Different from most Dutch migrants, Nies Lankamp was not born in the Netherlands. She was born in Teluk Bayur in North Eastern Borneo as Nies Landman. Her father, Gerard Landman, worked there as machinist on the coal transport ships of the Koninklijke Pakketvaart Maatschappij (KPM). Teluk Bayur is inland, connected Read more…
For his extraordinary courage and perseverance, Kokkelink was knighted at Camp Columbia in Brisbane on April 12, 1945. His commendation highlighted his decisive actions, perseverance, and skill during the Japanese occupation, emphasising the “indescribable difficulties and hardships” he faced. Mauritz Christiaan Kokkelink, born on June 17, 1913, at the military Read more…
Hendrikus (Henk) Hoonhout and Alida Johanna Maria Geeraerts (Ali) are brother and sister. They both live in Prins Willem Alexander Village in Birkdale, Brisbane Queensland, albeit in separate accommodation. Ali is a widow and lives in a low-care unit, she is 99. Henk, who never married, lives in an independent Read more…
Husband and wife, Hank and Bertie Halle were both born in 1933. He in Deventer as Hendrik Halle, she in Zaandam as Egberta Westervaarder. Hank’s father was a well-known Dutch footballer and trainer, Jan Halle. Jan and his brother, Leo, famous as the ‘Lion of Deventer’, both played for the Read more…
Wubbo Edward Bijker, was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in April 1939. His parents were Wiebe Bijker, born in Zwolle, and Nicolette Kempff who was born in Haarlem. Grandfather Bijker was Frisian. Father Wiebe Bijker was a mechanical engineer and during the years after WW2 he built bridges all over Netherlands, Read more…
Bill Hunt is living in a low-care unit of Prins Willem Alexander Village (PWA) in Brisbane because he has severe vision limitations. In spite of his English name, he was born in Assen (Drenthe) in 1934, named Willem Hoekstra, his father was Hans Hoekstra from Heerenveen, Friesland, and his mother Read more…
After having interviewed two men who live at my retirement village, I now interviewed a migrant woman. Our village actually has more female than male residents, so it’s about time. Hanny came to Australia in 1950, when she was 10 years young. She was born in Bussum, where she grew Read more…
In my village, the Prince Willem Alexander Retirement Village (PAW), there’s plenty of migrants, mostly Dutch. Some of them are here long enough to have been involved with the founding of the village. I interviewed another one of our residents about his migrant experience. Steve Flierman was born in Read more…
Australia is a land of immigrants. I am an immigrant, and you, dear reader, are probably too. High levels of immigration in the years before 1891 resulted in 32% of the population listed as overseas-born in Australia’s first country-wide census in 1891. These numbers decreased substantially in the first half Read more…
Family in Holland could have a Sinterklaas package sent to their relatives overseas. There was all kinds of stuff in there. Candy, calendar, teaspoon, gramophone record, booklets, tablecloth, you name it. In the DACC archives is a tablecloth and sugar bowl from such a package (see below). See also: Sinterklaas Read more…