Maker: Sylvia Cavanagh

Panel number: 342

Petition sheet number: 408

Person honouring: Zoe Carter

Relationship to maker: Great-grandmother

Zoe Martin was born Wellington in 1870, daughter of Mary Ann and Robert Martin.

Zoe was a foundation pupil of the Wellington School of Design in 1886, which later became part of the Wellington Technical College.

Zoe worked in the family business, ‘R Martin – Paint and Paperhanging, House decorating and Artists’ supplies’ established in Manners St by her father in 1863.

In 1890 Zoe married Charles Carter who was an employee of her father’s.   Charles was a specialist in stained glass windows.

Unfortunately Charles died young, leaving Zoe a widow at the age of 38 with six children: Matthew, Doris, Zoe, Nina, Charles, and Edith, to care for. She went back to work in the family business.

Zoe was vice-president of the Wellington Early Settlers Association, and also a member of the Wellington Beautifying Society and the English Speaking Union.

She died in Wellington in 1947; she was 76. The National Library in Wellington has a collection of photographs of Zoe and the Martin family and their business.

Panel materials: I had the fabrics already. I made the camellias by cutting, with a paper hole punch, small circles of mid-weight Vilene. I layered three together and secured them to the fabric with a French knot. The needle went through the the circles off-centre – to be individually rotated to give the impression of overlapping petals.