In March 2026 the long awaited EU–Australia agreement was signed, marking a significant shift in the relationship between Europe and Australia. While much public attention has focused on tariff reductions and trade access, the agreement also includes important provisions and parallel initiatives relating to research cooperation, defence collaboration and cyber Read more
Indonesian political prisoners and colonial repression The story of Indonesian nationalist Mohamad Bondan reflects a largely overlooked chapter in the shared wartime history of Indonesia, the Netherlands and Australia. His experiences illustrate how the upheavals of the Second World War brought anti-colonial activists into direct contact with Allied wartime structures Read more
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 2025, highlights a little-known but important chapter in Dutch–Australian wartime relations: the evacuation and rehabilitation Read more
During the Second World War, northern Australia became a crucial operational base for Allied air forces defending the continent and supporting offensive operations into the Netherlands East Indies. Among the aircraft deployed in this theatre was a Dutch-operated North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, serial N5-156, whose dramatic loss in October 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 grew up in Noordwijk aan Zee, where her father was a minister in the Gereformeerde Read more
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) and Badan Pelestarian Pusaka Indonesia (BPPI) – the Indonesian Heritage Trust – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a framework for cooperation focused on the shared heritage of Indonesia and the Netherlands in Australia. The agreement recognises that the histories of Indonesia Read more
The Lake Boga Flying Boat Museum in northern Victoria preserves the history of one of Australia’s most important inland flying-boat bases during the Second World War. Established at the former RAAF Lake Boga base near Swan Hill, the museum interprets the secret repair and maintenance work carried out there on Read more
Introduction The wartime history of No. 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron RAAF is closely connected with northern Australia. From 1942 onwards the Dutch-manned squadron operated North American B-25 Mitchell bombers from a network of airfields around Darwin in support of Allied operations against Japanese forces in Timor and the former Read more
Dutch bombers over northern Australia During 1942 and 1943 No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) RAAF Squadron operated North American B-25 Mitchell bombers from northern Australian airfields as part of Allied operations against Japanese forces in Timor and the Netherlands East Indies. These missions included armed reconnaissance, strike operations and maritime Read more
Introduction The Broome Historical Museum, operated by the Broome Historical Society, is one of Western Australia’s most important regional museums and a key institution for preserving the town’s maritime, multicultural and wartime history. Located in a small heritage precinct overlooking Roebuck Bay at Town Beach Reserve, the museum occupies several Read more