Netherlands East Indies - Australia History Archives

‘Dutch Connections’ – ABC digitised radio programmes – 1988

Overview of the Series Title:“Dutch–Australian Connections”]Produced by: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Radio NederlandFormat: 8 x 10-minute radio programsYear: c. 1988 Theme: The series traces four centuries (from 1606 till 1988) of Dutch-Australian connections, covering early exploration, wartime alliances, migration stories, and shared cultural developments. The ABC can supply this Read more…

By DACC, 1 dayApril 16, 2025 ago

Dutch – Australian History

Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe

Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe (UQ Press, 2023) is a historical fiction novel set in the early 1940s in Java. The novel opens with protagonist Anna van Hoorn fleeing the Japanese Occupation of the Indies for the safety of Australia. Near the Australian coast, Anna’s plane is caught up in the Read more…

By DACC, 1 weekApril 9, 2025 ago

Literature

The 1944 US Military Pocket Guide to the Netherlands East Indies

In 1944, the United States War Department published a small but detailed booklet titled Pocket Guide to the Netherlands East Indies. Produced as part of a broader series of cultural guides for American troops deployed overseas, this 80 pages booklet was designed to familiarise servicemen with the geography, people, customs, Read more…

By DACC, 4 weeksMarch 23, 2025 ago

Military and Political History

Eugenie Blackney survived the Japanese camps

I have lived in Forest Lake, Brisbane for years. But during World War 11,-I was in Java. When the Japanese invaded, the Dutch East Indies government escaped to Australia and ended up at Wacol, Brisbane. My family came later, in 1945. Dutch East Indies My grandfather was Polish, and he Read more…

By DACC, 1 monthMarch 12, 2025 ago

Maritime History

Honouring the forgotten: Abraham Crijnssen and its role in Allied naval operations from Brisbane.

The HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen, a Dutch minesweeper famed for its remarkable escape from the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies by disguising itself as a tropical island, reached Australia in March 1942. After a refit and the installation of new ASDIC equipment, the vessel was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as HMAS Abraham Read more…

By DACC, 1 monthMarch 8, 2025 ago

Military and Political History

Peter Sitsen: Architect of the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA)

Peter Sitsen (Bergen op Zoom, November 1, 1885 – Sydney, January 21, 1945) , a Dutch architect and civil administrator, played a pivotal role in establishing the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) in Brisbane during World War II. Known for his skill in organisational leadership and his dedication to the Dutch Read more…

By DACC, 1 monthMarch 5, 2025 ago

Aviation and Shipping

Dutch Sailors interred at Brisbane Cemetery

Sailors Boesidien and Samanuddin were members of the Netherlands Merchant Navy during World War II and are interred at Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane. Their service highlights the significant role of Dutch merchant vessels in the Allied efforts in the Pacific. Boesidien (1909–1942): Born in Bengkalan, Java, Boesidien served aboard the Read more…

By DACC, 1 monthMarch 4, 2025 ago

Military and Political History

Dutch Involvement in the Japanese Attack on Sydney Harbour and Its Aftermath

Following the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Japanese forces advanced into the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), marking a significant turning point in World War II and signaling the decline of British colonial influence in the region. Aware that the Allies would use Australia as a base for launching military Read more…

By DACC, 2 monthsFebruary 23, 2025 ago

Military and Political History

Dutch Submarine K IX casualty of Japanese attack on Sydney Harbour

The Dutch submarine K IX, later known as HMAS K9, was a K VIII-class vessel constructed for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) in the early 20th century. Ordered on 27 June 1917, she was laid down at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen on 1 March 1919, launched Read more…

By DACC, 2 monthsFebruary 23, 2025 ago

Military and Political History

“Lost” Dutch Submarine HNLMS K XI Discovered Near Rottnest Island After 80 Years

HNLMS K XI was a Dutch submarine commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1925. Built at the Fijenoord shipyard in Rotterdam, she was designed for patrol duties in the Dutch East Indies. Before departing for her station, K XI participated in a Baltic Sea exhibition tour, visiting ports in Read more…

By DACC, 2 monthsFebruary 21, 2025 ago

Netherlands East Indies – Australia History