Republished with permission. Introduction chapters of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Full index of the book with links to each chapter see below. Section One: Dutch Maritime history in Australia Chapter 2 Aboriginals and Shipwrecks – The arrival of Australia’s first Read more…
The Coopers Plains History Group has put forward a proposal to name the central park at Cornerstone Living in Coopers Plains, Brisbane, “Dutch Park” to celebrate the area’s significant history tied to the post-WWII Dutch Housing Project. Naming the park would honour a unique collaboration between the Netherlands and Australia Read more…
Peter Sitsen (Bergen op Zoom, November 1, 1885 – Sydney, January 21, 1945) , a Dutch architect and civil administrator, played a pivotal role in establishing the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) in Brisbane during World War II. Known for his skill in organisational leadership and his dedication to the Dutch Read more…
During World War II, as the Japanese occupation swept through the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia), the Netherlands government-in-exile faced a daunting challenge: how to maintain control and provide administrative continuity in the occupied territory. Out of this necessity, the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) was born. Established in 1944 Read more…
Introduction Very few people in Indonesia, Australia and the Netherlands know that during WWII many Indonesians fought on the side of the Allies. And nobody there knows the estimate of 4 million deaths. Because both are not part of Indonesia’s official history and therefore its public memory. The article below Read more…
Inventory Digital Collection Project ‘Farewell to the Indies’
Bill Westerveld’s life story is a testament to his enduring passion for football and resilience in the face of adversity. His journey in the sport took him across continents, representing his homeland at the youth level before embarking on a new chapter in New Zealand and later in Australia. Born Read more…
On the eve of the Netherlands East Indies’ capitulation, a series of evacuation flights brought Dutch citizens to the safety of Australia, with Broome emerging as a key evacuation hub. Among the heroic pilots, Dutch-Russian Captain Iwan Smirnoff stood out for his multiple successful evacuation missions, regarding it as a Read more…
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the Australian National University by Wendy Walker-Birckhead – July, 1988 Abstract This ethnographic study examines Dutch identity and assimilation in Australia. Historically, Dutch migrants have been regarded as a highly assimilated group who, upon arrival in Australia, willingly abandoned Read more…
In 2012, Australia Dutch Heritage Conferences were held in Canberra, Fremantle and The Hague with the support of the Netherlands Ambassador to Australia Willem Andreas . See also: Conference Papers and Keynote addresses by researchers Migrant (R)e-collections- Proposal for a workshop (historic) Project Migrant Australian and Dutch emigrants Dutch Australia At Read more…