This article is based on personal documents, military records and a recorded wartime interview provided by Elva Mary Bennett’s son, Russ Morison, together with supporting Australian and Dutch archival sources. The wartime history of the Bennett–van der Land–Morison family connects Australia, the Netherlands, the Netherlands East Indies, Burma and the Read more
Introduction During the Indonesian Revolution (1945–1949), the struggle between the newly proclaimed Republic of Indonesia and the returning Dutch colonial authorities was fought not only on land and through diplomacy, but also in the air. Less well known is the decisive role aviation played in sustaining the Republican cause under Read more
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) has reached an important milestone in the long-term preservation of Dutch-Australian heritage. After several years of preparation, planning and infrastructure development, the DACC Archive Digitisation Project has moved from concept to active implementation. Preserving a unique national archive Since its foundation in 1983, the Read more
John Rothwell, born in the Netherlands and later known under his anglicised surname, is the co-founder and long-time chairman of Austal Limited. His leadership played a decisive role in transforming Austal from a small Western Australian start-up into one of the world’s leading builders of advanced aluminium vessels for both Read more
From VOC trading worlds to wartime exile: a material history across four centuries Dutch coins discovered in Australia tell a story far richer and more complex than simple first contacts or accidental landfalls. These small objects, sometimes corroded coppers, sometimes fused silver from shipwreck sites, and sometimes the stray pocket Read more
The Zeewijk was a new ship of the Zeeland Chamber of the VOC, her maiden voyage was from Vlissingen (Netherlands) to Batavia departing in November 1726 with 208 seamen and soldiers aboard, as well as a cargo of general building supplies and 315,836 guilders in 10 chests. Jan Steyns from Read more
On 1 August 1711 the ship the Zuytdorp left the Netherlands with a load of freshly minted silver coins. The ship never arrived at its destination and was never heard from again. No search was undertaken, presumably because the VOC did not know whether or where the shipwrecked or if Read more
Research initiated by the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC), with the assistance of the Nederlandse Oorlogsgravenstichting (OGS), has clarified the wartime burial history of several Dutch and Netherlands East Indies (NEI) servicemen in Queensland. This research showed that three Dutch or NEI soldiers were originally interred at the former USAF Read more
A little-known episode of Dutch–Australian post-war cooperation IntroductionIn the chaotic months after the Japanese surrender in August 1945, the Netherlands East Indies entered a turbulent and violent transition. The return of Dutch administrative and military forces coincided with the rise of the Indonesian independence movement and a widespread collapse of Read more
This article is based on detailed historical notes generously provided by the Drijver family, who have preserved accounts shared privately by Robbie (Rob) Drijver in the final years of his life after the expiry of his wartime secrecy obligations. The history of Dutch Australians during the Second World War contains Read more