Jan Lavooy was born in Sliedrecht on 21 March 1913. He was the son of Johannes Lavooi (1881–1969), a barge skipper, and Marigje Bot (1883–1966). Jan grew up in a family of seven children. From 1914, the family lived at Wijk B 292 in Sliedrecht, an address later renumbered as Read more
Rias Nicolaas Spee was born in Gouda on 28 May 1926. He was the son of Cornelis Bastiaan Spee and Johanna Hendrika Maria Nederhoed. His father was born in Gouda on 13 July 1901 and operated a hat and cap shop at 229 Voorstraat in Dordrecht. His mother was born Read more
Pieter Brandwijk was born in Sliedrecht on 1 May 1901. He was the son of Gerardus Brandwijk, a ship’s captain, and Neeltje Vuijk. On 15 November 1924, he married Arina Ariaantje de Vroomen, who had been born in Sliedrecht on 4 October 1905. The couple lived at 13 Wilhelminastraat in Read more
Abraham Vermeer, known as Abram, was born in Vlaardingen on 9 March 1923. He was the son of Abraham Vermeer and Leuntje Sluijter. Vlaardingen’s history was closely connected with fishing, shipping and maritime employment. Abram continued this tradition by becoming a seaman, acquiring experience suited to work involving ships, machinery Read more
Emeritus Professor Peter Koopman is one of Australia’s internationally recognised developmental geneticists. His research identified the gene on the Y chromosome responsible for initiating male development, a discovery regarded as one of the major breakthroughs in twentieth-century molecular genetics. Behind his scientific achievements lies a remarkable Dutch-Australian family story. Born Read more
The story of Ron Van ‘t Hag provides a particularly interesting example of how a young Dutch migrant became involved in Australian sporting life. Born in Almelo, the Netherlands, on 6 July 1940, Ron emigrated to Australia with his parents when he was approximately thirteen years old. The family settled Read more
Dirk van der Veeke was born in Werkendam on 2 February 1916. He was the son of Adriaan van der Veeke, a skipper and sailor, and Pieternella Johanna Cornelia Roest. Dirk grew up in a region where life was closely connected with rivers, shipping and work on the water. He Read more
Dutch migrants help shape a growing coastal community In the years following the Second World War, thousands of Dutch migrants arrived in Australia in search of new opportunities. Many brought skills in engineering, construction, manufacturing and agriculture, while others came with their families hoping to establish a better future after Read more
Teunis “Teun” van Genderen was born in Sliedrecht on 25 January 1918. He was the son of Teunis van Genderen and Johanna Nederlof. His father died in Lüneburg, Germany, on 17 May 1945, shortly after the liberation, and is remembered among Sliedrecht’s wartime victims. Around 1938, Teunis married Cornelia Johanna Read more
Pieter “Piet” van Wijngaarden was born in Sliedrecht on 24 September 1922. He was the son of Marinus van Wijngaarden, an engineer, and Antje Visser. Pieter became an assistant dredgemaster and worked in tin dredging for the NV Billiton Maatschappij. Before travelling to Australia, Pieter and his wife, Martina Cornelia Read more