The Holland Festival has been held in Melbourne each year for 40 years until 2014. After a three years hiatus, the Festival returned in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and now in 2025. It is managed by the Rotary Club of Casey under the leadership of Paul Rubens.
Premiere documentary Westlanders in Australia
As part of the 2025 Holland Festival = and hosted by the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) – there will be screenings of the documentary Westlanders in Australia. The documentary tells the story of the Looyen family’s emigration to Australia, as seen through the eyes of three generations. This “ordinary Dutch family” built a new life in Australia with their own business, raising children who then went on to have their own families.
What remains of their Dutch heritage, and how is it expressed? This film invites recognition and fosters conversations, encouraging people to share their experiences.
Special tickets can be reserved for the event (reserve when purchasing your admission tickets to the Holland Festival). The free screening is titled Dutch Immigration Story, directed by Dutch filmmaker Heleen van Berkel, followed by a panel discussion led by anthropologist Nonja Peters. After the screening, there will be space to share personal experiences.
Holland Festival Management Committee
The Holland Festival Management Committee purpose is operating a cultural festival for the benefit of the community, including people of Dutch heritage and to raise funds for charitable purposes including Rotary community service projects. The Committee is made up of Rotarians plus selected invitees all of whom are volunteers.
The Net Proceeds from the Festival will benefit local charities and not for profit organisations, as well as worthy community groups via the Rotary Club of Casey.
Rotary Club of Casey
The Rotary Club of Casey brings together people of passion, diverse experiences, and perspectives to exchange ideas and take action. They work to empower, educate, and develop youth, to build goodwill and understanding between cultures, communities, and countries. Through these initiatives, Rotary aims to promote peace, resolve conflicts, prevent and treat disease, improve sanitation, improve maternal and child health, and to develop economies and communities.
In 2017 members of Rotary decided to bring the Holland Festival back to life and 2017 saw the first new festival. It then returned in 2019 & 2020 until Covid stopped it for 2 years. It returned in 2023 and 2024 and will run again in 2025 at a new, better and bigger venue.
The Festival in 2025
The Holland Festival was held on March 15, 2025 at “The Event Centre – Caribbean Gardens – Scoresby” in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne about 25km from the CBD. The site has 45,000sqm of parklands, a beautiful lake, parking for 4000cars and an 8,000sqm indoor space. The site is adjacent to the Eastern Freeway.
There are many stallholders with a wonderful range of mainly Dutch foods and other Dutch items. There is a ‘kermis’ for the kids and a sjoelbak competition and multiple exhibitions. On stage there are also mainly Dutch music events and of course also featuring the Dutch choir Zing.
For more info: info@hollandfestival.org.au
See also: the history of the Rubens Family and their Rubsons business
