Among the many personal objects preserved in the collection of the Bronbeek Museum is a small Australian Red Ensign carrying a handwritten dedication linked to one of the most significant dates in Australian history: 15 August 1945, Victory in the Pacific Day (VP Day). The flag formed part of the Read more
When people think of the Allied command centres of the Second World War, cities such as London, Washington and perhaps Chongqing come to mind. Yet few realise that for much of the Pacific War, Brisbane became one of the most important Allied capitals in the world. Between 1942 and 1945, Read more
In his forthcoming book Bloedrode dageraad: De Tweede Wereldoorlog en de geboorte van het moderne Azië (Blood Red Dawn: The Second World War and the Birth of Modern Asia), historian Hans van de Ven argues that the Second World War should not only be viewed as a struggle against Nazi Read more
Among the many stories of Dutch–Australian cooperation during the Second World War, few are as moving as the story of an Australian flag presented to Dutch troops in exile. More than a ceremonial gift, the flag symbolised a shared experience of war, defeat, captivity and resilience that connected Australians and Read more
On 12 September 1944, Australian airmen Steve Sykes and Lee Turner returned from a daring attack on German shipping near Den Helder with an unusual souvenir. Embedded in the nose of their Bristol Beaufighter was part of a ship’s mast. During the low-level strike, their aircraft had passed so close Read more
Among the many stories of Dutch–Australian cooperation during the Second World War, some are preserved not in official histories but in photographs and personal collections. A remarkable set of photographs and documents from Melbourne in 1944 records one such occasion: the presentation of an Australian national flag to troops of Read more
In 1978 then-Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Claus visited Australia on an official royal tour. The royal couple toured Australia from 26 May to 6 June, visiting the ACT and all states except Tasmania and South Australia. Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia, formally announced their Read more
Long before ambassadors, embassies and formal diplomatic relations between Australia and the Netherlands, there was already practical cooperation between South Australia and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). It was not driven by politics or military alliances, but by telecommunications. In the nineteenth century telegraph cables were the equivalent of Read more
Most Australians remember Sir Richard (Dick) Kirby as one of the country’s most influential industrial relations judges. Yet before he became a leading figure in Australian public life, he played a significant international role in one of the most important political transitions in twentieth-century Southeast Asia: the struggle over the Read more
For nearly three decades, one publication has remained among the most comprehensive and authoritative studies of the Dutch wartime presence in Australia during the Second World War: Dr Jonathan (Jack) M. Ford’s Allies in a Bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies in the Second World War. Originally published in Read more