The following is an English translation of the original Dutch account. The complete Dutch document is attached below. Jan Willem van Zon was born in Sliedrecht on 7 December 1926. He was the son of Arie van Zon (1893–1956) and Arigje van Noorloos (1893–1938). Jan Willem travelled to Australia on Read more
The following is an English translation of the original Dutch account. The complete Dutch document is attached below. Kuindert Ruis, who was also known within the family as Kuin Ruis, was born in Sliedrecht on 7 November 1908. He was the son of Willem Johannes Ruis (1880–1962) and Aagje Cornelia Read more
The following is an English translation of the original Dutch account. The complete Dutch document is attached below. Dirk van Kekeren was born in Sliedrecht on 18 July 1922. He was the son of Emanuel van Kekeren, a skipper, and Magcheltje Vonk. On 22 July 1950, Dirk departed for Sydney, Read more
The following is an English translation of the original Dutch account. The complete Dutch document is attached below. In the first half of 1950, the lives of the brothers Joost and Teunis de Jong were about to undergo a major change. They were preparing to leave the Netherlands for Australia, Read more
The following is an English translation of the original Dutch account. The complete Dutch document is attached below. Cornelis Jan van Noordennen is listed among the passengers on the flight to Sydney, Australia, on 22 July 1950. He was born in Hardinxveld on 11 August 1928, the son of Nijs Read more
The following is an extensive English summary of a Dutch-language account prepared by Kees van der Sluijs and Fred Stuij. The complete original Dutch story is attached below. Arie van Kekeren and his wife Maria Blokland belonged to a generation of people from Sliedrecht whose lives were closely connected with Read more
When Dick was nineteen, he was seized by the German authorities and transported to Germany. According to the account he later gave to Glenda Korporaal, he was initially taken to the Dachau concentration camp. He recalled harsh treatment during his detention, including an incident in which a guard broke his Read more
Australia and the Netherlands have formally elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, with shared Dutch-Australian history and cultural heritage specifically recognised as part of the relationship between the two countries. The agreement was adopted in New York on 23 September 2026 by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Read more
Hendrik Johan “Harry” Burgers lived a life shaped by war, displacement and migration. He served as a radio operator and air gunner during the Japanese invasion of the Netherlands East Indies, survived a forced landing at sea, shot down a Japanese fighter and received the Bronze Cross for bravery. After Read more
Introduction Following the Japanese conquest of the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942, Australia became the principal base from which Dutch military, intelligence and government organisations attempted to maintain contact with the occupied territories and prepare for an eventual Allied return. What developed was not simply a Dutch intelligence operation. Read more