John (Jan) Berends was born in 1937, in a village near Zwolle, where he attended high School (HBS – B). After successfully completing his secondary schooling, he was conscripted into National Service, although not quite voluntary, serving for 21 months. He obtained the rank of sergeant and was discharged in Read more…
A research on the change in transnational ties of Dutch post-war migrant children in Australia On November 1, 2018 Anne Brehler defended her Master thesis ‘We were the ones that integrated’: Dutch post-war migrant children in Australia. She got cum laude Congratulations. This research focuses on children of post-war Dutch Read more…
The preservation and digitalisation of Dutch- Australian Migrant Registration Cards Over the decades, the Netherlands Embassy and Consulates in Australia maintained a card system documenting migrants from the Netherlands. The system contains over 55,000 cards, representing 80-90% of Dutch people who emigrated to Australia between 1946-1991. In 1998, The Consul-General Read more…
The Dutch and their WWII Allies were totally unprepared for the rapid advances of the Japanese army. Nobody had expected that Singapore would fall within 10 days, and in no time, they invaded the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Despite the rapid progress, the Dutch Government-in-Exile in London did not allow Read more…
South coast of Australia to 1772 and beyond Although part of the south coast, from Cape Leeuwin to around Fowlers Bay, was first mapped in 1627, there are no documented accounts of any visits until Vancouver entered King Georges Sound on 29 September 1791, staying until 11 October 1791. While Read more…
Mike Petersen, born of a Dutch father and an Australian mother on May 6, 1965, in Melbourne, emerged as a stalwart midfielder whose illustrious career spanned continents and left an indelible mark on Australian football. Rooted in his Dutch heritage, Petersen’s journey from the grassroots of Port Melbourne juniors to Read more…
Post-event reflections (added 6 March 2024) The lecture and exhibition by Dr. Nonja Peters was well-attended by members of the DACC and the Dutch Club NAQ, as well as by interested members of the public. Attendance was approximately 35-40 people, and Dr. Peters received keen questions from the audience. After Read more…
Camp Columbia in Brisbane was set up by the Americans in 1942 as a staging camp for the liberation of the Southwest Pacific. When the Americans moved on to Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea in 1944, the Dutch took over Camp Columbia. It was used by the Netherlands East Indies Read more…
All over the world migrants have left multiple traces, deep traces that are indispensable forthe fostering of heritage communities and for research in the humanities and social sciences.Yet the growing societal demand for cultural services and the increasingly insufficientresources available to manage migrants’ cultural heritage is creating a gap — Read more…
Pauleen Lillian Badke was born at Booval in Ipswich in 1925. Her father’s name was ‘Wilhelm’ but he was known to everyone as ‘Bill’ – her mother’s name was Lillian. She had one brother, Keith. Bill was well known in Ipswich and surrounds as a building contractor, and for his Read more…