Merle Calvin Ricklefs Merle Ricklefs (1943–2019) was one of the leading Western historians of Indonesia. Born in the United States, he built his academic career in Australia, where he held senior positions at Australian National University and Monash University. From this Australian base, Ricklefs developed an international reputation as a Read more
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) was officially invited to participate in a memorial service honouring the combined Australian and Allied Air Forces. The event was organised by the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and the RAAF Association Queensland Division, marking the 105th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force and Read more
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 document presents a carefully compiled historical resource based on the newsletters of the Dutch Australian Society ‘Abel Tasman’ (DAS) in Tasmania. Drawing on issues published from the Society’s establishment in 1972 until its gradual decline, the study records every individual name mentioned in the newsletters, together with the context, 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