Book Library
Jan Vennik – the Dutchman at Eureka (1854)
Jan Vennik: the Dutchman at Eureka. This Dutchman was present in the vicinity of the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854, before he was arrested and charged with Treason together with 12 others.
Aviation and Shipping
The Vergulde Draeck – 1656 – New relics found November 2022
On the night of the 28 April 1656, the Vergulde Draeck struck a submerged coral reef midway between what are now the coastal towns of Seabird and Ledge Point, Western Australia. On board were 193 crew, eight boxes of silver coins worth 78,600 guilders and trade goods to the value Read more…
News and Updates
Glen op den Brouw awarded the Order of Liverpool (Sydney)
The following is an interview with Glen published in October 2018 in the Daily Telegraph. A link to the Article is provided underneath, Liverpool Historical Society president Glen op den Brouw reflects on what he loves about Liverpool. 1. When did you move to this suburb and why? After migrating Read more…
Dutch businesses in Australia
Dutch Australian Native Warrior Joost Bakker
Dutch-born Bakker has floristry in his blood. His father was a fourth-generation tulip farmer and Joost and his three brothers grew up surrounded by flowers on their property.
Art, Music, Film, Theatre
Dutch-Australian Author Yvonne Louis and her book on Mondriaan
Yvonne Louis (born 1946) migrated to Australia as a child with her parents from the Netherlands. When raging bushfires threatened her family home in the Lane Cove National Park in Sydney’s northern suburbs Yvonne managed to save the treasured Dutch heirlooms that had been handed down to her by her Read more…
Migration history
Emigrant story – Joop Mul
I was born in Gouda, the Netherlands during World War II. I migrated to Australia at the age of 12, on the migrant ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1956. My parents thought they would find a house and work easily in Perth but, after a brief talk with the family Read more…
Migration history
Jacqueline van der Bie a Hoekse Waardse in Australia
In 2001 they visited her brother-in-law in New Zealand and both she and her husband felt there should be more to life than running the rat race they were in. So, the seed of migration had been planted.
Australia seemed the obvious choice. So, the visa process got started, but that took a long time. So, they decided to go on a tourist visa for 6 months and see what would happen. Well, that was a golden move, because while they were travelling around Australia their visa was approved!
Military and Political History
Max Horstink – bombardier at 18 NEI Squadron RAAF and guerrilla fighter at Timor WWII
As a KNIL Officer, he was part of the Australian troops (Sparrow Force) in Timor. He was later placed as a bombardier at the 18 NEI Squadron RAAF in MacDonald airfield near Darwin. After that he became a NEI intelligent officer on Dutch New Guinea and Borneo and was killed during the Indonesian uprising, Bersiap.
Archive
Indonesian Political Prisoners held by the Dutch, freed in Australia
In 1926 the Dutch had imprisoned Indonesian freedom fighters in a camp in the jungle of Dutch New Guinea. When the Japanese advanced they were brought – under false pretences – to Australia in 1943. When the Australians did find it they were political prisoners they ordered the Dutch to free them.
Migration history
Dutch Camp Casino WWII – Archive Jan de Wit
This post contains a unique collection of archives kept by Jan (John) de Wit. Jan joined the Dutch Airforce and became a guard at the Dutch Camp in Casino NSW. There were uprisings in the camp and people were killed. This became an embarrassment for Australia. The Australian Unions played a key role here as well.