The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) will hold its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 23 September 2025 at 5.00pm (AEST). The meeting will be held online, and a Zoom link will be emailed to current members a few days before the date. We now have over 800 people receiving our Read more…
We are proud to inform you that the Lord Mayor of Brisbane hosted an official civic reception in honour of the Camp Columbia Heritage Association on the eve of our international WWII symposium at the University of Queensland. This prestigious event took place at Brisbane City Hall, in the Balmoral Read more…
Dutch origins and migration The Otterspoor family came from Utrecht in the Netherlands. Twins Servanus (John) and Arnoldus (Harry) were born there on 19 November 1892, and their younger brother Franciscus Jacobus (Frank) followed on 15 November 1894. Their parents, Servanus Otterspoor and Hendrika Johanna van Kesteren, raised the family Read more…
Summary of Dutch A.D. N.I.B.T.A. Bulletin, 3 September 1945 On 2 September 1945, the formal surrender of Japan was signed on board the battleship Missouri, marking the official end of the Second World War. The ceremony was led by General Douglas MacArthur on behalf of the Allies, with representatives of Read more…
Lia van Haren Lia van Haren has been a long-standing volunteer at the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC), beginning her service in 2009. Before this, she had little involvement with Dutch organisations in Australia, having assimilated quickly into the broader community after migrating with her family in the 1950s. Raised Read more…
The Tribunal and Its Origins The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE)—better known as the Tokyo Trials—was convened on 29 April 1946 by Supreme Allied Commander General Douglas MacArthur to prosecute Japanese wartime leaders. It was modelled directly on the Nuremberg Trials in Europe, adopting the same three Read more…
During the Second World War, Dutch and Australian servicemen fought side by side across the Netherlands East Indies. The swift Japanese advance in early 1942 saw the fall of Ambon, the Moluccas, and later Java, resulting in the capture of tens of thousands of Allied troops. Many of them were Read more…
Going North is a fine example of a classic Allied propaganda film from the Second World War. It tells the story of the massive force moving from the southern Pacific towards Japan — heading north. With imposing images, pompous music and a sharp commentary voice, the film leaves no doubt Read more…
English introduction for the Dutch PDF below This Dutch-language document, De verkenningsmissie, Party Lion, van Rob Hees (1901–1942), details the story of Rob Hees, a reserve first lieutenant in the KNIL and civil engineer, who escaped from the Netherlands East Indies to Australia in 1942. It describes his recruitment into Read more…
Hendrik Johan de Haas was born in Batavia (now Jakarta) on 28 November 1904, the son of Jozef Hendrik de Haas and Johanna Frederika Susanna Jostein. He married Hendrina Maria van der Meer Mohr in Batoeroesa on 2 January 1911. The couple had two children: Robert Johan (born 28 December Read more…