Ms Purcell was announced as this year’s Showgirl during the official opening of the Show at 11am in the Wellington Showground grandstand.

Ms Purcell said she was thrilled at the announcement, and is looking forward to the opportunities being Wellington’s Showgirl will bring her. 

“I'm am so happy to have been chosen to represent the Wellington community.

“It's a great honour,” she said.

Ms Purcell said this was her first year running in the Showgirl competition, but it had been on her mind for quite a while. 

“I was really encouraged to run because I wanted to get involved in the community in some way. I’ve grown up here, been here my whole life, and have always been involved with events in the town.

“Running for Showgirl is something that I always wanted to do and now that I’m almost finished uni and about to graduate and start my full-time job, I thought this was the perfect time to do it.” 

Ms Purcell said that, out of all of her duties, the thing she is looking forward to the most is working with Wellington’s youth.

“It’s getting involved in the community really, and being able to make a difference and set an example for the younger generation who may not have the confidence to get up and do it.

“If I can make a bit of a difference and help those girls, that would be great.”

The next year will be a balancing act for Ms Purcell, as she juggles her Showgirl duties, work and personal time.

“I suppose it’s all about the commitment and dedication really. If you want something you have to work hard for it, it’s very rarely going to fall in your lap. You can always have a work/life/friends/family balance – it’s tiring but it’s doable.”

Ms Purcell will soon be graduating with a Bachelor of Accounting and will continue working at Boyce Chartered Accountants in Dubbo.