Jan Wakker was a Dutch-Australian jockey who had a successful career in horse racing. He was born on January 10, 1943, in Groningen, and emigrated to Australia in 1950. His family settled in Moe. Fred Wakker (Jan’s father) found a racing pigeon in the family loft and decided to chase Read more…
The Alssema family is a Dutch family who emigrated to Australia in the early 1900s. The family patriarch, Jan Alssema, was born in Nieuw-Lekkerland in 1865. He married Geertruida van der Meer (born in 1871 in Hardinxveld-Giessendam) in 1889, and they had six children together. In 1903, the Alssema family Read more…
Dr. Cornelis Wouters was the founder of the Dutch Folk Dance Group, a group of over 30 enthusiastic Dutch immigrants (later joined by Australians who married Dutch immigrants). They performed folkloric dances at charitable association gatherings. No other group could boast such original national costumes, as all Dutch regional costumes Read more…
Bernardus Jacobus Fiedeldij was born on February 25, 1907 in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Jacobus Fiedeldij and Maria van der Laan. He had two brothers, Hendrik and Willem, and one sister, Catharina. His parents were both from Amsterdam. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a homemaker. They were Read more…
Dorothy De Rooy (Vidgen) is a former professional surfer and champion who was born in Breda, Netherlands in 1948. When she was three years old, her family immigrated to Australia, and they eventually settled in Mona Vale, where her maternal grandparents were already living. Dorothy attended Mona Vale Public School Read more…
‘Aan de rand der wereld. Een Hollandse emigrant in Australië’ with a foreword written by B.W. Haveman, Regeringscommissaris voor de Emigratie (Government Commissioner for Emigration) was published in Dokkum by Schaafsma & Brouwer in 1953. The book is written by Jan D. Rempt, a Dutch journalist who immigrated to Australia Read more…
John “Jack” Pannenburg was born in1946 in Arnhem, the Netherlands. His family immigrated to Australia when he was young, and he grew up in Mount Gambier, South Australia. Pannenburg was a talented footballer, and he joined West Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in 1966. Read more…
Burkholder Field (sometimes referred to as Burkeholder), later known as McDonald Airfield (sometimes incorrectly referred to as MacDonald), was located 10 miles north west of Pine Creek in the Northern Territory. The airfield was built by Company “A” and HQ Detachment of the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion from 11 May to 16 July 1942 Read more…
The Nowra Rifle Club is one of the oldest rifle clubs in Australia, having been founded in 1888. The club also had a strong patriotic spirit and supported the Australian troops during both World Wars. During World War II, the club played an important role in providing training and practice Read more…
A Book Review: Written Portraits of Dutch Migrant Priests in Australia The book Geschreven portretten van Nederlandse emigrantenpriesters in Australië, translates to Written portraits of Dutch migrant priests in Australia in English. It was edited and adapted by J.W.P. Elferink from the original manuscripts of Theo van der Meel, a Read more…