Introduction In 1950, a group of Dutch migrants from Groningen began establishing a settlement at Kingston, south of Hobart, Tasmania. Their undertaking became known as Little Groningen and developed into an important centre of Dutch-Australian religious, educational, commercial and community life. The original group, known as the Groningen Seven (G7), Read more
For Dutch families, the December festive season traditionally begins with Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas. Children are told that Sinterklaas arrives from Spain aboard a steamboat and travels through towns on a white horse. They place a shoe near the fireplace, sing traditional songs and hope to receive sweets or a Read more
The remarkable story behind Opposite the Lion’s Den During the German occupation of the Netherlands in the Second World War, Daniel Johannes Huygens and his wife Lydia made an extraordinary decision. They opened their home to Jewish friends threatened with arrest and deportation, transforming the upper floor of their house Read more
Dutch post-war migration to Australia is generally regarded as one of the major success stories of Australia’s mass immigration program. Yet migration was not always permanent. A frequently quoted figure suggests that around 25 per cent of Dutch migrants eventually returned to the Netherlands. But how reliable is that figure? Read more
Introduction The Cornelis Uidam Collection brings together newspaper reports, official migration records, church publications, lectures, radio talks, photographs and family material documenting the life and work of the Reverend Cornelis ‘Cor’ Uidam (1924–2005). Uidam came to Sydney in 1960 to serve Dutch migrants, but his activities extended well beyond the Read more
For nearly three decades, the Reverend Cornelis “Cor” Uidam occupied a distinctive place in Sydney’s Dutch community. He had come to Australia as a minister, but his work soon extended far beyond the church. He met migrant ships, visited hostels, helped families find their way through an unfamiliar society, challenged Read more
This is an abstract from the full article click here. It is a deeply personal memoir by Dutch migrant Johan Luchters provides a rich and highly detailed first-hand account of post-war migration experiences at the Scheyville Migrant Accommodation Centre in New South Wales during the early 1960s. Far more than Read more
Cornelis Frederiks, who prefers to be addressed as Cor, is a down-to-earth, sprightly and quick-witted 86-year-old businessman, scholar, author, investor, art collector and company director with a flourishing accounting practice in Cleveland, a sea-side suburb of Brisbane. Cor insists he is not retired and he still attends his office from Read more
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