Among the many stories of Dutch–Australian cooperation during the Second World War, some are preserved not in official histories but in photographs and personal collections. A remarkable set of photographs and documents from Melbourne in 1944 records one such occasion: the presentation of an Australian national flag to troops of Read more
This chapter by anthropologist and oral historian Renate Stapelbroek, Met z’n tweeën in een vreemd land (“The two of us in a strange land”) – published in: in Vughtse Historische Reeks (VHR) (Vught 2013) 13, 122-137. – examines postwar migration from the North Brabant town of Vught. While the original Read more
Walter Hes started life in the Netherlands. His Roman Catholic rigid thinking was shaken up by the unfriendly break-up of his first marriage, emigration to controversial South Africa in the 70s having to leave 2 kids to grow up with their mother; 2nd marriage to a protestant, re-emigrating to Brazil Read more
Among the many Dutch migrants who arrived in Australia with little more than determination and ambition, Richard Kuipers represents a remarkable entrepreneurial success story. Originally from the Netherlands, he transformed a modest idea begun in a caravan in his Sydney backyard into one of Australia’s largest removals and relocation businesses. Read more
For many Dutch migrants who came to Australia after World War II, migration was driven by economic opportunity, housing shortages or the search for a better future. For Cees Koeman, however, another powerful force played an important role — adventure. As a boy growing up in a small rural village Read more
Among the many Dutch migrants who enriched Australia’s cultural life, Sjoerd van der Meulen brought a particularly international perspective. Music formed the central thread throughout his life, but the journey that eventually brought him to Australia followed a path across several continents and cultures. Sjoerd originated from Friesland in the Read more
Cora Baldock was born on 16 December 1935 in Rotterdam as Corrie Vellekoop, the youngest of three children. Her father, Cornelis Vellekoop, was also born in Rotterdam and worked for the Norwegian Consulate there. His job meant that as a young girl Corrie frequently met Norwegian people, who usually communicated Read more
In 1978 then-Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Claus visited Australia on an official royal tour. The royal couple toured Australia from 26 May to 6 June, visiting the ACT and all states except Tasmania and South Australia. Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia, formally announced their Read more
Long before ambassadors, embassies and formal diplomatic relations between Australia and the Netherlands, there was already practical cooperation between South Australia and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). It was not driven by politics or military alliances, but by telecommunications. In the nineteenth century telegraph cables were the equivalent of Read more
Most Australians remember Sir Richard (Dick) Kirby as one of the country’s most influential industrial relations judges. Yet before he became a leading figure in Australian public life, he played a significant international role in one of the most important political transitions in twentieth-century Southeast Asia: the struggle over the Read more