Elaine George facts for kids

Elaine George (born around 1976), also known as Elaine Tanaka, is an amazing Aboriginal Australian fashion model. She made history by being the very first Aboriginal model to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine. This big moment happened in September 1993, on the Australian edition of the famous magazine.

Elaine George's Early Life

Elaine George was born around 1976. She grew up in Inala, which is a suburb south-west of Brisbane, Queensland. Her family lived in a "housing commission" home. This is a type of social housing that helps families find affordable places to live.

Elaine's mother is from the Arakwal people, who are an Aboriginal group. Her father is a white Australian of German background. When she was young, Elaine was a bit of a tomboy and loved playing sports. Her family was not wealthy, so they never bought fashion magazines. Elaine was also not allowed to wear make-up when she was growing up.

Becoming a Vogue Cover Star

Elaine George's journey to becoming a model started in a fun way. She was at a theme park called Dreamworld with her sister, Anita. A photographer named Grant Good saw her there. He was at the park with his partner and children.

Just a few days before, Grant Good had talked with Nancy Pilcher, who was the editor of Vogue Australia. They discussed how Vogue needed to feature more Australian models on its cover. When Grant saw Elaine, he knew she was special.

He took some test photos of Elaine and sent them to Nancy Pilcher. Nancy decided that Elaine would be perfect for the cover of the September 1993 issue. Elaine was super excited! She had never flown in a plane or left Queensland before. Flying to Sydney for the photo shoot was a huge adventure for her.

Elaine George's appearance on the cover of Vogue was a very important moment. She was the first Aboriginal model ever to be featured on the cover of this famous magazine. This helped to open doors and show the beauty of Aboriginal people in the fashion world.

See Also

• Samantha Harris, another Aboriginal model who later appeared on the cover of Vogue.