Military and Political History
The Merauke Force in Netherlands New Guinea – WWII
Redirection: Merauke during World War II: Allied Base and the Merauke Force
Aviation and Shipping
Gerard Lemmens: the Dornier emergency landing that saved its evacuees from the Broome air raid
In the final days of the Netherlands East Indies campaign, sixteen-year-old Gerard Lemmens and his family were among the civilians evacuated from Java aboard a Netherlands Naval Aviation Service Dornier Do 24K flying boat. On the night of 2 March 1942, they departed from a concealed flying-boat anchorage near Lengkong Read more
Maritime History
Fleeing Dutch mistakenly attacked at Karumba during WWII
When the Japanese invaded the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) during February and early March 1942, many Dutch people fled to Australia, most ended up in Darwin and Broome but a few fled via the Gulf of Carpentaria. This remote area of northwest Queensland was so open to invasion that a Read more
Aviation and Shipping
Gus Winckel: from the defence of Broome to No. 18 Squadron
Willem Frederik August “Gus” Winckel was a pilot with the Military Aviation service of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army—ML-KNIL—and one of the best-known Dutch airmen to serve in Australia during the Second World War. He participated in the evacuation of Java, defended Broome during the devastating Japanese air raid Read more
Maritime History
History of the Dutch in South Australia
Although the Dutch seem to be the first Europeans to have discovered Australia, including parts of Tasmania and South Australia, they have never made a great impact as a group of settlers. As there was never any real religious persecution or high unemployment in Holland, there never was the kind Read more
Military and Political History
Dutch-Ambonese woman created first crack in the White Australia Policy – 1949
This story starts with Samuel Jacob he was a headmaster in Merauke in Dutch New Guinea, a job he combined with being a local civil administrator. Samuel and his family while having the Dutch nationality, were all born in Ambon. Together with his family he was evacuated in August 1942 Read more
Cultural Events and Activities
VOC Historical Society, Perth (VOCHS)
The Society was formed in 2000 by a group of history enthusiasts that were: Concerned at the lack of general knowledge about maritime events that took place in the 17th and 18th centuries off and on Western Australia’s (WA) coastline hundreds of years before the settlement of WA in 1829 Read more
Aviation and Shipping
Joop Gijzemijter: Technical Superintendent of the NEI Transport Service at Archerfield
Johannes “Joop” Gijzemijter was a Dutch aircraft engineer and flight engineer who escaped from Java to Australia with KNILM personnel and aircraft in February 1942. After serving with Allied transport units, including the USAAF’s 39th Troop Carrier Squadron, he became Technical Superintendent of the Netherlands East Indies transport organisation at Read more
Aviation and Shipping
First flight between Netherlands and Australia – May 1931
In May 1931, KLM added an experimental flight from Batavia to Melbourne to their regular Amsterdam – Batavia service providing a through service from Amsterdam to Australia. The plane was a Fokker FVIIA/3m trimotor specially named ‘Abel Tasman’ for this trip. The pilot and co-pilot were Maurits Pattist and Jan Read more
Military and Political History
Netherlands East Indies Aircrafts operational in Australia during WWII
Redirection See: Research Portal – Dutch and Netherlands East Indies Air Forces in Australia during World War II