward Leopold who was commissioned to write about apples for the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. Check out our bonus bit on Ward in your podcast feed now, which includes the only known recording of 'The Apple Song'.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

Bonus - Ward Leopold & The Apple Song

Bridge Media — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +1000

One tidbit that was uncovered during the research for this podcast was that the Australian Apple & Pear Marketing Board commissioned a composer named Ward Leopold to write a song about the benefits of eating apples.

Ward Leopold was also a radio producer, musician and writer and was best known for his radio sketch series 'Here's Hooey'.

Although some of his work is held in the National Film and Sound Archive, as far as we can tell, 'The Apple Song' was never recorded.

Beyond the Crown has now rectified that and we present you with the only known recording of this song.

'The Apple Song' was performed by David Blunden and recorded by Justin Rouillon.

'Go Wacko for Wacko Soap' written by Ward Leopold, taken from 'Here's Hooey'.

Excerpt from 'Love & an Apple Cart' narrated by Justin Rouillon.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

Meet the Young Ambassadors of 2022

Bridge Media — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +1000

In this episode of Beyond the Crown we meet the Young Ambassadors of the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival for 2022.

They're a diverse group of young women and men from all over the Granite Belt.

Some are the grand daughters of Apple Blossom Queens (Karma O'Reilly is the grand daughter of Annette Barker, now O'Reilly, who was featured in episode 4).

Some are COVID survivors looking to make a future for themselves.

Some have kids while some have just graduated from high school.

A love of their region is what binds this group together, and they are looking to the future for Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

The Queen Without a Festival (1965 - Annette Barker)

Bridge Media — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +1000

Annette Barker had one of those sliding door moments; she was destined to be an accountant, but a tragic car accident shifted her focus.

In 1965 Annette was crowned the last Apple Blossom Festival Queen, but she found herself a queen without a festival.

Annette (now O'Reilly) has done it all in life; from mixing with Aussie rock royalty during the 60's as she toured with her first husband's band.

Later she married Peter O'Reilly, and is now the queen of bird watching in the Lamington National Park.

I also found out how Annette managed to score a cameo appearance in the blockbuster film 'Muriel's Wedding'.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

The Drag Queens of Ballandean (1962)

Bridge Media — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +1000

In 1962 Allan Taylor was crowned Miss Peach Blossom as a protest against the Apple Blossom Festival in Stanthorpe.

His friend, Peter Day, and other friends from the Ballandean Youth Group dressed up in women's clothing and sat on the Ballandean float, in the popular Apple Blossom Festival Street Parade.

I sat down with Allan and Peter, now crowned the 'drag queens of Ballandean' along with Ballandean local, 'Chooky' Williamson to find out why they were protesting against an apple festival.

I was also able to speak to Sam Costanzo over the phone about why dressed up and joined in the protest.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

From Frosty Orchards to Tropical Islands (1959 - Gwen Furness)

Bridge Media — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +1000

The year was 1959 and rock 'n' roll was taking over the airwaves.

And that wasn't the only thing on the radio, because the whole of Stanthorpe would tune in to find out just who had been crowned Festival Queen.

Gwen Gloynes (nee Furness) grew up on an orchard on the Broadwater, and was crowned Festival Queen in 1959.

She went on to have an international career and would find romance in the tropics, but she would always have Stanthorpe in her heart.

I sat down with Gwen to chat about Stanthorpe in the late 50's, and the memories flowed as we poured over her photos from a time when ballgowns were hand made, and when Stanthorpe Festival Queens sashed Warwick Rodeo Kings.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

Sputnik & the Festival Queen (1957 - Dorothy Pappagallo)

Bridge Media — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +1000

In 1957 the space race was well and truly underway, with the Soviet Union successfully launching Sputnik as Earth's first artificial satellite.

And who would have thought that some general knowledge about Sputnik, gleaned fresh from the front page of The Courier Mail, would help Dorothy Pappagallo to become a Festival Queen.

Dorothy grew up in Ballandean, where her family grew stonefruit, grapes, vegetables and apples, before leaving for the big lights of Brisbane where she worked as a telephonist for the company we now know as Telstra.

I sat down with Dorothy over scones at Lily's Cafe in Stanthorpe to find out about a forgotten world of telephone exchanges, space races and the early days of the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

Beyond The Crown Trailer

Bridge Media — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +1000

Beyond The Crown is the podcast that's part aural history and part documentary, bringing you interviews with past Queens of the Stanthorpe Apple & Grape Harvest Festival.

It's about celebrating rural enterprise, agricultural excellence as well as generational pride for the Granite Belt Community.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.