Dirk Hartman Dorchain was born in Rotterdam on 22 April 1925, the son of Dirk Hartman Dorchain, an office clerk, and Johanna Clazina Schalkwijk. Around 1950, he married Teuna Boer, whose name was sometimes recorded as Tuena. Born in Sliedrecht on 16 February 1925, Teuna was the daughter of Evert Read more
Dirk Groen was born in IJmuiden on 26 May 1927. He was the son of fisherman Dirk Groen (1896–1977) and Rachel Zwart (1892–1976). His last recorded address in IJmuiden was Bloemstraat 84. Before and during the Second World War, Dirk worked as a factory labourer for several companies in Amsterdam. Read more
Frederik Spackler, known as Fred, was born in Tjepoe, now Cepu, in Indonesia on 19 October 1923. He trained and worked as a marine engineer. During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Spackler was arrested by the Sicherheitsdienst in Apeldoorn on 1 December 1944. He was subsequently imprisoned at Kamp Read more
Jacob Adrianus den Hartog was born in Utrecht on 25 February 1921. He was the son of the unmarried Maggeltje den Hartog. Jacob chose a maritime career and worked as a merchant seaman with the Dutch shipping company Nievelt. His Dutch merchant-shipping personnel card records his address as Zouwendijk B Read more
Jelte Lubertus Bakker was born in Bussum on 1 April 1920. He was the son of electrical fitter Lubertus Jelte Bakker and Trijntje Hilferink. Jelte later worked as a seaman and mechanical engineer, acquiring technical and maritime experience that would accompany him to Australia. His future wife, Lizelotte Staudinger, known Read more
Adrianus Noels, known within the family as Janus, was born in Dordrecht on 30 July 1906. He was the son of skipper Jan Noels and Wilhelmina Zoutewelle. Growing up among Dordrecht’s rivers, harbours and shipping traffic, he became familiar with life on the water from an early age. On 12 Read more
For Dutch families, the December festive season traditionally begins with Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas. Children are told that Sinterklaas arrives from Spain aboard a steamboat and travels through towns on a white horse. They place a shoe near the fireplace, sing traditional songs and hope to receive sweets or a Read more
Lou Casch, born Lodewyk Nanlohy, was an Ambonese guitarist whose career connects the former Netherlands East Indies with the emergence of Australian rock and roll. Best known for his work with Johnny O’Keefe and the Dee Jays, he brought a background in jazz to one of Australia’s pioneering rock bands. Read more
Robert Pikler’s career connects the musical life of the Netherlands East Indies with Australia’s post-war concert halls. A Hungarian musician who worked in the Dutch colony and survived Japanese internment, he subsequently became an influential performer and teacher in Australia. Born in Fureszfalu, Hungary, on 24 January 1909, Pikler studied Read more
Egbert Adriaan van der Sluijs, known as Bert, was born in Sliedrecht on 20 September 1892. He was the son of Johannes Abraham “Jan” van der Sluijs and Sija Helena “Sij” de Lint. Bert had a varied working life. He worked as an engineer on dredging projects and as a Read more