When the Netherlands East Indies collapsed under Japanese attack in early 1942, hundreds of Dutch and Indonesian military personnel found themselves in Australia. Among the units reorganised there was No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF, a joint Dutch–Australian squadron equipped with American-built B-25 Mitchell bombers. During the difficult months Read more
For Outcomes see: Brisbane’s Allied Capital Story — New Openings for the Netherlands To commemorate this milestone, the Camp Columbia Heritage Association and the support over 20 national and international organisations, will host a major international symposium and guided tour from 30–31 August. Symposium 30 and 31 August at University of Queensland St Lucia Campus This two-day Read more
De Andere Nederlanders – The Other Dutch is a compelling bilingual exhibition and publication that tells the often-overlooked story of the Indo-European (Indische) community: the descendants of Dutch colonisers and local Indonesians in the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. These “Other Dutch” developed a unique hybrid identity, blending European Read more
scroll down for: New research challenges the Batavia mutiny narrative The Batavia – 1629 The Batavia, built in Amsterdam in 1628 was the company’s new flagship, she sailed that year on her maiden voyage for Batavia. On 4 June 1629, the Batavia was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain Read more
‘Moving Home’ is a large-scale art installation and documentary project that exploresthemes of belonging and displacement through the physical relocation of a Queenslanderhouse from Brisbane, Australia to Eindhoven, The Netherlands. By dissecting the home’sfunction as a dwelling, an artefact, and a symbol of white settler identity, the projectengages with contemporary Read more
With a hat tip to Tony Cunneen in Sydney, we were made aware of a folder in the National Archives of Australia: Netherlands Legation – Tasman Tercentennial (NAA: A6661.180). It begins with suggestions made in April 1942 to find an appropriate way to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman’s Read more
The Holland Festival has been held in Melbourne each year for 40 years until 2014. After a three years hiatus, the Festival returned in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025. It is managed by the Rotary Club of Casey under the leadership of Paul Rubens. Holland Festival Management Committee Read more
This year, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a momentous milestone in Australia’s history and the conclusion of the war in the Pacific. Brisbane played a pivotal role as a strategic hub for Allied operations, cementing its place in global wartime history. The Camp Read more
The new doctor There is a red book. It is one of many books in a series. This one is devoted to the letter ‘S’. There is nothing in it except surnames starting with ‘S’, and the history of these names. Because it is a Dutch book, the name ‘von Read more
The following text is from a booklet published by the Federation of Netherlands Societies Ltd. in February 1985. The research for this booklet was done by Mijntje Hage. This Federation was formed a few years ago to incorporate all the existing “klaverjasclubs”, whether they were part of an organisation or a separate Read more