Pieter Willem van der Veer was born in Hellevoetsluis on 11 December 1916. He was the son of Jacob van der Veer (1889–1928), who worked as a blacksmith and pyrotechnician at a shipyard, and Sara Maria Spruijt (1892–1957).
Pieter Willem grew up in a large family with five brothers and four sisters, all reportedly born in Hellevoetsluis. His father died in 1928, when Pieter Willem was eleven years old.
The family moved to Den Helder in 1933. In 1935, Pieter Willem was exempted from compulsory military service because of the military service performed by his brothers.
On 22 July 1950, Pieter Willem departed from Schiphol aboard the KLM flight carrying Dutch workers and family members to Australia. He is believed to have occupied seat E3 and arrived in Sydney on 26 July.
The identification of his seat requires some explanation. The surviving hand-drawn seating plan shows the initials “F.H.” beside seat E3, which do not correspond with Pieter Willem’s name. However, research in Dutch and Australian archives found that he was the only passenger named Van der Veer recorded on this flight. The National Archives of Australia confirms the arrival of Pieter Willem van der Veer in Sydney by aircraft on 26 July 1950.
It is not yet known what work Pieter Willem undertook in Australia or how long he remained there. The available evidence suggests that he eventually returned to the Netherlands.
Research also identifies Jacob van der Veer, reportedly born in Hellevoetsluis on 15 November 1929, as a younger brother of Pieter Willem. Jacob travelled to Australia with his wife, Wilhelmina Bosschaart, who had been born on 17 May 1935. They arrived aboard the SS Waterman on 23 November 1960.
There is, however, a genealogical discrepancy requiring clarification. Pieter Willem’s father is recorded as having died in 1928, while Jacob’s reported birth occurred in November 1929. Jacob’s precise relationship to Pieter Willem should therefore be verified against the original civil-registration and family records.
It has not yet been established whether Jacob and Wilhelmina settled permanently in Australia or whether they had children. Pieter Willem’s earlier journey may have influenced their decision to migrate, but this remains a possibility rather than a confirmed fact.
Pieter Willem spent his final years in Den Helder. He died there on 16 February 2003 at the age of 86 and was buried at Huisduinen Cemetery. His brother Bastiaan Jan van der Veer (1915–2004) was buried in the same grave. Both men remained unmarried.
Additional information about Jacob van der Veer and Wilhelmina Bosschaart in Australia would be very welcome.
This article was prepared with the assistance of Kees van der Sluijs and Fred Stuij of the Sliedrecht Historical Society.
For genealogical information and research, see Fred Stuij’s website: Alblasserwaard Genealogy.
Source document: Pieter Willem en Jacob van der Veer.pdf
For the wider history of this organised migration project, see From Sliedrecht to Williamstown: Dutch dredging workers in post-war Australia.
More related company histories, archival sources and personal stories are available through the Dutch Dredging in Australia Research Portal.
