The Australian Women's Register

Maria Zaknich travelled from Croatia to Melbourne on the Orsova with her mother and sister in May 1961 to be reunited with her father, Tony, after six years apart. The family settled in Broken Hill, New South Wales, where Tony was working and living with his parents. Maria and her sister Katie were enrolled at Broken Hill’s Alma School and attended English language classes at the Napredak Club. As teenagers they helped their mother to look after her twin baby boys, and worked on the weekends to supplement the family income. Both girls left high school after two years to work full time.

Maria married a fellow Croatian, Petar Petkovich, who came from the same town as the Zaknich family. They had two children, Miroslav and Inga. Petar and Maria ran the Okeh Café in Argent Street for nine years before buying two dry cleaning businesses in Broken Hill.