Gerada Baremans: scattered innocence I was born in the Netherlands on 8 April 1937, the eldest of five girls. I was only two years old, when war broke out. My childhood was not free and easy as my mother had three girls between 1937 and 1940. She would constantly remind Read more
For many years, one publication has stood above all others as the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the Dutch wartime presence in Australia during the Second World War: Dr Jack Ford’s Allies in a Bind – Australia and the Netherlands East Indies in the Second World War. The Dutch Read more
This is an abstract from the full article click here. It is a deeply personal memoir by Dutch migrant Johan Luchters provides a rich and highly detailed first-hand account of post-war migration experiences at the Scheyville Migrant Accommodation Centre in New South Wales during the early 1960s. Far more than 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
From migration camp to Dutch houseThe story of Fred and Marie van Breemen The history of Dutch migration to Brisbane after the Second World War was shaped not only by organised migration schemes and housing initiatives, but also by personal encounters, community networks and the determination of migrant families to Read more
Johanna Cornelia Maria Penders (19 September 1937 – 9 April 2026) The Dutch community in Australia is built on the efforts of individuals who quietly but consistently contributed to its continuity, cohesion and cultural life. One such person was Ann Penders, whose recent passing marks the loss of a deeply Read more
During the dark days of 1942, as the Japanese advance swept through Southeast Asia, a remarkable group of Dutch flying boats found their way to Australia. These aircraft — the Dornier Do 24K flying boats of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) — became part of the wider Dutch wartime presence Read more
Interview with Vicki Mynott ca 2014 I was eight when we arrived in Australia in 1959. Like many immigrants, we docked in Sydney then took a train to South Brisbane, then a bus on to Wacol Migrant Camp. The Dutch There were a lot of Dutch people coming in then Read more
The military service records of Bernhard Jan Ruesink provide another remarkable insight into the highly international character of Dutch wartime military history during and after the Second World War. His career connected the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), the Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Australia and postwar Indonesia through Allied military aviation and Read more
The military service record of Marinus Willem Reith provides a fascinating insight into the international wartime experiences of Dutch servicemen connected to Australia during the Second World War. His file traces a path from the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) through Australia and the United States and back into postwar Indonesia Read more