The 1960s and 70s were the heydays of Dutch shops around the country. The key importers and wholesalers at that time were:
• Rubsons Pty Ltd established by Ruben Rubens in Victoria, Tasmania & Canberra;
• The Mannassen family in NSW & ACT;
• Centra – by the family van Straalen in WA; and
• Continental Supplies – John Beukema in QLD.
The long-standing relationship between the Netherlands and Australia has taken on a new dimension through shipbuilding. Dutch shipbuilding giant Damen, one of Europe’s premier maritime engineering companies, is playing a growing role in Australia’s naval Read more…
John Rothwell, who anglicised his Dutch name, is the co-founder and chairman of Austal Limited. Rothwell’s leadership and vision were instrumental in transforming Austal into a global leader in shipbuilding. In 1990, John Rothwell penned Read more…
Clogs and Dutch are ideas that belong together, largely due to the success of marketing by the Dutch Tourism industry. A more or less unique product and a more or less unique people – a Read more…