Lieutenant Colonel B.J. Fiedeldij commanded No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF during the difficult period in which it was transformed from a collection of evacuated personnel and newly delivered aircraft into an operational medium-bomber squadron. Fiedeldij assumed command at Canberra on 1 May 1942. He remained commanding officer during 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
In late 1942, No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF began moving from Canberra to McDonald Airfield in the Northern Territory. This complex transfer brought the Dutch–Australian B-25 Mitchell squadron closer to Japanese-occupied territory and marked its transition from training and coastal patrols to offensive operations. The move involved hundreds Read more
During October and November 1942, aircrews of No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF undertook an intensive period of bombing and air-gunnery training at Nowra in New South Wales. The training formed part of the squadron’s preparation for its transfer from Canberra to the Northern Territory, where it would begin 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
Ministerie van Sociale Zaken, Inpakken en wegwezen? Een onderzoek naar kenmerken en motieven van emigranten naar Australië, Canada en Nieuw-Zeeland. Onderzoek verricht door het Ministerie van Sociale Zaken met medewerking van het Instituut voor Psychologisch Marktonderzoek te Rotterdam en de Nederlandse Stichting voor Statistiek te ’s-Gravenhage. Den Haag: Ministerie van Read more
Adrian van Leest was born in the Netherlands, where his father had a community garden plot. When the family moved to Australia in 1955, they lived in Creswick, Victoria, on a large block cultivated by Adrian from one end to the other. He was given a small allotment of nine Read more
The document De teruggekeerde emigrant (The Returned Emigrant) is an unpublished thesis written by Heikina R. Scholten in 1966. It is a qualitative study on the reasons for return to the Netherlands of Dutch emigrants from Australia for the purpose of information provision. The thesis was submitted to the Haagse Read more