scroll down for: New research challenges the Batavia mutiny narrative The Batavia – 1629 The Batavia, built in Amsterdam in 1628 was the company’s new flagship, she sailed that year on her maiden voyage for Batavia. On 4 June 1629, the Batavia was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain Read more…
In the early days of the Pacific War, one ship with strong Dutch connections played a crucial role in the shifting Allied strategy — the M.S. Bloemfontein. Her journey across the Pacific, her arrival in Brisbane, and her later transformation into a dedicated troopship highlight her remarkable contribution to the Read more…
By Peter Reynders For some time, I have argued that the proper English translation of the first European geographic name given to part of Australia is “Cape Return,” not “Cape Turn Again” or any of the other variants that have appeared in various publications. I believe this name was first Read more…
YEAR NAVIGATORS VESSELS LOCATIONS KEY EVENTS KEY REFERENCES 1616 Dirk Hartog Eendracht Dirk Hartog Island 1st recorded sighting of west coast of Australia. Arrived 25 October, sailed 27 October. Left Hartog Plate. Major pp.ixxxi-xxxiv; Heeres pp.8-10 1618 Haevik Claesz. van Hillegom Zeewolf North West Cape Sighted North West Cape on Read more…
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the Netherlands faced a monumental challenge. While its homeland lay in ruins after years of occupation, it also had to grapple with re-establishing authority and humanitarian order in its colony, the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), which had been under brutal Japanese occupation 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…
Blak Douglas is a Dhungatti man (Mackley Vally) NSW born in.1970 Adam Geczy is an Associated Professor at the Sydney College of the Arts born in 1969 The painting is done with synthetic polymer paint directly on the wall of the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane. The painting is a Read more…
Overview of the Series Title:“Dutch–Australian Connections”]Produced by: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Radio NederlandFormat: 8 x 10-minute radio programsYear: c. 1988 Theme: The series traces four centuries (from 1606 till 1988) of Dutch-Australian connections, covering early exploration, wartime alliances, migration stories, and shared cultural developments. The ABC can supply this Read more…
The Dutch history of Schouten Island Schouten Island, located off the east coast of Tasmania, forms part of the Freycinet Peninsula and holds a significant place in the history of Dutch exploration in the Southern Hemisphere. Its narrative, like many Tasmanian islands, is marked by its Indigenous heritage, European exploration, Read more…
The HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen, a Dutch minesweeper famed for its remarkable escape from the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies by disguising itself as a tropical island, reached Australia in March 1942. After a refit and the installation of new ASDIC equipment, the vessel was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as HMAS Abraham Read more…