Pageant queen stops traffic with ‘Outback Barbie’ photo shoot combining fashion with history and heritage

A reigning pageant queen donning her crown and gown was enough to stop traffic in Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s main street during an ‘Outback Barbie’ photo shoot combining fashion, history, heritage and heart. For International Mrs Australia 2025, Monique Sawyer, the photo shoot was about more than just fashion and beauty. With her great-grandfather enlisting in World War I in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, her father working in the Goldfields, and her husband a founding member of a mining company in the area, Sawyer said revisiting the town she spent some of her childhood in “meant the world” to her. “To be photographed in a town that has been so kind and meant so much to my family for generations was deeply meaningful,” she said. “These photo shoots weren’t just about fashion or beauty, for me they were about celebrating the spirit of Kalgoorlie Boulder and connecting with its rich history.” Posing in the red dirt, the Two Up Shed, and the Palace and Exchange hotels, Sawyer said the photo shoots would hold a special place in her heart. “A standout moment for me was doing the photo shoot at the Two Up Shed,” she said. “Wearing a pink gown against the iconic red dirt was a powerful and playful expression of grit, strength and femininity. I would call it very ‘Outback Barbie’. “One unforgettable and fun moment was my photo shoot in the heart of Kalgoorlie, right at the main intersection, literally stopping traffic. “And meeting the welcoming staff at both the Exchange Hotel and Palace Hotel made me feel like I was a part of the town’s story, not just visiting it. “I loved having photos by the historic mirror gifted by President Herbert Hoover, it felt like I was stepping into a piece of history. That shoot captured everything I love: history, heart, heritage and fashion.” Sawyer was in town to judge the inaugural Miss Kalgoorlie Pageant and launch her own Diamond Crown Consultancy business, which will see her return to town for workshops around International Women’s Day next year. “I loved spending time getting to know the contestants, I was inspired hearing about how they prepared for the pageant,” she said. “The contestants shared how their mothers and grandmothers helped with their hair, make-up, and many even designed and made their own outfits. “I felt blessed to be able to help provide opportunities for women in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region.” Sawyer said her four-year-old son Theodore was particularly impressed by the Super Pit and Museum of the Goldfields, and her husband, Maurice, was able to reconnect with his mining roots with a tour of the Black Cat Syndicate’s Lakewood Mill. “Our trip was an absolute family affair; I always say pageantry is a team sport,” she said. As the reigning International Mrs Australia 2025, Sawyer will represent Australia at the International Ms Pageant in September during New York Fashion Week. If she wins the International Ms crown, Sawyer said she wanted to bring it home, not just to Australia, but right here to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Pageant queen stops traffic with ‘Outback Barbie’ photo shoot combining fashion with history and heritage

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