John Rothwell, who anglicised his Dutch name, is the co-founder and chairman of Austal Limited. Rothwell’s leadership and vision were instrumental in transforming Austal into a global leader in shipbuilding. In 1990, John Rothwell penned a strategic paper that would shape the future of Austal. In this document, Rothwell outlined Read more…
I have lived in Forest Lake, Brisbane for years. But during World War 11,-I was in Java. When the Japanese invaded, the Dutch East Indies government escaped to Australia and ended up at Wacol, Brisbane. My family came later, in 1945. Dutch East Indies My grandfather was Polish, and he Read more…
Moving Home is a large-scale art installation and documentary project that exploresthemes of belonging and displacement through the physical relocation of a Queenslanderhouse from Brisbane, Australia to Eindhoven, The Netherlands. By dissecting the home’sfunction as a dwelling, an artefact, and a symbol of white settler identity, the projectengages with contemporary Read more…
Welcome Walls are monument dedicated to immigrants who have come to Australia and contributed to the nation’s development. It is a significant project aimed at acknowledging and celebrating the diverse heritage and stories of the millions of people who migrated to Australia from various parts of the world. They serve Read more…
The HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen, a Dutch minesweeper famed for its remarkable escape from the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies by disguising itself as a tropical island, reached Australia in March 1942. After a refit and the installation of new ASDIC equipment, the vessel was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as HMAS Abraham Read more…
Prof Dr Hinze Hogendoorn is a leading Dutch cognitive neuroscientist whose research explores how the brain constructs real-time conscious experiences. With an academic journey spanning the Netherlands, the UK, the US, and Australia, he has become a global expert in the field of timing and perception. Now based in Australia, Read more…
With a hat tip to Tony Cunneen in Sydney, we were made aware of a folder in the National Archives of Australia: Netherlands Legation – Tasman Tercentennial (NAA: A6661.180). It begins with suggestions made in April 1942 to find an appropriate way to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman’s 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…
Sailors Boesidien and Samanuddin were members of the Netherlands Merchant Navy during World War II and are interred at Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane. Their service highlights the significant role of Dutch merchant vessels in the Allied efforts in the Pacific. Boesidien (1909–1942): Born in Bengkalan, Java, Boesidien served aboard the Read more…
The paper discusses what kind of mutual support and care-giving occurs between Dutch migrants residing in Australia and their parents ‘back home’ in the Netherlands. Specific case study examples are used to document the effect of long-distance, as well as situationally determined factors related to joint family history and past Read more…