Sydney, Australia’s Susana Downes to compete at Miss Earth 2019 in Naga City, Philippines

Dancer, actress and singer Susana Danielle Downes, 25, will represent Australia at Miss Earth 2019. She is the 19th woman to represent the country in the annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental care.

Downes hails from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In the past, the city was criticized for its lack of focus on reducing pollution, cutting back on emissions and maintaining water quality.

Born in Sydney on June 9, 1994, Downes went to The McDonald College in Sydney and earned her bachelor’s degree in Music from the Australian Institute of Music in Surry Hills, Sydney. She used to work as a template consultant at Building Certification Systems and now works as a casual media advisor at JB Hi-Fi and an independent Consultant at Arbonne Australia and New Zealand.

At Miss Earth Australia 2018, Downes ranked third. She was crowned Miss Earth Australia-Water 2018.

On September 8, 2019, Downes was crowned Miss Earth Australia 2019 at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney in Sydney. She bested 16 other candidates.

Aside from winning the Miss Earth Australia 2019 title, Downes also won the People’s Choice award via online voting as well as the Best in Talent and Best in Evening Gown awards. She was crowned by her fellow Sydney native Miss Earth Australia 2018 Monique Charlotte Shippen, 26.

Shippen did not place in Miss Earth 2018 in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. She is set to represent Australia in Miss International 2019 in Tokyo, Japan on November 12, 2019.

Runners-up to Downes as Miss Earth Australia 2019 were Miss Air Australia 2019 Sheridan Mortlock, Miss Water Australia 2019 Karyn Xie and Miss Fire Australia 2019 Pauline Chapman. Xie was also named Miss Friendship and Best in Environmental Speech while Mortlock was Miss Photogenic and the Darling of the Press.

Brittany Dickson was crowned Miss Charity Australia 2019. She also received the Green Achievers Award.

The Miss Earth Australia 2019 sponsors were Megaworld International, Dooleys, Crunch, Kikay Hairbar, John Hayson, Dj Jesse, Davidliterato, Fusion, Armando, Adhika, Click and Smile, Getfitnow, Starcentral Magazine, Siony, Linda Bishop and businesswoman Marie Tan Siue-Tien. Serving as the judges during the coronation night were Siue-Tien, business director Michelle Bangug, biochemical engineer Mark Hawthorne, company CEOs David Mantle and Michael Downse, company vice president for marketing Liz Angeles, beauty queen Sue Turner, personality development coach Mira Batch-Hanna, librarian Linda Rose Bishop avid Miss Earth Australia supporter John Hayson.

On October 26, 2019, Downes will compete against approximately 95 women from around the world for the title Miss Earth 2019 at the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum in Naga City, Philippines. If she wins the title, she will be the beauty pageant’s first ever titleholder from Australia.

There have been only two candidates from Australia to win as runners-up in Miss Earth namely Miss Earth-Air 2015 Dayanna Grageda, 27, of Sydney and Miss Earth-Air 2017 Nina Robertson, 22, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Shenevelle Dickson finished in the Top 8 in Miss Earth 2004.

Reigning Miss Earth 2018 is Nguyễn Phương Khánh, 24. She is the beauty pageant’s first ever titleholder from Vietnam.