Cambridge Scholars Publishing In The Christian Slaves of Depok: A Colonial Tale Unravels, historian Dr Nonja Peters examines the little-known history of Depok, a community near Batavia (present-day Jakarta), whose origins are closely associated with Dutch East India Company official Cornelis Chastelein. In the early eighteenth century, Chastelein established a Read more
Biography Dr Nonja Yvonne Huberta Maria Peters is a Dutch-born Australian historian, anthropologist, museum curator and social researcher whose work has made a significant contribution to the understanding and preservation of Dutch-Australian history. Her research encompasses migration and settlement, cultural identity, migrant entrepreneurship, maritime history, the Netherlands East Indies, and Read more
Dutch soldiers in British service The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) created unexpected connections between the Netherlands, Britain and territories across the world. One intriguing but largely unexplored question is whether Dutch soldiers who entered British military service during this period subsequently found their way to colonial Australia. An interesting starting point Read more
Adriaan van de Graaf was born in Papendrecht, South Holland, on 4 March 1927. He was the eldest son of Gerrit van de Graaf (1903–1987) and Jacoba Verweij (1908–1963). Before emigrating, Adriaan lived at 5 Plein in Het Zand, part of Papendrecht’s Kraaihoek district. On 22 July 1950, he departed Read more
This article was written by Rob Dijksman (Hulsberg, The Netherlands) and is published here with his permission. The memorial wall at the VC Corner Cemetery in the village of Fromelles in northern France bears 1,299 names. Brinckmann H.C. is one of them. On 19 July 1916, Hendrik was killed in Read more
Introduction Broome, on the remote north-western coast of Western Australia, occupies a particularly important place in the shared wartime history of Australia, the Netherlands and the former Netherlands East Indies (NEI). During the opening months of 1942, as Japanese forces advanced through Southeast Asia, Broome became a vital evacuation point Read more
Republished with permission. Section Two: Military, from the book A Touch of Dutch – Maritime, Military, Migration and Mercantile Connections on the Western Third 1616–2016, edited by Nonja Peters. This section explores Dutch military and civilian experiences in Australia during the Second World War and its aftermath, particularly the close Read more
A major source for the transition from wartime cooperation to Indonesian independence The Huygens Institute’s digital publication Officiële Bescheiden betreffende de Nederlands-Indonesische betrekkingen 1945–1950 contains a substantial body of primary material relating to Australia. The Huygens Institute is the DACC’s principal research partner in the Netherlands. The two organisations collaborate 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