Miss Wallace scored a spot in the national finals after the state finals in Sydney last week.

She’ll be one of 24 women contesting the competition, a competition which Miss Wallace didn’t expect to be in with a shot of winning.

“I never thought I’d get this far,” Miss Wallace said.

“When I applied, I was just at home with my partner and best friend and thought I’d apply and see what happens.”

Miss Wallace has been modelling for a few years since graduating from Kinross Wolaroi School in 2009.

She was first professionally photographed by the Central Western Daily in 1991, appearing on page one of the December 27 edition as Orange’s Christmas Day baby.

Since then she’s worked as a body double for actress Abbey Lee Kershaw in the movie Gods of Egypt.

As well as walking at Milan Fashion Week she’s modelled in Beijing and Bangkok for several commercial campaigns and has been featured in Australian and international magazines.

“When you’re a little girl you always like putting on makeup or having your done – that’s where it started,” she said.

“(Modelling) was always something that I thought of, when I was 16 we uploaded a photo to a website called Star Now.”

A few offers of potential came in, but Miss Wallace focused on completing school and after completing her first year at Macquarie University, she started in the industry.

Her goal at uni was to complete her degree in bio-diversity and conservation – which she completed in 2014 and then aim to get her ultimate job of working in conservation genetics and captive breeding.

“Modelling is just something that happened along the way, I enjoy it and have a lot of fun, but I’m well aware it’s an industry based on appearance,” Miss Wallace said.

“I went into it pretty level headed, I thought if I make it – great but I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t got all my eggs in one basket.”

As well as her modelling career, Miss Wallace manages a night club in Sydney and is studying for an executive diploma in zoology.

The Miss World Australia competition isn’t all about dressing up, contestants are required to get involved in the pageant’s charitable efforts.

Miss Wallace is supporting Variety, the Children’s Charity through the pageant’s charity arm, Beauty with a Purpose.

She’s aiming to raise $5000 before the end of the competition and planning to hold a fundraising event in Orange to reach her goal.

The winner of Miss World Australia will be crowned at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne on July 14.