By Peter Reynders First published by the Dutch Courier in July 2025 With the recent name change of the Mexican Gulf, it became even more interesting to me to look at the process of some of the geographical name changes in history. In that case the name known in Latin Read more…
On 16 December 1943, a Royal Air Force Lancaster bomber, tail number JA853 MG-L from 7 Squadron, was shot down over the Netherlands during a mission over Germany. The aircraft crashed in Friesland, claiming the lives of seven brave young airmen — five Australians and two Britons. In 2025, more Read more…
In 1994, the Australian Government Publishing Service released a remarkable volume titled Diplomasi: Australia & Indonesia’s Independence. Documents 1947, edited by political analyst and public servant Dr Philip Dorling. This collection of declassified documents sheds new light on a transformative year in Australian foreign policy—one that placed Australia in the Read more…
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford on 29 June 2025, at his home in Brisbane. Jack had recently returned from hospital following heart treatment and, when we last spoke two days before his untimely death, he told me that the new Read more…
“Anna’s War” is the debut young adult historical fiction novel by Australian author DJ Taylor. Set in German-occupied southern Netherlands during the final 18 months of World War II, the story follows 14-year-old Anna Jansen as she navigates a world fraught with danger, secrecy, and moral dilemmas. When the Nazis Read more…
Jack Verschuren arrived in Western Australia from the Netherlands in 1954, part of the post-war wave of Dutch migrants seeking new opportunities and a better life. Settling in Northam, a regional centre in the Wheatbelt, Jack quickly became a prominent figure in the local football scene during the 1950s and Read more…
The story of the van der Veeken family reflects the enduring contribution of Dutch migrants to Australian football, spanning two generations of commitment to the game in South Australia. Born in The Hague, Jan van der Veeken arrived in Australia in 1950 as a young child with his family. Upon Read more…
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the Netherlands faced a monumental challenge. While its homeland lay in ruins after years of occupation, it also had to grapple with re-establishing authority and humanitarian order in its colony, the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), which had been under brutal Japanese occupation Read more…
During World War II, the SS Tasman, a Dutch steamship operated by the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM), became part of an extraordinary Dutch Australian connection. From wartime evacuations and military support to post-war links between the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) and Australia, the Tasman offers a glimpse into a lesser Read more…
In reviewing the article Ripples of Decolonisation in the Asia-Pacific by Charles Hawksley and Rowena Ward (2019), I was struck by how closely its themes intersect with lesser-known Dutch–Australian wartime and postwar connections. While the article does not focus on Dutch-Australian relations per se, it provides valuable context for understanding Read more…