The Babinda Harvest Festival, formerly the Babinda Sugar Harvest Festival, debuted on October 27, 1962, organised by the Bellenden Kerr Junior Farmers. The street procession commenced at 7:30pm, followed by the crowning of the Sugar Princess at 9pm in the Memorial Hall. Contestants in the Sugar Princess quest hailed from Tully to Mossman and beyond, with Babinda’s Joan Arnold (nee Dickson) earning the inaugural Sugar Princess title. The day after the Festival, the Russell River Water Sports Club hosted an afternoon of water sports.
The Babinda Sugar Festival, managed by the Bellenden Kerr Rural Youth, took place on October 29, 1966. It included a street procession from Babinda Showgrounds to ANZAC Park. The event featured the crowning of the Sugar Queen, prizes, dances, and performances by Michael & the Mustangs and Blu-Stars Orchestra. FNQ Channel 10 – Cairns and Cairns radio station 4CA broadcasted the festival. In 1987, it was renamed the Babinda Harvest Festival, a name it holds to this day.
In all our years as a festival, only 3 have been missed:
Lillyann Russell
2024: Lillyann Russell
2023: Caitlin Kruckow
2022: Kealy Ganly
2021: Casey McCrae
2020: No Festival due to COVID-19
2019: Codi Spokes
2018: Deni Bettini
2017: Grace Ehling
2016: Courtney Spokes
2015: Ellie Kelly
2014: Rachel Ugarte
2013: Claudia Galea
2012: Kerin Panebianco
2011: Cheyenne Morris
2010: Sandra Jago
2009: Taleesa Keily
2008: Karina Kurucz
2007: Josephine McCulloch
2006: No Festival due to Cyclone
2005: Samantha Bormolini
2004: Alison Macklin
2003: Sunni Day
2002: Melina Parisi (Seawright)
2001: Many St John (Starkey)
2000: Aysha Harburn
1999: Sharyn Anderson (Greenwood)
1998: Kristy Andrews (Lyons)
1997: Kristy St John (Tsakasiris)
1996: Taleala Wilce (Wilce-Bone)
1995: Paula Oliveri (Spokes)
1994: Megan Agius (Keough)
1993: Toni Bartlett (Sharpley)
1992: Fiona Bettini (Williams)
1991: Sharon Richards (Fisher)
1990: Juanita Mellick
1989: Karen Wilkins (Edgerton)
1988: No Festival
1987: Donna Grant (Smith)
1986: Anne Dimarco (O’Brien)
1985: Kelli Grant
1984: Natalie Mellick (Nash)
1983: Amabile Destro
1982: Maria Nucifora
1981: Minnie Bombardieri (Francis)
1980: Sheridan Morris
1979: Gillian Raddatz
1978: Marian Prandolini (Ellwood)
1977: Rosanna Torrisi
1976: Jane Harwood (Ballarino)
1975: Lynette Guidice (Bartolo)
1974: Francine Camilleri (Henrich)
1973: Lyn Lawson (Willett)
1972: Lorraine Jones
1971: Bianca Prandolini (Jago)
1970: Diane Fraser
1969: Susan Omodie (O’Brien)
1968: Rosalina Corradi (Destro)
1967: Jan Strutton
1966: Desley Downina
1965: Barbara Kingston (Braithwaite)
1964: Kay Mann
1963: Jannifer Harvey
1962: Joan Dickson (Arnold)
Lillyann Russell
2024: Lillyann Russell
2023: Caitlin Kruckow
2022: Kealy Ganly
2021: Casey McCrae
2020: No Festival due to COVID-19
2019: Codi Spokes
2018: Deni Bettini
2017: Grace Ehling
2016: Courtney Spokes
2015: Ellie Kelly
2014: Rachel Ugarte
2013: Claudia Galea
2012: Kerin Panebianco
2011: Cheyenne Morris
2010: Sandra Jago
2009: Taleesa Keily
2008: Karina Kurucz
2007: Josephine McCulloch
2006: No Festival due to Cyclone
2005: Samantha Bormolini
2004: Alison Macklin
2003: Sunni Day
2002: Melina Parisi (Seawright)
2001: Many St John (Starkey)
2000: Aysha Harburn
1999: Sharyn Anderson (Greenwood)
1998: Kristy Andrews (Lyons)
1997: Kristy St John (Tsakasiris)
1996: Taleala Wilce (Wilce-Bone)
1995: Paula Oliveri (Spokes)
1994: Megan Agius (Keough)
1993: Toni Bartlett (Sharpley)
1992: Fiona Bettini (Williams)
1991: Sharon Richards (Fisher)
1990: Juanita Mellick
1989: Karen Wilkins (Edgerton)
1988: No Festival
1987: Donna Grant (Smith)
1986: Anne Dimarco (O’Brien)
1985: Kelli Grant
1984: Natalie Mellick (Nash)
1983: Amabile Destro
1982: Maria Nucifora
1981: Minnie Bombardieri (Francis)
1980: Sheridan Morris
1979: Gillian Raddatz
1978: Marian Prandolini (Ellwood)
1977: Rosanna Torrisi
1976: Jane Harwood (Ballarino)
1975: Lynette Guidice (Bartolo)
1974: Francine Camilleri (Henrich)
1973: Lyn Lawson (willett)
1972: Lorraine Jones
1971: Bianca Prandolini (Jago)
1970: Diane Fraser
1969: Susan Omodie (O’Brien)
1968: Rosalina Corradi (Destro)
1967: Jan Strutton
1966: Desley Downina
1965: Barbara Kingston (Braithwaite)
1964: Kay Mann
1963: Jannifer Harvey
1962: Joan Dickson (Arnold)
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