In 1957 the space race was well and truly underway, with the Soviet Union successfully launching Sputnik as Earth's first artificial satellite.

And who would have thought that some general knowledge about Sputnik, gleaned fresh from the front page of The Courier Mail, would help Dorothy Pappagallo to become a Festival Queen.

Dorothy grew up in Ballandean, where her family grew stonefruit, grapes, vegetables and apples, before leaving for the big lights of Brisbane where she worked as a telephonist for the company we now know as Telstra.

I sat down with Dorothy over scones at Lily's Cafe in Stanthorpe to find out about a forgotten world of telephone exchanges, space races and the early days of the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival.

Beyond The Crown is hosted by Lou Bromley.

Find out more by visiting the Beyond The Crown website or Facebook page.

This podcast has been made possible by the Regional Arts Development Fund; it's a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Southern Downs Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.