Republished with permission. Chapter five from the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf click here. See also: Dutch-Russian Ace Pilot Iwan Smirnoff (WWII) The Lost Dutch Diamonds on Carnot Beach, Western Australia
Anna Siebenhaar, the older sister of Willem Siebenhaar, followed his brother from the Netherlands to Perth, Australia in the 1890s. In 1896 at the age of 42 she married Edgar Semmens at Coolgardie In 1908, Anna was appointed the Australasian representative of the ‘Het Algemeen Nederlandsch Verbond’ (the ANV or Read more…
The Dutch merchant vessel Maetsuyker, weighing 4,131 tons, played a significant role during World War II. It managed to escape from the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) to the safety of Fremantle, Australia, just before the final surrender on Java Island. This article traces the journey of the Maetsuyker as it Read more…
The celebrations of the first 400 years of relations between The Commonwealth of Australia and The Kingdom of The Netherlands in 2006 marked a very special and important event for both countries. The shared relationship between the two countries was first established in 1606, when the Dutch vessel Duyfken mapped Read more…
Daniel Johannes Huygens, born in Utrecht, Holland, in 1908, is recognized as an unsung hero of World War II for his courageous efforts in hiding Jewish families from the Nazis. During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Huygens and his wife, Lydia, transformed the upper story of their house into Read more…
The first (and only?) United Nations’ casualties in its involvement in the Indonesian war ofindependence 1945-50. By ACT Branch Member Graham Rayner. At about ten o’clock on the morning of 18th March 1949 a Dutch military jeep, painted white and clearly marked as “UNITED NATIONS” was ambushed by what were Read more…
This article is about Associate Professor Klaas Woldring, a retired academic and longtime member and board member of the DACC. The article contains a short biography of Klaas, and outlines some of his academic work and his interests in retirement. Biography Klaas Woldring was born on 2nd July 1934 in Read more…
The 7th Fleet was formed on March 15, 1943 in Brisbane, Australia, during World War II. It served in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) under the control of General Douglas MacArthur, and the 7th Fleet commander also served as commander of Allied naval forces in the SWPA. This Read more…
During the final months of World War II, the Australian 460 Lancaster Squadron played a pivotal role in Operation Manna, a humanitarian mission that delivered desperately needed food to the starving people of the Netherlands. During the harsh winter of 1944-1945 the Dutch population endured a major famine. Known as Read more…
Christiaan Vincent Gradwell (Chris) van Oosterzee, born on March 20, 1922, in Weltevreden (Batavia), and died on April 18, 1989, in Amsterdam, was a significant figure during and after World War II. His life included notable interactions with Australia during his military service. Early Life and Military Involvement Chris van Read more…