This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Watch: Indigenous Australia's Hottest Drag Queen For 2017, Josie Baker

Meet Australia's inaugural Miss First Nation.

Joseph Cardona greets me in the lobby of Carriageworks in Sydney's inner-west. He's charming, handsome and a little bit shy.

"I'm Joseph Cardona, or Josie," he says.

The transformation from Joseph to Josie takes place over the next hour. From suit to rainbow ball gown with the help of a makeup case filled with all the essentials, and of course, as with any well stocked drag queen kit, the addition of a generous serve of gold glitter.

"This glitter's going to be everywhere, in my house, in my bed," Josie laughs. "Because everything Josie says is punctuated with a laugh.

"I've been doing this since 2004, so, you know, a very long time."

And that long career paid off this year when Josie Baker won the inaugural Miss First Nations competition, hosting Australia's best Indigenous drag queens.

It was a week long competition of challenges held in Darwin, which for Josie, included a photography session in a glass case surrounded by crocodiles. Being fed.

"It was scary. Pretty scary actually," Josie tells HuffPost Australia.

But also a lot of fun she tells me. At this point the wig is on and she's ready to perform for the cameras.

We walk into one of the track studios in Carriageworks and it's lights, camera, action before Josie Baker has fully come to life.

"The reason why I wanted to become Miss First Nations is because I wanted to be that mentor for the Indigenous youth to not be afraid to reach your dreams, to not be ashamed if you want to become a doctor, if you want to become a dancer don't be ashamed to go on stage. just listen to your heart," Josie said.

This weekend Josie is taking her performance to the Sydney stages for Sydney's 'Day For Night' performance as part of Liveworks 2017.

"I've been living in Sydney six years now. Love it!"

"It's just fun, I studied in melbourne and I lived in China a bit. And yeah, I just love the big city."

You can see her perform between 12pm - 1am on Saturday October 28. A dance party will be taking over from 6pm. You can find out more here.

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