A migration project built around a business
The Australian Building Corporation (ABC) was established in 1950 by a group of Dutch migrants from Groningen who planned to create a new future in Tasmania through a cooperative building enterprise.
The original organisers, known as the Groningen Seven (G7), did not intend simply to migrate individually and seek employment. They developed a business arrangement that would provide housing, employment and financial security for themselves and their families.
Their undertaking became closely associated with the establishment of Little Groningen at Kingston, south of Hobart.
The enterprise also provides an example of how organised Dutch migration contributed to post-war housing construction and local economic development in Australia.
From migration agreement to construction company
The Groningen Seven developed a formal agreement governing their proposed enterprise before leaving the Netherlands.
The agreement provided for shared financial responsibilities, participation in decision-making and the distribution of profits. It also included provisions for insurance, mutual assistance and the possibility of partners leaving the enterprise after an initial period.
The original intention was to maintain the partnership for at least three years, allowing members to establish themselves before potentially pursuing independent business opportunities.
Historian Kees Wierenga’s examination of the agreement shows that it was primarily a commercial arrangement rather than an attempt to establish a permanent Dutch cultural or religious organisation.
The migrants intended first to construct their own houses and subsequently build homes for Tasmanian customers.
Why the name was changed
The enterprise was initially to be called the Tasmanian Building Corporation.
In comments provided to Kees Wierenga in 2006, Geert de Haan explained that the name was changed because its initials, TBC, were associated with tuberculosis, a serious infectious disease at the time.
The partners instead adopted the name Australian Building Corporation.
The broader geographical name also avoided restricting the enterprise’s identity to Tasmania, although de Haan’s recollection identifies the unfortunate initials as the reason for the change.
Establishing the enterprise at Kingston
Eerke van der Laan and Egbert Pinkster travelled ahead to Tasmania in 1950 to investigate employment and business opportunities.
After exploring northern Tasmania, they established contacts in the Kingston district, including local builder Archie Smith, who assisted them during their initial investigations.
The migrants negotiated arrangements for land at Kingston, where they intended to construct houses for the participating families.
Their plans required cooperation with Kingborough Council over land subdivision, roads and water supply.
On 11 September 1950, van der Laan and Pinkster attended a council meeting concerning the proposed development.
The negotiations formed part of the practical groundwork for the settlement that became known as Little Groningen.
Building homes and creating employment
The Australian Building Corporation began constructing homes for its members and subsequently undertook building contracts for other customers.
Contemporary accounts cited by Wierenga indicate that the company used Australian timber and planned to establish a joinery workshop.
The enterprise also attracted other Dutch migrants, particularly skilled building workers.
During 1952–1953, the company sponsored tradesmen from the Netherlands and Britain to help expand its construction activities.
The ABC could provide new arrivals with employment and assistance in finding accommodation. Some subsequently established independent businesses, contributing to the growth of the local building industry.
Geert de Haan, an experienced building contractor from Winsum in Groningen, joined the migration partnership after its original formation. His professional expertise was particularly valuable to a group whose members had largely worked in other occupations before emigrating.
From building enterprise to migrant community
Although the ABC was established for commercial purposes, its activities contributed to the development of a wider Dutch community at Kingston.
The settlement provided a starting point for families who shared religious, social and personal connections.
The migrants subsequently participated in establishing the Kingston Reformed Church, Christian education and various welfare and community organisations.
These institutions developed through the activities of the migrants and their families rather than through the ABC as a commercial organisation.
The distinction is important. The building enterprise helped provide the economic foundations for settlement, while the community’s religious, educational and social institutions developed through separate initiatives.
Historical significance
The Australian Building Corporation illustrates the relationship between organised migration, entrepreneurship and post-war housing development.
Its founders combined financial resources, business experience and practical skills to reduce some of the risks associated with establishing new lives in Australia.
Their cooperative agreement also reflected a commitment to mutual assistance during the difficult early years of settlement.
The company contributed to housing construction, employment and the development of Kingston, while providing opportunities for additional migrants to establish themselves in Tasmania.
The subsequent growth of Little Groningen demonstrates how a commercial migration project could become the starting point for a much broader community.
Further research into the company’s individual building projects, commercial records and eventual development would help provide a more complete business history.
Sources and acknowledgement
This article draws principally on the historical research of Kees Wierenga, whose Tasmanian research collection was entrusted to the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre.
- Dutch Migration to Tasmania in 1950 – Motivation, Intention and Assimilation, Kees Wierenga, University of Tasmania, 2005. Particularly the discussion of the Groningen Seven’s agreement and the Australian Building Corporation.
- Responses and corrections to Kees Wierenga’s thesis, including Geert de Haan’s explanation of the company name.
- Little Groningen – Tasmania.
- Gabb and Julian, For Faith and Ideology, concerning Dutch Reformed migration and the Australian Building Corporation.
- The Mercury, 12 September 1950, p. 4, and Australian Post, 27 September 1951, cited in Wierenga’s thesis.
Related research
This article forms part of the DACC’s Research Portal – Little Groningen: Dutch migration, faith and community in Kingston, Tasmania.