In this booklet, written in the 1980s, Richarda (‘Richa’) Engles (born 1924 in Rotterdam) shares her life story with her readers. With candour and memory for detail she recounts her youth in The Netherlands and her marriage to widower Jacob (‘Jaap’) van der Meer (1916-1970) who brought his five children into the family. She describes their life with three more children in Friesland province and their decision to migrate to Australia in 1953. Most of the text details her life with Jaap and their children as a large migrant family in Rockhampton. Richarda recounts their continued connections with family in The Netherlands and with the Dutch community in Northern Queensland.”
How we got this booklet
Ineke Wagemakers who lives in the Gold Coast hinterland met Rufus Rogey, a fantastic didgeridoo player in the “Conscious Vibes” group. Rufus recognised her Dutch accent and started talking about his mother, grandmother, and family.
It turned out that Rufus’s mother was Nicky, one of the children of Richarda Engels. Sadly, Nicky passed away at the age of 56. Rufus shared that his grandmother, Richarda, had written a little book, which he is very proud of and cherishes deeply. This book gives his family a glimpse into their grandmother’s Dutch heritage, which means a lot to them.
Interestingly, Rufus is passionate about syntropic farming and continues the tradition of working the land, much like his Dutch ancestors did. He now carries on this legacy in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
