- NAME
- Wensing, Petronella
- BIRTHDATE
- 22-1-1924
- PLACE OF BIRTH
- Teteringen, The Netherlands
- NATIONALITY
- Dutch
- RELIGION
- (Roman) Catholic
- OCCUPATION
- housewife
18-5-1955
A letter was sent to the Emigrant Attache concerning the collection of a hospital debt made on the ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (Note that they arrived on the ship Sibajak two years earlier) more info
1967
In the late 1960s, Petronella taught part-time at St. Patrick’s Primary School and Aranda Primary School. From 1970, she taught embroidery, needlework and fashion at St. Clare’s Catholic College. She would become a skilled artisan who was renowned for lace-making skills more info more info
25-11-1969
Petronella and her husband received the Australian citizenship in 1969 more info
1982
Michael and Petronella went back to the Netherlands to visit their family and to study lace-making in Brussel, Belgium read more
1987
Petronella wrote an autobiography called ‘Southern Stitches’ about her time in the Netherlands, her migrant experiences to Australia and about her new life in Canberra read more
2013
Petronella received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the creative arts and the community of Canberra read more
2016
The Dutch Royal Family met Petronella in 2016 in Canberra when they visited Australia read more
2018
Petronella was interviewed by the National Archives of Australia to talk about her migrant experience and the life she built up in Australia