Dr Nonja Peters – Historian of Dutch-Australian migration, heritage and cultural identity

Biography Dr Nonja Yvonne Huberta Maria Peters is a Dutch-born Australian historian, anthropologist, museum curator and social researcher whose work has made a significant contribution to the understanding and preservation of Dutch-Australian history. Her research encompasses migration and settlement, cultural identity, migrant entrepreneurship, maritime history, the Netherlands East Indies, and Read more

Optiver – A Dutch financial technology company with its Asia-Pacific base in Sydney

The story of Dutch enterprise in Australia is often associated with shipping, manufacturing, agriculture, engineering and post-war migration. Optiver represents a much more recent chapter: the arrival of a Dutch company operating at the intersection of finance, mathematics and advanced computer technology. Founded in Amsterdam in 1986, Optiver has developed Read more

KLM’s return to Australia: the Constellation and the first postwar civilian service

The reintroduction of KLM’s air service to Australia in 1951 must be understood against the backdrop of an earlier Dutch aviation network that had already reached the continent before the war—and had then been abruptly dismantled by it. During the 1930s, KNILM (Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij) operated an extensive network Read more

EU–Australia Agreement goes beyond trade: research, defence and cyber cooperation

In March 2026 the long awaited EU–Australia agreement was signed, marking a significant shift in the relationship between Europe and Australia. While much public attention has focused on tariff reductions and trade access, the agreement also includes important provisions and parallel initiatives relating to research cooperation, defence collaboration and cyber Read more

Nonja Peters – State Library of Western Australia collections and catalogues

The State Library of Western Australia (SLWA) holds an extensive collection of publications, oral histories, photographs, personal documents and research material associated with Dutch-Australian historian Dr Nonja Peters. The two catalogues presented below provide complementary ways of exploring these holdings. The first is a broad catalogue of material associated with Read more