The Miss Wagga Wagga Quest will return in 2026 under new leadership. Photo: Supplied.
Miss Wagga Wagga is set to return in 2026 after a year’s hiatus, with new leadership bringing fresh enthusiasm to the historic community service award.
Due to committee members – including the chair – announcing they would not be able to commit to their roles in 2025, the search for Miss Wagga Wagga was put on hold indefinitely.
However, new chairperson Janine Tout and new vice chairperson Claire Zollinger have announced their intention to revitalise and bring the quest into the modern day.
“We’ve recently had our annual general meeting and we’re confident that we have formed a very experienced and excited committee,” Ms Tout said.
“We’re about to start looking for entrants for the 2026 quest for 2027 titleholders. We’re going to have an information night on 16 February; from there nominations for the quest can be made and we will announce the official entrants a couple of months later.
“Anybody who’s got any sort of questions, or maybe wants to bring a friend along, we’re strongly encouraging them to come along to the event.”
Ms Tout, wife of Wagga Mayor Dallas Tout, said it was important to specify the values and ultimate goals of the award.
“The overall purpose of the quest is to provide professional development to our entrants,” she said.
“The titleholders are representatives of Wagga Wagga and the quest and the titleholders must reflect the city and the quest’s values.
“The quest has evolved more into community awareness. So it’s more allowing the entrants to be involved in the community in a way that they probably haven’t before.”
Ms Tout applauded the work performed over the past 12 months by Amy Hickey, 2025’s Miss Wagga Wagga and Maggie Enever, 2025 Community Princess as there was real uncertainty as to whether the quest would return at all.
“We are absolutely honoured to have both of the ladies return. They’ve done an absolutely incredible job representing both the quest and Wagga over the last 12 months when things weren’t very certain,” Ms Tout said.
“They represented their community and the quest so gracefully and beautifully and in a very respectful fashion.
“Both ladies will have roles on the committee with Amy as an entrant co-ordinator and Maggie as a quest representative. Both Amy and Maggie will bring great insight not only from their experiences as entrants and titleholders, but as to how the quest can move forward and evolve.”
The Miss Wagga Wagga Quest information night will be held at the RSL Club on Monday 16 February. Times will be confirmed on the quest’s Facebook page closer to the date.
