The story of Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolaas) is of course well known, there is plenty of information on the internet about this typical Dutch tradition. Although it has changed over the years due to changes in society e.g. the arrival of radio, television, internet as well as an increasingly more multicultural Dutch population, it is still very uniquely Dutch and a mix of the old and the new.
In the DACC archives is a photograph of Sinterklaas celebration at the home of Johanna Stas with Cor Merckx as Sinterklaas. (Cor Mercks a well-known figure in the Dutch community as president of the NSW Klaverjas Federation).
Sinterklaas at the home of the Budde family in Roseville, Sydney, in 1984. Sinterklaas is Peter van Bruinessen en Pieterman is Astrid van Bruinessen.
This article from Robyn van Dijk from the Australian War Memorial as presented at the symposium Allied Co-operation in Brisbane during WWII: Australia, USA, Netherlands, UK, organised by the Camp Columbia Heritage Association in August Read more
Early life in Noordwijk aan Zee Agatha Neletta Koers was born in 1916, during the First World War. Although the Netherlands remained neutral, her family story recalls shortages and flooding that affected daily life. She Read more
In an article published in The Sunday Mail on 19 January 2025, journalist Jayne Keogh reflects on the long and often under-recognised contribution of Dutch migrants, soldiers and officials to the development of Queensland. The Read more
