The experience completes a long and happy association with the Barossa Vintage Festival for Jill, now 88 years young.
The daughter of army officer, Albert Fietz of Tanunda, Jill moved to her father’s hometown at the age of 11 and was a mere 18 when she was crowned Miss Tanunda.
“First of all, six or seven girls were nominated by various organisations in the towns; I was nominated by the Mothers’ and Babies’ Association, I remember, and the girls were then interviewed by a couple of women from Adelaide,” recalls Jill.
“We all wore our evening gowns and long white gloves and they looked at our deportment, what we knew about the Valley, where we worked, table manners – all those sorts of things required to be a demure lady in those days.
“It was all very exciting at 18!”
While Miss Truro, Marilyn Richards, was ultimately crowned Barossa Vintage Queen of 1953, Jill says there were no hard feelings: “Nobody minded – it was all part of the fun!”
Amongst her many fond Festival memories, Jill recalls the “magnificent” floral-covered floats in the festival parade; she herself was immortalised on the front cover of Reader’s Digest magazine the following year.
“It was quite a lovely float – I was on the throne and all the other girls were my hand maidens,” recalls Jill.
“My granddaughter, Emily was horrified that I was being pulled along by six slaves, being young men from Tanunda, but I said they quite enjoyed it!”
Of course traditions have changed over time to ensure South Australia’s largest regional festival remains socially and culturally relevant, including the much-loved role of the Vintage Queen.
“The first Queen was not called a Vintage Queen – she was the Daughter of Bacchus, the wine god. Of course in a good Lutheran community that was quashed very quickly!” says Jill.