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
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
The Wilhelmina Fund, established by Ringwood City Soccer Club in 2019, is a standout example of how a proud Dutch-Australian football club continues to honour its heritage while supporting its local community. Ringwood City SC was founded by Dutch migrants in the post-World War II period—a time when many Dutch Read more
Tony te Wierik was one of the foundational players of Fortuna ’60 Soccer Club in Morwell, Victoria – known affectionately as the Orangemen, proudly reflecting their Dutch heritage and orange team colours. Tony arrived in Australia in the mid-1950s as part of a large Dutch family aboard the Johan van Read more
In 1943, three young Dutch men—Gerrit Henneken (19), his brother Jaap (18), and their friend Dirk Keijzer (19)—became part of the millions of men and women subjected to forced and enslaved labour in Nazi Germany. What followed was a harrowing tale of hardship, endurance, and ultimately, liberation by the American Read more
Still Recovering by Maria H.J. Butler is a poignant and personal memoir that offers a unique insight into the post-war Dutch migrant experience in Australia. The book captures the childhood memories of a Dutch, Catholic, New Australian girl growing up in Queenscliff, Victoria. Maria was born in Gouda, the Netherlands, Read more
The story of Dutch migration to Australia is filled with personal journeys of courage, resilience, and community spirit. Among these is the remarkable life of Henk (Hank) van Iersel, a man who stood against oppression during the dark years of World War II and later sought a new future for Read more
The Dutch Australian Association (DAA) was established in Launceston in 1956, at a time when Dutch migration to Tasmania was increasing significantly after the Second World War. The DAA served primarily as a social and cultural organisation, helping Dutch migrants settle into their new lives while maintaining connections to their Read more
Peter Johannes Gerardus Mies, born in 1936 in Neerbeek in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands, was a remarkable figure in Tasmanian football and in the Dutch-Australian community. At the age of 14, Pete joined his father and brother working in the mines of Limburg, contributing to the family’s livelihood Read more
Dutch Odyssey is a collective history of Dutch migration, based on the experiences of families who settled in the South East of South Australia from the late 1940s onwards. The authors spent five years gathering stories from first and second generation migrants and expanded their research by consulting archives to Read more