Peter is a multi-faceted individual with a diverse educational and professional background. Born in Singapore to Dutch parents, he has pursued a wide range of interests and affiliations throughout his life. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree, which indicates his training in marketing, and a Diploma in Ministry Read more
After the Japanese invasion of Indonesia in 1942, the Dutch fled to Australia taking with them Indonesian soldiers, sailors, government officials and more. The Dutch Government made a deal with the Australian Government which gave the Dutch extra-terrestrial rights over many Indonesian refugees, declaring several former army camps as Dutch Read more
By: Jan Tent Studies of proper names have revealed naming patterns which may provide insights into the attitudes and values of the contemporaneous name bestowers. This essay analyses the names conferred upon thevessels of the United East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), in order to ascertain whether there Read more
This thesis from Dr. Judith Mirjam Rozeboom examines the lives and treatment of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) people who resided in Australia during WWII and their return to their home country after the war. It compares the lives before, during and after the war of European Indonesians and indigenous Read more
This is a personal CV written by Dirk Bodemeijer, while he was living in the USA after WWII. Dirk was briefly part of the 120 Squadron that operated out of Bundaberg and Dutch New Guinea. The documents underneath his CV, relate to his time In Bundaberg. CV Dirk Bodemeijer Born Read more
Coosje Ayal, born in 1926 in the Moluccas, Western New Guinea, became a notable figure for her resistance efforts during World War II. Adopted by her aunt and uncle, who was a civil servant of the Dutch colonial government, she attended a Dutch school and learned the language. When the Read more
Anthony van Diemen was the Governor of the Netherlands East Indies during the time of the exploration of Abel Tasman. Tasmania was first known as Van Diemen’s Land, the name given to the island by Anel Tasman. The name was changed in 1856 to Tasmania. Anthonio (Anthonie, Antonie, Anthony) van Read more
Maatsuyker Island is named after Joan Maetsuycker, the The Dutch Governor of Zeylan (present-day Sri Lanka) during the Dutch period in Ceylon and later the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies from 1653 to 1678. The island was named by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who named it after Maetsuycker in Read more
In 2017 the Museum of Geraldton held an exhibition titled “Descendants of the VOC: Portraits and Histories”. Curated by Curtin University historian Dr Nonja Peters, the exhibition delved into the impact of the Netherlands East India Company’s (VOC) exploration during the 17th Century on indigenous peoples in Western Australia, Indonesia, Read more
For his extraordinary courage and perseverance, Kokkelink was knighted at Camp Columbia in Brisbane on April 12, 1945. His commendation highlighted his decisive actions, perseverance, and skill during the Japanese occupation, emphasising the “indescribable difficulties and hardships” he faced. Mauritz Christiaan Kokkelink, born on June 17, 1913, at the military Read more