Military and Political History
The Merauke Force in Netherlands New Guinea – WWII
Redirection: Merauke during World War II: Allied Base and the Merauke Force
Aviation and Shipping
Gerard Lemmens: the Dornier emergency landing that saved its evacuees from the Broome air raid
In the final days of the Netherlands East Indies campaign, sixteen-year-old Gerard Lemmens and his family were among the civilians evacuated from Java aboard a Netherlands Naval Aviation Service Dornier Do 24K flying boat. On the night of 2 March 1942, they departed from a concealed flying-boat anchorage near Lengkong Read more
Dutch – Australian History
Abel Tasman Museum Lutjegast, Netherlands
The DACC has special relationship with the Abel Tasman Museum in Lutjegast, a town in Groningen, where Abel Tasman was born. There have been visits from Australian to Lutjegast and the other way around. There is more information on their website. The images below are displays from the Abel Tasman Read more
Maritime History
Fleeing Dutch mistakenly attacked at Karumba during WWII
When the Japanese invaded the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) during February and early March 1942, many Dutch people fled to Australia, most ended up in Darwin and Broome but a few fled via the Gulf of Carpentaria. This remote area of northwest Queensland was so open to invasion that a Read more
Aviation and Shipping
The Leeuwin encountered WA Coast in 1622
Leeuwin (Lioness) was a Dutch galleon that mapped some of the southwest corner of Australia in March 1622. It was the seventh European ship to sight the continent. Leeuwin‘s logbook has been lost, so very little is known of the voyage. Until 2022, it was not known who captained the Read more
Aviation and Shipping
Gus Winckel: from the defence of Broome to No. 18 Squadron
Willem Frederik August “Gus” Winckel was a pilot with the Military Aviation Service of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army—ML-KNIL—and one of the best-known Dutch airmen to serve in Australia during the Second World War. He participated in the evacuation of Java, defended Broome during the devastating Japanese air raid Read more
Maritime History
History of the Dutch in South Australia
Although the Dutch seem to be the first Europeans to have discovered Australia, including parts of Tasmania and South Australia, they have never made a great impact as a group of settlers. As there was never any real religious persecution or high unemployment in Holland, there never was the kind Read more
Military and Political History
Dutch-Ambonese woman created first crack in the White Australia Policy – 1949
This story starts with Samuel Jacob he was a headmaster in Merauke in Dutch New Guinea, a job he combined with being a local civil administrator. Samuel and his family while having the Dutch nationality, were all born in Ambon. Together with his family he was evacuated in August 1942 Read more
Dutch – Australian History
Dutch representatives at the opening of Australia’s First Federal Parliament – 1901
Captain von Bosch and Consul General of Netherlands Mr. Bosschardt The First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia was opened at the Melbourne Exhibition Building on 9 May 1901. The new King of England, Edward VII, sent his son and heir, the Duke of Cornwall and York, to Australia as Read more