Father Christmas

Father Christmas continues his special relationship with South Australia since appearing in the first Pageant in 1933. Father Christmas loves the way South Australian children are so well behaved. He loves to see the smiles on their faces and returns to the Credit Union Christmas Pageant every year. This is one event he would not miss for the world.

Father Christmas stands on a sleigh atop his float in his shiny red suit waving to the crowd, accompanied by his eight majestic reindeer standing at the ready on a specially made ice landing glacier. As the float passes by you can feel the cold. Father Christmas feels very much at home even though the day may be hot.

It is awe inspiring to see Father Christmas escorted in grand style by the Pageant procession to the Magic Cave.

Visit Father Christmas in the Magic Cave on level 3 in David Jones, Rundle Mall.

King Nathan Fisher

With this year’s theme being “celebrate the clown within”; Credit Union Christmas Pageant King Nathan Fisher is looking forward to incorporating his clown training to help spread the humour and magic on pageant day.

With more than eight years of pageant practice under his belt, the 21 year old from Police Credit Union is most looking forward to the community aspect of his role.

The film buff has a talent for reciting movie lines and looks forward to being able to share some of his larrikin spirit with kids all around South Australia.

As Pageant King, he will lead the way with his Royal Family by visiting schools, hospitals, nursing homes and special needs centres both in Adelaide and regional areas.

Queen Amy Fenna

Clarence Gardens resident and employee at Community CPS, Amy Fenna, is celebrating her second Credit Union Christmas Pageant by taking on the highly prestigious role of Pageant Queen.

Holding many great memories of watching the Credit Union Christmas Pageant each year with her family, Amy was honoured when her colleagues nominated her for the role as Pageant Princess and was thrilled to receive the even greater honour of Pageant Queen.

Amy, 29, is looking forward to travelling through regional South Australia leading her Royal Family, spreading the laughter, fun and magic of the pageant.

Nicholas Nicholas

This People’s Choice Credit Union employee is lucky to have something in common with the man in the big red suit. Nicholas Nicholas shares the same name as Father Christmas and is incredibly excited about his royal role in this year’s much-loved event.

Inspired to nominate for the Credit Union Christmas Pageant Royal Family position by the 2010 Queen, Katelyn Schulte, the 25-year old from Henley Beach is excited to stand as a role model for young guys in South Australia, as well as bringing a good dose of humour to the role itself.

Prince Joshua Thompson

A big kid at heart, 28 year old Joshua Thompson is relishing the opportunity to play one of this year’s Credit Union Christmas Pageant Princes.

Community CPS team leader Josh is nothing short of height, standing tall at 6 feet and 5 inches, and is proud to be an ambassador for the Credit Union Christmas Pageant, connecting not only with the other credit unions but the community of South Australia.

Prince Michael Day

Credit Union SA Mobile Manager Mike, quickly fell in love with the Credit Union Christmas Pageant whilst watching it on the TV with his family in Broken Hill.

Creating his own pageant tradition from an early age, Mike has been involved in seven pageants and helped his local pageant by designing floats and making costumes.

Now living in Glenelg North, the 31 year old is looking forward to passing through the streets of Adelaide, waving to the crowds as a pageant prince.

Princess Kellie Zanni

Highbury resident Kellie Zanni has a great enthusiasm and passion for Christmas and enjoys watching Adelaide’s credit union employees dress up in colourful wigs and bright whimsical costumes in preparation for the Credit Union Christmas Pageant.

The 27 year old from People’s Choice Credit Union is glad it’s her time to dress up in a pretty princess costume to help spread the Christmas cheer across South Australia.

One of Kellie’s favourite Christmas Pageant memories is watching her famous aunt participate in the pageant many years ago. Kellie is looking forward to creating her own special memories with her 4 year old and 18 month old nephews as they watch her go past on the royal family float.

Princess Julie Cameron

28 year old Credit Union SA employee, and newly crowned Princess, Julie Cameron has relished the opportunity to play Snow White and a clown in Pageants past.

Whilst Julie has been playing netball for the past eight years and has run the City to Bay in 75 minutes, she is hoping her experience volunteering with children through the Smith Family will put her in good stead for the visits to special needs centres, nursing homes, schools and libraries.

