Melbourne: Indian-origin Maria Thattil was crowned Miss Universe Australia 2020 in the first virtual pageant event of Australia.
A total of 26 candidates participated in the pageant. Top five awarded different titles.
Thattil, 27, will represent Australia at Miss Universe 2020.
She is a fashion influencer.
Her South-Indian dad and Kolkata mother shifted from Calcutta to Melbourne in early 1990s before she was born.
Her dad, Antony Thattil from Kerala, is an alumnus of Salesian College Sonada 1977 batch.
Thattil, who has studied psychology and management, has more than 62,000 followers on Instagram.
She is an advocate of inclusion and diversity.
“I have always championed inclusion and not just limited it to ethnicity but also sexuality, gender, ability. I strongly believe representation matters. A society where every voice can thrive. We need to make space for people to express themselves irrespective of their background,” she says.