2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the South West Pacific Area, a significant milestone in global history. Brisbane’s role during this time was crucial as a central command hub for Allied forces, hosting General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters and serving as a launchpad for Read more…
Pierre van der Eng Sydney had two Dutch hospitals during 1944-1946. Both were related to the presence in Australia of a growing number of people from colonial Indonesia during 1942-1945. Since March 1942, officials of the government the Netherlands East Indies left Indonesia for Australia before the Japanese occupation of Read more…
Selected individuals linked to the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) during World War II for which the Archives holds interviews. Click here for the interviews. The Archive is an Australian Government initiative, commissioned through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. It is a unique, historical collection, a resource for everyone interested in Read more…
Dutch Indonesian Association – Cairns In April 1995 a small group of Indische mensen’ (people born in Indonesia), such as Rob Elstak, Eric & Rob Marcus, Leo Vandersar, Jan Schmieman and Andreas Flach, came together in Cairns and founded the ‘Dutch Indonesian. Association – Melati’ (Jasmine). Andreas Flach became the Read more…
Introduction Very few people in Indonesia, Australia and the Netherlands know that during WWII many Indonesians fought on the side of the Allies. And nobody there knows the estimate of 4 million deaths. Because both are not part of Indonesia’s official history and therefore its public memory. The article below Read more…
Throughout World War II, the Dutch Merchant Navy (Koopvaardij) played a crucial role in the global war effort, especially in the Pacific following the fall of the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) to Japanese forces in early 1942. This article explores the enduring legacy of the Dutch Merchant Navy in Read more…
Cees and Ina Huig, along with their three children, migrated from the Netherlands to Australia in 1972, settling in Brisbane. Their journey and experiences have been documented by the National Archives of Australia. Cees Huig was born on February 25, 1933, in the Netherlands. During World War II, as a Read more…
Republished with permission. Chapter 10 of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Introduction chapters of the book: Touch of Dutch See also: Evacuees and Refugees from Netherlands East Indies recuperating in Australia after WWII
Republished with permission. Chapter 9 of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Introduction chapters of the book: Touch of Dutch
Republished with permission. Chapter 8 of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Introduction chapters of the book: Touch of Dutch See also: No 18 and 120 Squadrons involved in the Western Australian Emergency – March 1944