A revitalised Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) – now under new management – operates digitally Australia-wide and even internationally.
The DACC was established in 1983 to oversee the preservation of Dutch heritage in Australia, including maritime history, migration, businesses, and the Dutch presence in Australia during World War II.
For most of its existence, the DACC operated only in NSW. Two years ago, it commenced digitising part of its collection. It now has a website containing over 800 articles on the many Dutch contributions to the development of Australian society. The site attracts between 2,500 and 3,000 viewers per month, indicating significant interest. A reorganisation of the DACC took place last year.
By digitising, the DACC automatically gained a national and even international (Netherlands) presence, and the articles on our website cover items from across Australia.
You may be aware of the gradual decrease in Dutch organisations in Australia. In that light, the DACC wants to increase its’ efforts to preserve Dutch Australian heritage. How we can achieve this is currently still an open question and is the reason we are reaching out. We also would like to hear your ideas and how we might work with you and your organisation. We have representatives in nearly all states.
We consider the DACC a Hub, available to connect organisations, collections, archives, and artifacts, providing easy access for those interested, regardless of their location. While we may not have all resources in one physical place, our priority is to ensure that wherever they are they are safe and secure.
A major DACC task is to preserve existing collections and archives of Dutch heritage across Australia. We have approached national organisations in Australia and the Netherlands to gauge their interest in hosting our current collections. Unfortunately, their interest is limited to a select few key items. The organisation is currently run entirely by dedicated volunteers, all professionals in their own fields of endeavour, and supported by a solitary part-time multi-skilled and valued employee. However, moving forwards the DACC aims to establish in due time a professional organisation with paid staff dedicated to securing Dutch heritage in Australia.
This will have to be a collective project involving Dutch-Australian organisations across Australia and in the Netherlands. We welcome your ideas and suggestions. We have assembled a high-quality research team with participants in the Netherlands and Australia, who have taken the task of conducting an inventory of existing research in Dutch Australian studies, and mobilising other researchers. This is another area where your assistance could be invaluable.
The DACC produces a free monthly e-newsletter (you can subscribe here). We would greatly appreciate you publicising this. This newsletter presents a new opportunity to establish contacts across the Australian states and build a network of individuals who share a passion for preserving Dutch-Australian heritage.
We would really like to hear from you and whether your organisation is interested in exploring opportunities for collaboration for the purpose of securing the long-term preservation of Dutch culture in Australia. Our email address is: dutchaustraliancc@gmail.com
The DACC Team
