Petronella Wensing came to Australia from the Netherlands 60 years ago with her husband and two small children.
"When we arrived in Australia, we first were in a migrant camp and because I had a baby, the Catholic priest came to baptise him and suggested for us to go to Canberra because people there [complained less] than in other areas of Australia where it was more difficult to settle in," she said.
As a young migrant Petronella was concerned about the welfare of other migrants, particularly women, and how they could be successfully integrated into the community. Petronella has skillfully merged her passion for the arts with her work to build community groups.
The skilled artisan specialises in lace-making and embroidery, is life member of the Canberra Lace Makers Association, past president of the Embroiders' Guild of the ACT and a member of the Australian Lace Makers Guild.
At a celebration marking the announcement Petronella's Order of Australia, her children commented on the impact their mother has had on their lives, suggesting she instilled in them a strong sense of social justice.
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