From Winsum to Tasmania
Geert de Haan was born on 8 October 1911 and worked as a building contractor in Winsum, a town approximately 15 kilometres northwest of Groningen in the Netherlands.
In 1950, he joined a group of Dutch migrants planning to establish a building enterprise in Tasmania. The group became known as the Groningen Seven, although its membership changed during the preparations for emigration.
De Haan was not among the original seven. Unlike several of the founding members, he had not belonged to their wartime Resistance network.
His recruitment reflected a practical problem confronting the migrants: they intended to establish a construction business, but most had little direct experience in the building industry.
Bringing building expertise to the migration project
According to historian Kees Wierenga, de Haan joined the group after its initial migration agreement had been prepared.
Mrs Dineke Laning recalled that he responded to an advertisement placed by the Groningen Seven seeking a builder.
His experience as a contractor was particularly valuable because, apart from Bart Jan Folkerts, who was a painter, the other members had backgrounds in administration, commerce and related occupations rather than construction.
De Haan became the eighth partner in the enterprise and was included in the English-language Deed of Contract, which set out the migrants’ proposed business arrangements.
The agreement established the basis for a cooperative undertaking in which the partners would contribute capital, share profits and participate in decisions concerning the business.
The Australian Building Corporation
The migrants established the Australian Building Corporation (ABC), initially intending to construct homes for themselves and subsequently undertake building work for other customers.
The enterprise was an important part of the development of Little Groningen at Kingston, south of Hobart.
De Haan’s professional background provided practical building expertise to a group whose ambitions depended on successfully establishing a construction business in an unfamiliar country.
The migration agreement also demonstrates the seriousness of the undertaking. The partners committed themselves to mutual assistance, shared financial responsibilities and participation in the management of the enterprise.
A recollection preserved in 2006
In 2006, Geert de Haan contributed a correction to Kees Wierenga’s historical research concerning the name of the building enterprise.
He explained that the original proposed name, Tasmanian Building Corporation, had been changed because its initials, TBC, were also associated with tuberculosis, a serious infectious disease at the time.
The group consequently adopted the name Australian Building Corporation.
His contribution is preserved among the responses to Wierenga’s 2005 thesis, providing a first-hand clarification of the enterprise’s early history.
Historical significance
Geert de Haan’s involvement illustrates the practical requirements of organised migration.
While the original Groningen Seven shared strong personal and religious connections, the success of their undertaking also depended on recruiting people with the professional skills needed to establish a viable business.
De Haan’s experience as a building contractor made him an important addition to the migration group.
Further research into his individual building projects, family life and later career in Tasmania would provide a more complete account of his contribution to Little Groningen.
Sources and acknowledgement
This article draws principally on the research of Kees Wierenga, whose historical 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.
- Responses and corrections to Kees Wierenga’s thesis, including Geert de Haan’s contribution dated 26 March 2006.
- Little Groningen – Tasmania.
Related research
This article forms part of the DACC’s Research Portal – Little Groningen: Dutch migration, faith and community in Kingston, Tasmania.