Peter Valdemar Jensen was born on 7 February 1889 in Denmark. Deciding to join his brother in Australia, he boarded the steamship Marathon and arrived in Sydney on the 10th January 1910.  Jack Jensen, Peter’s nephew, recalls, “He went to Orara – Friday’s Creek to his brother’s selection. He evidently was not suited to Orara country because he left and got work at Grafton.” Here, in 1914, he married Phyllis Cormack. On 29 March 1915 he received his Certificate of Naturalisation.  

“When he arrived in the Coffs Harbour area, he began making himself known as a signwriter, painter and artist. He joined the newly established Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows (M.U.I.O.O.F.) Lodge, and painted the Lodge's honour roll. This honour roll forms part of the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum's collection. 

During the refurbishment of the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Jensen oversaw the design and repainting. He painted the interiors and exteriors of the church, with particular attention being paid to the gothic arch and Corinthian pillars behind the pulpit. Peter Jensen was also a prolific photographer. In 1924 he won an award for best enlarged landscape at the Coffs Harbour Show. He won another award in 1926 for photography, again at the Coffs Harbour Show. Much of Jensen's photography centres around snapshots of daily life in the local area in the mid-1920s and includes landscapes, streetscapes, studio portraits, signs he painted and people going about their everyday lives. Jensen also experimented with his photography; one memorable example is a 'trick' photograph that shows him holding his own head after cutting it off.

Alongside his extensive collection of photographs, the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum also holds Peter Jensen's photographic notebook. This notebook includes a list of the photographs he's taken, recipes for his paint-work, cleaning of his tools, and materials that he used to process his photographs.” [Hugh Walsh, (Southern Cross University Community Heritage Project intern, 2020)]

At one stage, Peter Jensen lived in a two-room house on the Nelson Farm where the Catholic Club was built subsequently. 

Jensen later moved from Coffs Harbour to Sydney, with his wife and three children. There his art restoration skills became well known.  He restored many old collection pieces for the Sydney Art Gallery. He died in Lidcombe, NSW, on 16 June 1969. 

MANCHESTER UNITY LODGE (1919, June 14). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 2

CHURCH RE-OPENING (1920, March 27). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 2

THE MASONIC BALL (1922, August 19). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 2

METHODIST CHURCH (1937, November 16). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 3

BIG CARNIVAL (1940, October 22). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 2

Section 17—Fine Arts (1924, January 30). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 3

Fine Arts (1926, February 17). Coffs Harbour Advocate (NSW : 1907 - 1942; 1946 - 1954), p. 2

“Introduction and History of Karangi” Compiled by Joan Scouller. Jensen Family Pages C.Rd 17-19