This is an interesting Indonesian stamp album. It is commemorating the first anniversary of the Indonesian revolutionaries declaration of independence in 1945 on the 17th of august. The album is more a public relations and propaganda exercise than a philatelic one. There is an interesting angle in that there is Read more…
As previously reported, the Dutch prison system is suffering a curious problem: they don’t have enough inmates, so they’re closing down prisons. In 2014, the government shutdown 19 facilities, while in 2009, they closed the doors on eight. And in March this year, the Dutch government announced that five more Read more…
Proportional Representation – Party List The Westminster legacy: Single Member Districts. What that means currently: In many seats the Member does NOT represent the majority – and the minority is often NOT represented by the Opposite party either. It is also incorrect to claim that a local MP represents all Read more…
Australian and Dutch history meet at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane. During WWII this airfield played a critical role for the Dutch military who, after the Japanese armed forces occupied the Dutch colony of Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) to neighboring Australia. Over 20.000 people from NEI evacuated to Australia. Poor Read more…
In 1995 the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre organised a 50 year liberation in the Dutch East Indies commemoration at their premises in the Abel Tasman Village (ATV) at Chester Hill. Several weeks later the DAW published a double page spread review of several commemorations around the country including the one Read more…
This essay will discuss historical events during and shortly after WWII that brought Australia, the Netherlands and the emerging country of Indonesia together in a complex and often messy set of international affairs.