By: Jan Pritchard
In Western Australia, recently arrived members of the Dutch Hervormde Kerk were most often affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. However, during the peak years of Dutch migration to WA 1952-1964, it was also usual for the Hervormde Kerk in the Netherlands to send Dutch clerics here to take care of their rapidly growing Australian flock. Ds Maarten Bonting, who arrived here in 1953, was the first cleric sent to Western Australia on a five-year appointment.
Ds Bonting’s first undertaking in WA was to negotiate to use the Assembly Hall of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Pier Street, Perth, to hold Hervormde Kerk services in the Dutch language. It became the central meeting place, accessible by public transport, since in the early years of resettlement few migrants owned their own transport. During those first years as many as 250 people attended the church services.
Ds Bonting’s role as cleric was extremely demanding since the newcomers were unsettled, some even very homesick. For some, it was said, the weekly sermon gave them the courage to go forwards. Many had little knowledge of the English language or of social and workplace customs, beliefs and values. Ds Bonting therefore had to be a counsellor as well as advisor, dealing with many resettlement problems. Furthermore, since many migrants were sent to work in country towns under the policy of decentralisation, Ds Bonting had also to keep in touch at least twice a year with these Dutch, by visiting towns as far away as Albany to provide them with church services.
He also organised for lists of migrants belonging to the Hervormde Kerk who were arriving on ships. Members of the congregation went to the ships, especially if a ship berthed on the weekend, and invited the newcomers to their homes or to stay in caravans in their backyards. The church had become a good starting point, a place to which they could turn.
A Ladies’ Guild was formed that met once a month at Mrs Bonting’s house, coming all day and bringing their own lunch. They made articles for the yearly Fete including children’s clothes, baskets, playpens and surf boards. Mrs Bonting was an excellent craftswoman. The Church Elders were kept very busy too, making regular visits to parishioners. Ds Bonting was very good at delegating the work where required.
Bible study was held in Kalamunda in a greengrocer’s shop. A church choir, led by organist Niek Vonk, met on Tuesday nights and practised in St. Andrew’s church. Mrs de Boer became the Deaconess to keep in contact with the women, many of whom were homesick and suffering deeply from missing their families. Three church women, Gre Hiemstra, Geer van and Sophia Vonk visited the sick in hospital and helped where needed with their housework.
Henk Koning established a ‘Jonge Kerk’ (Young Church) for the twenty-year-olds, held at a private house. The younger teenage members 14–20-year-olds, formed a club called the ‘Boomerang’. They organised outings, picnics and bible readings. The highlight of their year was an annual camp held at Coogee beach. Another congregational activity was organising Sunday School classes for the various primary school-age groups and Catechism classes for teenagers and young adults preparing for Confirmation.
At the end of his appointment, Ds Bonting and his family returned to the Netherlands and were replaced by Ds Chris Mackaay, with his wife Siep and six children. The congregation moved to West Perth, sharing the facilities of Ross Memorial Presbyterian Church. In turn, Ds Mackaay was followed by Ds Fred Zuiderduyn in 1963 and the congregation moved to St Margaret’s Presbyterian Church in North Perth.
As the younger groups communicated with each other in English and spread into the Australian community, the need for services in Dutch gradually faded. The older generation, however, enjoyed occasional services in Dutch (held by the Rev. Nick Stuurstraat and later by Ton van Doorn) until the 1990s. Many of the friendships that were formed in those early years were enduring – they still remain into the present.
This article is published in the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf click here.
