This painting is part of the Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art, a showcase of outstanding work by senior high school students from across Queensland. The exhibition at the Queenland Gallery of Modern Art in 2025 celebrates young artists’ creative talents and their reflections on identity, agency and perspective. Read more…
Thanks to the support of the Brisbane City Council’s Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants program—which funded the display cabinet—and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE)—which supported the design and printing of the interpretive panels—we now have a high-quality heritage display installed at the entrance to the walking tracks Read more…
Renaye Iserief is a celebrated figure in the early history of Australian women’s football, but her story is also deeply tied to the broader Dutch-Australian migration narrative. She is one of two Dutch-Australian women — alongside Rose van Bruinessen — who proudly wore the green and gold as Matildas during Read more…
Henk Thijssens (1937–2020) was a cornerstone of the football community in Canberra — a respected referee, coach, and club volunteer whose Dutch-Australian journey reflected a life shaped by resilience, service, and love for the game. From Winterswijk to the world Henk was born in 1937 in Winterswijk, a town in Read more…
John Vlietstra is one of the most respected figures in the Dutch-Australian community of the Illawarra region, NSW. A tireless football administrator, community leader, and cultural advocate, his life story reflects the resilience of postwar Dutch migrants and their deep-rooted contributions to local Australian life — particularly through sport and Read more…
Dutch Origins and Migration The Witschge family is a notable Dutch-Australian football family that made its mark in Western Australia (WA). Theie eldest son Henry Witschge was born in Amsterdam and in 1954 his family emigrated to Australia. In WA, Henry became involved with the Windmills soccer club (later Morley-Windmills Read more…
John Van Hoek (1933–2016) was a passionate football coach, administrator, and community leader whose Dutch roots and tireless dedication helped shape the sporting landscape of Western Australia for over four decades. From Den Bosch to Ashfield Born in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, in 1933, John Van Hoek emigrated to Melbourne, Read more…
David Schrandt, born in Breda, the Netherlands in 1946, is a prominent figure in Western Australian football, known for his contributions both on and off the field. After emigrating to Australia, he grew up in Perth and began his football career as a goalkeeper, later transitioning to a striker. He Read more…
Tony Franken, born on 11 January 1965 in Perth, Western Australia, stands as one of Australia’s most accomplished goalkeepers — and a proud product of Dutch migrant heritage. Frank Franken His story begins with his father, Frank Franken, born in the Netherlands in 1935. Like many Dutch migrants who arrived Read more…
Rene de Koning is a Dutch-born footballer who made a significant impact on the Western Australian soccer scene as a versatile defender and midfielder. He was born in Nijmegen, 1963 emigrated to Western Australia with his family in 1980 and joined Bayswater as a schoolboy. At 17, he debuted in Read more…