Republished with permission. Chapter 22 of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Families Crijns, Coenen, Verveer
For Dutch families, the December festive season traditionally begins with Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas. Children are told that Sinterklaas arrives from Spain aboard a steamboat and travels through towns on a white horse. They place Read more
Lou Casch, born Lodewyk Nanlohy, was an Ambonese guitarist whose career connects the former Netherlands East Indies with the emergence of Australian rock and roll. Best known for his work with Johnny O’Keefe and the Read more
Robert Pikler’s career connects the musical life of the Netherlands East Indies with Australia’s post-war concert halls. A Hungarian musician who worked in the Dutch colony and survived Japanese internment, he subsequently became an influential Read more