Roelofina Wisse-Borger, known within her family as Fiena, was one of the many ordinary Dutch citizens who demonstrated extraordinary courage during the Second World War. For her actions in hiding Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, she was posthumously honoured with the title Righteous Among the Nations, Read more
This document presents a rare and valuable primary-source record of the early years of the Reformed Church in Tasmania, established by Dutch migrants in the early 1950s. It is based on a surviving collection of church newsletters originating from the Reformed Church of Penguin, the first Reformed Church established in Read more
Missionary origins and the road to Australia In the late nineteenth century, there was growing interest among Catholic women in becoming actively involved in overseas missionary work. This development was closely linked to the rapid expansion of European colonial empires and the social conditions that accompanied them. In many colonial Read more
The story of Dutch New Guinea in the 1950s is often told through the lens of Dutch colonial policy and the role of European missions. Less well known is the presence of small Australian evangelical societies. One of these was the Regions Beyond Missionary Union (RBMU), whose station at Wolo Read more
This document contains the catalogue items associated with Dr Nonja Peters from the State Library of Western Australia (SLWA). Below the pdf is a searchable list of titles, interviewees/subjects, and years to make it easier for search engines to find names and titles. A more readable full catalogue see the Read more
By Di Gabb and Roberta Julian This chapter traces two distinct yet ideologically aligned waves of Dutch migration to Australia—one preceding World War I and another following World War II. Both were driven not by typical economic motives or adventure but by deeply held ideological or religious beliefs, making these Read more
Summary Desmond Cahill’s extensive analysis explores whether Dutch Australians have assimilated into mainstream Australian society or adapted through a more complex, accommodationist process. Drawing on historical, cultural, and statistical perspectives, Cahill challenges the longstanding stereotype of the Dutch as “the perfect migrants” who effortlessly assimilated and vanished into Australian life. Read more
By Gary Bouma Introduction and Summary: Dutch Religious Influences in Australia’s Multicultural LandscapeBased on Gary D. Bouma’s “The Religious Contribution of Dutch Migrants to Multicultural Australia” Dutch post-war migration to Australia is often told in terms of economic resilience, cultural adaptation, or family stories of hardship and hope. But less Read more
The article below is a brief resume of the life of Reg Doedens. It is structured on the ghosted auto-biography prepared by Anne Rand, with additional notes by the reviewer, (a neighbour, cadet, employee, hardware store co-owner, interviewer (for another book), family friend and fellow Christian). Some of Reg’s story Read more
Calvin School- the why and the consequences In the 1950s, education of children was the joint responsibility of the State and the local Municipality. The State provided the buildings, the teachers and the curriculum. The Municipal Councillors enforced truancy regulations , and managed requests for absences (because mum was sick Read more