george huizing

A newspaper clipping on my desk reminds of the last time I saw George. The clipping concerns a lost property title, in the parish of Lorainah. Property belonging to JKF von Schmidt. I quickly dropped an email to the owner – “where is Lorainah?”

JKF, known to everybody as Dr Freddie, didn’t reply to the email. He turned up at my café that afternoon in response, with his best friend George. Over a cuppa, Dr Freddie and I decided it was urgent that work was started on George’s life story – he was not his old self anymore.
During the conversation I mentioned that I was prone to nodding off after lunch, if I had the chance to sit down. Recently I had that chance and nodded off, even though the TV was on. A little later, as I slowly came back, I had a dream that I was in heaven, hearing glorious singing. In reality, I had woken during the satellite TV broadcast of ‘Nederland Zingt’, the Dutch equivalent of ‘Songs of Praise’. George immediately noted that the very same thing had happened to him recently. It was late October.

Through the various positions he held, George probably knew more of the Dutch migrant community in Tasmania than any other person ever. Not only knew them, but always ready to assist – personally and officially.

George was the Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of the Netherlands for 18 years. He also held the positions of:
President of the Netherlands Australia Chamber of Commerce,
President of the Dutch Australian Society Abel Tasman Inc,
member of the Multicultural Advisory Council of Tasmania,
Deputy Chairman of the Abel Tasman Festival (1992),
Chairman of the International Wall of Friendship Management Committee,
member of the 1992 Van Diemens Land Round Tasmania yachting event.

The highlight of his career in voluntary community work was the Abel Tasman Fountain. This project combined his planning and development skills, harnessing the strengths of the Dutch migrant community as a gift to the people of Tasmania from these Dutch migrants. The fountain is also a tribute to the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. It was officially opened by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1988.

George arrived in Tasmania in 1953, a 13 year old with mum and dad and 3 brothers. They settled in Taroona, where George’s interest in chooks was stirred, an interest that never left him. His working life was in the electrical industry – starting as apprentice electrician and finishing as general manager of a large electrical firm.

George’s life was, in many ways, quite public and so is well documented. Fortunately so, as his illness was quite aggressive, and an interview was not possible, He joined the angels, singing the glory of his God full time, before the year was out. He is survived by his wife Nova, children Karen and Peter and four grandchildren.