Jesinta Campbell has been hailed as the most beautiful in the land.

The 18-year-old model-turned-beauty-queen, from Potts Point in Sydney, was crowned as Miss Universe Australia 2010 on Thursday night, outdoing 29 other finalists.

She will now move on as the nation's representative in the upcoming international Miss Universe pageant that will be held in Las Vegas on August 23.

Campbell was wearing a flowing white, sparkling gown when the announcement of winners was made. She beamed with surprise after finding out that she won the crown.

"I feel so privileged to be able to represent my country overseas at an international level, it's absolutely incredible," she told AAP.

The top 30 finalists appeared on stage wearing their bathing suits after which the final 10 were chosen for the evening gown segment. Then the top five moved on to the question-and-answer portion.

Campbell was asked a question about skin protection. She stammered at first but later on was able to give a wonderful answer about the importance of protecting oneself from the harsh Australian sun.

"It's important to have a good skincare routine, so even when we are outdoors, we need to use sunscreen and drink lots of water," she said.

The runners-up were Renae Wauhop, who came in second, and Lia Tapper in third place. Both are from Perth.

Campbell, who postponed her journalism studies until next semester, was joined by her mother. Her grandmother and father were not able to make it due to illness.

"My family have been so supportive and I don't think they saw this coming and neither did I," she said.

The prizes she won include a year's supply of shoes from Novo Shoes, a new Proton S16 car, a collection of Kooey swimwear and the crown.