Ferdinand “Ferdi” Boers arrived in Australia from the Netherlands as an 18-year-old toolmaking apprentice in 1954. Although he brought translated apprenticeship papers with him, Ferdi initially had to accept work as a labourer at the Emmco whitegoods factory in Orange, New South Wales. The intervention of an Estonian supervisor eventually Read more
By Julia Weisz This article outlines the journey of Heinrich (Heini) Kuhn and Josefine (Fini) Kuhn, whose lives reflect the experience of many European Jewish families displaced by war, persecution, and political upheaval, and who later became part of Australia’s post-war migrant community. Early life and migration to the Netherlands Read more
Johnny Young was one of Australia’s most influential singers, songwriters, television producers and popular entertainers. To generations of Australians, he is best remembered as the host of Young Talent Time, the long-running television program that helped launch the careers of Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, Debra Byrne and many other young Read more
Introduction The Cornelis Uidam Collection brings together newspaper reports, official migration records, church publications, lectures, radio talks, photographs and family material documenting the life and work of the Reverend Cornelis ‘Cor’ Uidam (1924–2005). Uidam came to Sydney in 1960 to serve Dutch migrants, but his activities extended well beyond the Read more
The Zuiderkruis was one of three former American Victory ships acquired by the Dutch Government after the Second World War. Together with the Groote Beer and Waterman, she became part of the Kleine Drie—the “Little Three”—that transported thousands of emigrants from the Netherlands to Australia and other overseas destinations. Unlike Read more
Jan (John) Mees, a longstanding volunteer and representative of the Dutch-Australian community in New South Wales, passed away at Abel Tasman Village on 1 August 2026, aged 97. Born in Amersfoort in the Netherlands on 10 December 1928, Jan subsequently made his home in Australia. He lived for many years Read more
A group photograph taken aboard the Netherlands hospital ship Oranje in Sydney on 2 March 1943 records a little-known connection between one of the most celebrated Dutch ships of the Second World War and one of Australia’s greatest maritime tragedies. Within weeks of the photograph being taken, 28 Australian personnel Read more
In August 2026, the Monbulk District Historical Society published From the Lowlands to the Ranges – Celebrating Dutch Heritage in the Monbulk District. The book brings together more than 50 stories of Dutch families who settled in Monbulk and the surrounding Dandenong Ranges, recording their migration journeys, early experiences in Read more
Charles van der Plas: colonial expert, wartime administrator in Australia and advocate of gradual reform Charles Olke van der Plas (1891–1977) was one of the most experienced Dutch colonial administrators of the Netherlands East Indies. Born in Buitenzorg, now Bogor, in West Java, he developed a deep knowledge of Indonesian Read more
Among the many Dutch families who helped shape post-war Australia, few have left such a lasting legacy as the Van Berkel family. Today, their name is synonymous with tulips, flower bulbs and horticulture in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. Yet behind this successful family business lies a remarkable migration story—one that begins Read more