Princess Jessica Clifford

Growing up in Victoria, this Credit Union Christmas Pageant Princess would always look forward to special trips to Adelaide to meet her ultimate idol, Father Christmas.

Whilst Princess Jessica may have had four years of pageant experience to prepare her for her role in the Royal Family, the 28 year old from Police Credit Union is most looking forward to going out into the community, sharing the joy and excitement of the Credit Union Christmas Pageant.

Junior Royals

In 2011 the credit unions opened up an exciting opportunity allowing children to take a coveted place in the Credit Union Christmas Pageant Royal Family. The Credit Unions’ Royal’s Got Talent competition was launched for kids between the ages of five and 10 to showcase their unique talent for the chance to become a junior princess or prince on pageant day. Finalists were selected to perform at the Queen and King Crowning Ceremony live in Rundle Mall on July 21. This year’s princess and prince are Holly O’Farrell and Joshua Paradise. Congratulations!

Robot Family Christmas

The pageant is about tradition, the present and the future. It is for families of all kinds and in some ways this float stretches that point. Here we have a very colourful mum, and dad robot with their two robot children opening a present for Christmas. What do they get? A human! This is a float by artist David Blight and brings the pageant into the future.

Nipper and Nimble

Nipper and Nimble are two beautiful, graceful horses with a history that dates to the early 1900s, having been first appeared in the Magic Cave. Both Nipper and Nimble appeared in the first Pageant in 1933. Since then, Nipper and Nimble have become two of the most popular characters in the Credit Union Christmas Pageant, not missing an event since. Every year, two lucky little princesses have the opportunity to ride Nipper and Nimble in the Credit Union Christmas Pageant and wave to the crowds of children and adults as the parade makes its way through city streets. It’s every little girl’s dream to ride Nipper or Nimble and their mums would love to do it if the costumes could fit! Following the Credit Union Christmas Pageant, Nipper and Nimble make their home in the Magic Cave at David Jones, where they have been ridden by hundreds and thousands of South Australian children over the years on their visit to Father Christmas.

Christmas Beat

Bold and beautiful! A huge clown sits on a musical keyboard looking very excited about being the centre of attention in a loud and resonant set of drummers. Credit Union staff attend drumming school to learn drumstick routines while the Pulteney Grammar school Drum Corp and Heathfield Renegades provide the drumming. This float was designed by Kit Chambers in his return to the pageant after many years working as a freelance artist. The colours in this float are vibrant and strengthened by the black and white stylistic costumes worn by the drummers. They are designed like piano keyboards with the black notes shaped like drumsticks. Drum roll please!

Swinging on a Star

Now this is star quality! The Credit Union Christmas pageant is the biggest and the best pageant of its kind in the world and our spruiker on this float is not shy in telling people about it. His friends celebrate the season with the crowd by bouncing beach balls along the pageant route with the crowd participating. Christmas in summer is foreign to our neighbours in the northern hemisphere and this float is a sight to behold for them as they watch the replays with their heaters turned up high. It’s holiday time and we are making the most of it with a spring in our step having a ball of fun!

Mack Doogal the Detective

With 320,000 pageant goers lining the streets and so many children out and about, we need some serious security at the pageant. So who do you call when you want top security? Why you call Mack Doogal the Scottish security guard who is a real terrier when it comes to making sure things are secure. He seems to have taken a special interest in a serious breach but it has nothing to do with our crowd and everything to do with a cat! I suppose he did not want to be caught “cat napping"!

Nellie

Nellie the elephant accompanied our Aladdin float for many years and now accompanies the Bollywood float. Nellie came from England in the 1950’s as one of only 4 mechanical elephants made. Having served the pageant for several years and then consistently breaking down, she nearly ended her participation but Albe Hill offered to repair her and she has participated for many years since, Albe’s son Ross taking over her maintenance. She is a crowd favourite and the whole of Adelaide is grateful to the Hill family for their ongoing support. Nellie has received many offers to make appearances at many events but only comes out for the pageant. Now that is a story made in Hollywood? Bollywood? No, it’s a story made in Adelaide.