Makers: Timu Family

Panel number: 246

Petition sheet number: 302

Person honouring: R. F. [Rora/Rhoda Francis] Orbell

Relationship to maker: None

Rora Wilkie was born in 1838 at Otago Heads to Margaret (Mata) Whio of Ngāi Tahu and Peter Wilkie. Rora, who went by the names Rhoda Flora, married English migrant Arthur Orbell in 1857 at 19 years. They had 12 children and settled at Moeraki, Otago.

Rora spent her life agitating and petitioning for the retention of Māori land, both in and out of the Māori land courts.

She signed the suffrage petition with her daughter, Frances Ada Amelia. Rora was widowed in 1916 and died in April 30 1917, aged 80 years.

Panel materials: Cotton fabrics, burlap, fabric embellishments, fabric paint, motifs, cotton threads and recycled materials. Machine stitching, scrapbooking techniques.