Republished with permission. Introduction chapters of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Full index of the book with links to each chapter see below. Section One: Dutch Maritime history in Australia Chapter 2 Aboriginals and Shipwrecks – The arrival of Australia’s first Read more
Bill Westerveld’s life story is a testament to his enduring passion for football and resilience in the face of adversity. His journey in the sport took him across continents, representing his homeland at the youth level before embarking on a new chapter in New Zealand and later in Australia. Born Read more
Martina’s early memories were fixed in World War II. Her family lived in Den Helder, a natural harbour on the tip of North Holland. The harbour was also a naval base, and the object of much bombing. Some of the bombs, towards the end of the war, were German V1 Read more
Saturday the 21st of April was the day the Klaverjas Club “Ons Genoegen” celebrated their 50th anniversary. The celebrations started in the morning at the Lenah Valley RSL clubrooms. Players had come together from Launceston and Hobart to participate in a tournament of wits and skill (and a bit of Read more
By Meinard Karel Rook – Compiled in 2005 ArrivalWe arrived in Australia in August 1950, after a 6 week voyage from Holland on the Sibijaek. Our first land fall was in Fremantle, then on to Melbourne, where we transferred to the Taroona for the voyage across Bass Strait to Beauty Read more
Bram and I decided to emigrate to Australia, the land of milk and honey (not always) in November 1959. In February 1960 we got married, just after my twenty first birthday, and a few weeks later our application to go was approved. We were young and full of adventures. We Read more
The journal below is based on the diary Charlie kept through his National Service days. It was later edited by him, and passed to this editor for inclusion in the record of achievements of Dutch migrants to Tasmania. It may be seen as the description of the life of an Read more
BLUE GUM, TULIP & SPRING FESTIVALS From the newsletter of the DAS (Dutch-Australian Society), the Tasman Telegraphs, I have noted the following:[reporting of events the DAS usually lacked pertinent details, as if these facts were common knowledge. In some years there was simply no report. Below is not a selection, Read more
The Dutch seafarer, Abel Tasman, is recognised as the first European to land, in December 1642, on the island that now bears his name. In the last 50 to 60 years, thousands of Dutch settlers and their descendants have been making a rich contribution to Tasmanian society. Dutch heritage in Read more
