Lake Macquarie History

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Media

Juanita Purcell- Loli - Harmony Day interviewee, 2015

  • Juanita Purcell- Loli - Harmony Day interviewee, 2015

    Photo Ref: 23822

    Juanita Purcell-Loli migrated to Australia with her husband following a childhood spent in Polynesia. Of her formative years, Juanita recalls an idyllic time in what was then Western Samoa, punctuated with stints living in New Zealand. The transition to Australian life occurred in adulthood, Juanita?s husband initiating the move to Sydney for work purposes. A subsequent day trip to the Newcastle region one Mother?s Day proved fortuitous. Impressed with the slower paced lifestyle and physical resemblance to parts of Samoa and New Zealand, Juanita and family decided on resettling in Lake Macquarie. Juanita highlights her interactions with the large expatriate Polynesian community in the Hunter Region and explains how faith is an integral part of Samoan life. Juanita believes that the move to Lake Macquarie facilitated her entry into welfare work, a field she clearly enjoys. Juanita participated in the 2015 Harmony Day Project, which celebrated the diversity and strong sense of community our migrant population have contributed to in Lake Macquarie.

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