Welcome Peter Commens, members of the show society, members of the showgirl committee, showgirl entrants and fellow show-goers, to the 2014 Junee Show.

I too would also like to pay my respects to Patrick Keast.

Throughout my time as Junee Showgirl, Pat was there to mentor me, help me through the zone final and my week at the Royal Easter Show.

I am extremely grateful for the advice, the support he provided me, and his contribution to agriculture and the shows, he will be remembered in the highest esteem.

I remember standing here a year ago, where these lovely ladies are now, and thinking about what it means to be appointed the Junee Showgirl.

The showgirl competition is about finding a young female ambassador for rural NSW who is passionate about their town and wants to spread the word about what we do in rural communities, and emphasise the importance of agriculture.

In my experience as showgirl this year, I have furthered my knowledge of agriculture and become acutely aware of the challenges that face not only our farmers, but also everyone living in a rural area.

We are moving into an era where people do not know that people are working tirelessly to give the highest care to livestock.

But most importantly, they do not know that the people doing this work depend on them to give back so that agriculture can survive.

We have the power to change this.

Educating all Australians about the value of agriculture is paramount to the survival of rural communities.

When people understand that what they are buying is directly helping the farmers, they will be more inclined to do so.

There will be more support for those in agriculture, and I'm not just talking about farmers.

I'm talking about the hairdressers, the clothes shops, video store, IGA, medical centre and all the other local businesses we have.

It is those people who keep our town alive.

And behind our town, every town, there are unsung heroes who are an integral part of society and always strive to make things better.

Ladies, I am talking about you.

It's true what they say, that behind every great man, is a woman rolling her eyes.

Every though you might not know it, you are all vital to the community.

One aspect of the showgirl competition is to empower women in regional NSW, and it is because we all know that women have the capacity to bring about change.

The Ladies' marquee that we have here today is to celebrate the women and girls of Junee.

It also shows that you don't have to be a farmer to contribute to agriculture.

That is one of my favourite things about the Junee Show.

It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, you can be a part of the show.

I am extremely thankful for all the options we have for our youth.

With the junior judging competitions and events, we keep our youth invested and interested in agriculture.

It is here that we remember why we are proud to be rural and why we do what we do.

Being Miss Junee Showgirl has been one of the best experiences of my life, especially having the honour to represent Junee at the Royal Easter Show this year.

I have made new friends, developed a stronger sense of community and respect for my rural upbringing.

I wish the next Junee Showgirl all the best and I hope that she enjoys the year ahead of her as much as I have.

So without further ado, I declare the 2014 Junee Show officially open.