Newcastle Citizen of the Year
This honour was recognised on Australia Day. Newcastle’s Citizen of the Year is Catholic nun and refugee advocate Sister Diana Santleben. “I wasn’t born in Newcastle,” Sister Diana told the audience of several hundred. “I came here 12 years ago to retire.”
As she looked out at the new citizens sitting before her, Sister Diana said she could see a lot of her friends. When asked how she intended to use her ‘Citizen of the Year’ award, Sister Di said she would encourage all women in Newcastle to drop in and meet with female refugees at Zara’s House, the support centre she helped establish last year.
(Newcastle Morning Herald)