Australian artist Jenny Dodson, whose family background includes Dutch heritage, has created works that draw on the cultural imagery of the Netherlands. One of her notable pieces is Monochrome (2025): tribute to my Dutch heritage, a painting of a traditional Dutch windmill. In this work, Dodson uses a restrained palette to capture a subject that is both deeply personal and emblematic of her ancestral roots.
A photograph of this painting below was taken at the Macleay Island Arts Complex in September 2025, where Dodson has been part of the island’s active arts community. Her involvement highlights the Queensland Redlands Coast region’s role as a meeting place for artists whose work reflects both local and international influences.
Dodson’s art illustrates how Dutch cultural memory continues to resonate in contemporary Australia. Through her windmill motif, she links the landscapes of the Netherlands with her own Australian context, creating a dialogue between heritage and place. Her work stands as a reminder of the enduring creative legacy of migration and the way personal history can inspire new artistic expression.
Jenny’s family story is deeply intertwined with the postwar Dutch migration to Australia. Her mother, Pieterdina Elisabeth Tegeler, grew up in an orphanage in Rotterdam. Jenny visited the orphanage in 2023 and found that it is still standing (see below), a powerful reminder of her mother’s early life. Her maternal grandfather placed his children there when he could no longer care for them. Jenny’s grandmother, who was Jewish, disappeared during the war.
Jenny’s father, Corstiaan Jacob Werba, was born in The Hague and served in Indonesia before returning to the Netherlands. After marrying Pieterdina, the couple migrated to Australia in 1955, seeking a better life as many Dutch families did during that period. He worked as an electrician, while she became a Red Cross nurse.
Jenny was born in Australia, the youngest of eight children. When she was four years old, her parents separated, and her mother raised the children on her own. It was a difficult time, marked by constant moves and the challenge of attending six different schools, but her mother’s determination and resilience left a lasting impression.
Growing up, Jenny’s parents prioritised integration, attending English classes and deciding to speak English at home to make life easier in their new country. Jenny herself went on to work in various jobs while raising her family, often choosing positions that allowed her to be with her children during school holidays. Her final career was in special education, which she left due to health issues.
Freed from work obligations, Jenny now devotes herself fully to art—a lifelong dream. Her creativity, shaped by gratitude and the support of her husband and family, expresses both her Dutch roots and her Australian experience. Through her work, she continues to honour the resilience, courage, and cultural depth of her heritage.
Information on the orphanage Pieterdina stayed at in Rotterdam
