In September 1945, as Japan’s capitulation brought the Second World War to an end, Australia was tasked with overseeing the surrender of tens of thousands of Japanese troops scattered across the islands of New Guinea and the Netherlands East Indies. These operations were not limited to Australian territories. In neighbouring Read more
From 1947 to 1962, the Netherlands and Australia both belonged to the same regional organisation, the South Pacific Commission (SPC). The Commission was created by the Canberra Agreement of 1947, signed by six administering powers with dependent territories in the Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, the United Read more
The history of Dutch New Guinea is closely bound up with Australia, especially in the turbulent years after the Second World War. Few individuals illustrate this better than Piet Johannes Merkelijn, a civil administrator whose career spanned the Netherlands, Australia and Dutch New Guinea. His experiences highlight both the personal Read more
The Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) was created in April 1944 in Australia by the Netherlands Indies Government-in-Exile. Its purpose was to prepare young Dutch and Indo-European officers to restore civil rule across the Netherlands East Indies after the defeat of Japan. NICA organised training courses in Brisbane, using Allied Read more
In the final years of Dutch administration in New Guinea, the Netherlands and Australia sought to establish a common development policy across the island. These conferences, held between 1959 and 1960, symbolised an ambitious vision of regional cooperation in health, education, infrastructure and administration. Yet they were also shaped by Read more
This memoir by retired air force colonel Jan Staal offers a vivid, personal account of the chaotic months surrounding the liberation of the Netherlands East Indies in 1945. Written decades later, it is both a critique of Allied leadership and a first-hand testimony of a Dutch officer unexpectedly caught between Read more
This is a abstract in English from a chapter in a Dutch paper, titled: Het verraad van Amerika en (vooral) Engeland (The treachery of America and (particularly) England). It doesn’t mention the author. The paper is part of the archive of Pieter Boele van Hensbroek and most likely was written Read more
Introduction This article was written by Pieter Robert (Robby) Boele van Hensbroek (1920–2011), a former officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy who migrated to Australia in 1951. He remained deeply engaged in Dutch community affairs through the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen and Women’s Association (NESWA) and contributed a number of personal recollections Read more
Memories of a dinner party where diplomacy, commerce and principle collided (c. 1960).By P. R. Boele van Hensbroek, Brookfield, Brisbane, 1995 Abstract In this memoir, retired Dutch naval officer and migrant Pieter Robert (Robby) Boele van Hensbroek revisits one of the most striking episodes of his post-war life: a dinner Read more
Early life in Amsterdam Early life in the Netherlands Pieter Robert (Robby) Boele van Hensbroek was born in Amsterdam on 18 October 1920 to André Boele van Hensbroek and Jo Sluiter. He grew up with his sister Elsje in a close-knit family. His youth was marked both by joyful summers Read more