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
With a hat tip to Tony Cunneen in Sydney, we were made aware of a folder in the National Archives of Australia: Netherlands Legation – Tasman Tercentennial (NAA: A6661.180). It begins with suggestions made in April 1942 to find an appropriate way to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman’s Read more
If you’re searching for information about family members or friends who migrated to Australia and lived in hostels after World War Two, Dr. Karen Agutter has compiled a guide to help navigate state and national archives. Getting started Tracing migrant hostel records can be challenging, but Australia’s archives and libraries Read more
Flinders University, one of Australia’s leading institutions in maritime archaeology, announced in November 2024 an exciting new PhD scholarship aimed at advancing research in this specialised field. This initiative presents a significant opportunity for students interested in maritime heritage, underwater archaeology, and historical shipwreck studies. A boost for maritime heritage Read more
N.E.I. ARTEFACT FOUND IN QUEENSLAND by Jack Ford Recently, Jack Ford was at Hervey Bay and he visited the nearby city of Maryborough. He visited the Town Hall building that was built in 1908 and he was surprised to find an old Dutch naval cannon mounted outside that building’s entrance. Read more
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) is happy to support the CBG|Centre for Family History in their initiative to make the collection of the Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd (1883–1969) accessible and searchable. This extensive collection includes 30,000 scans of passenger manifests, ship logs, and crew lists, revealing an estimated 750,000–890,000 individual Read more
Maria Island, situated off the east coast of Tasmania, holds a rich and complex history, particularly tied to Dutch exploration. Its story is interwoven with Indigenous heritage, European exploration, and a brief period as a convict settlement. Dutch exploration Maria Island was first sighted by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in Read more
The Dutch plans to establish a settlement on the west coast of New Holland (modern-day Western Australia) in the 1820s were part of broader European colonial interests in the region. Although the Dutch explored the territory of New Holland since its discovery by Abel Tasman in the 17th century, their Read more
Republished with permission. Chapter two from the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf click here. See also: First contact between the Dutch and the Aboriginal People