Updated March 07, 2017 18:46:03

This year's Australian representative at the camp, colourful and occasionally cringe-worthy Eurovision song contest has been announced as 17-year-old Isaiah Firebrace.

It will be the third time Australia has competed in Eurovision, which is being held in the Ukrainian capital Kiev in May.

We take a look back at our past efforts — from a novelty half-time performance featuring dancers wearing giant kangaroo and koala heads, to a former reality TV star's near-win last year.

2016: Dami Im finishes second

Last year's Eurovision in Sweden saw Australia compete for the second time, and Dami Im came second with her song Sound of Silence.

Im wore a sparkling white dress and performed while seated on a glittering black box before getting up towards the end to give a belting finish.

Before the scores were announced, she told the hosts that, if she won, she would celebrate by having a lemonade with her crew.

In the end, she topped the jury vote but came second once the viewers' votes were counted.

Im, who shot to fame after winning reality singing show The X Factor in 2013, told the Eurovision hosts she moved to Australia from South Korea when she was nine years old and learned English by listening to the Spice Girls.

2015: Guy Sebastian's wildcard

Guy Sebastian officially represented Australia as a wildcard entry to mark Eurovision's 60th anniversary in 2015, and his tune Tonight Again garnered enough votes to place Australia fifth.

Eurovision blogger William Lee Adams, the editor in chief of Eurovision blog WiWiBloggs, told RN's Rear Vision program that Australia's inclusion was controversial.

"There are semi-finals in Eurovision and lots of countries do not make the final, they invest the money, they pay the licence fee to compete, and then they don't actually get to go to the big show on Saturday, which is watched by tens of millions of people," Adams said at the time.

"Australia rocks up and suddenly they are allowed to go direct to the final. It has caused a great deal of unease among fans who want to see their country get there, and also other delegations."

2014: Jessica Mauboy's Sea of Flags

When Jessica Mauboy performed as the half-time act at the 2014 competition in Denmark, it was the first time in Eurovision history that a non-European country was asked to perform.

Mauboy performed her song Sea of Flags in front of the Australian and Aboriginal flags for an audience of about 125 million people worldwide.

Her performance was introduced by a live skit featuring performers dressed as AFL players, surfers and Australian animals.

"We'll put dingoes in Romania, emus in Albania and speedos on your genitalia," they sang.

"Tonight we're on a mission to fulfil our life's ambition to compete at Eurovision for the brand new country of Euraustralia."

Australians represent Europe

While Mauboy's performance led to Australia's inclusion in the contest itself, she wasn't actually the first Australian to sing at Eurovision, with others competing in the past for European countries.

Olivia Newton-John was the first Australian Eurovision competitor, representing the United Kingdom in 1974, while Brisbane-born Gina G performed "Ooh Aah.. Just a Little Bit" in 1996, also for the UK.

Ten years later, Australian singer Jane Comerford represented Germany, with the band Texas Lightning.

This year's contest will be held on May 9, 11 and 13.

Topics: arts-and-entertainment, music-awards, music, european-union, australia, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted March 07, 2017 09:44:36