Alois (Wies) Amrein was born in Fort de Kock (now Bukittinggi) in Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) on 27 February 1910. His parents were Felix Amrein, who was originally from Switzerland, and Indonesian woman Maria Lucia Siken; Wies received Swiss nationality at birth. In 1934, Wies married Read more
This is the third article in the DACC Research Series The Netherlands Government-in-Exile, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies during the Second World War. The series explores the political, constitutional and administrative relationship between the Netherlands Government-in-Exile, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies during the Second World War. Introduction The Read more
This is the second article in the DACC Research Series The Netherlands Government-in-Exile, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies during the Second World War. The series explores the political, constitutional and administrative relationship between the Netherlands Government-in-Exile, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies during the Second World War. Introduction When Read more
By CCHA / June 28, 2026 Charles van der Plas: colonial expert, wartime administrator in Australia and advocate of gradual reform Charles Olke van der Plas (1891–1977) was one of the most experienced Dutch colonial administrators of the Netherlands East Indies. Born in Buitenzorg, now Bogor, in West Java, he developed a deep Read more
This is the first article in the DACC Research Series The Netherlands Government-in-Exile, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies during the Second World War. The series explores the political, constitutional and administrative relationship between Australia and the Netherlands Government-in-Exile, drawing primarily on the pioneering research of Dr Jack Ford, supplemented Read more
Written by Xavier Dorison, illustrated by Thimothée MontaignePublished in French by Glénat (2022–2024) and in Dutch by Standaard Uitgeverij. The work consists of two volumes: About the authorsXavier Dorison is one of France’s leading graphic novel writers, renowned for combining meticulous historical research with compelling storytelling. Thimothée Montaigne is an Read more
Among the many fascinating objects in the collection of the Bronbeek Museum is an Australian-made Owen Mark I submachine gun. At first glance it appears to be simply another weapon of the Second World War. Yet this remarkable firearm tells a much larger story—one of Australian innovation, Dutch-Australian military cooperation Read more
Among the many military establishments that operated in Queensland during the Second World War, few have faded from public memory as completely as the School of Military Intelligence at Southport on the Gold Coast. Yet during the final years of the war this institution trained intelligence personnel destined for service Read more
Recent scientific research (2025) has completed the first comprehensive geological mapping of Zealandia, a vast continent that lies almost entirely beneath the waters of the southwest Pacific. Covering approximately five million square kilometres, Zealandia is around two-thirds the size of Australia, yet some 95 per cent of it is submerged Read more
One of the most significant collections relating to the Dutch presence in Australia during the Second World War can now be found at the Northern Rivers Military Museum in Casino, New South Wales. The museum has developed a dedicated Camp Victory display that tells the remarkable story of the Royal Read more