William (Bill) Vrolyks was born in the Netherlands in 1925. In 1945 at the age of twenty, he was sent to Australia as part of the Royal Dutch Air Force for training to fight the Japanese during the Second World War. At the time, there was a major union boycott Read more
During the final months of World War II, the Australian 460 Lancaster Squadron played a pivotal role in Operation Manna, a humanitarian mission that delivered desperately needed food to the starving people of the Netherlands. During the harsh winter of 1944-1945 the Dutch population endured a major famine. Known as Read more
Christiaan Vincent Gradwell (Chris) van Oosterzee, born on March 20, 1922, in Weltevreden (Batavia), and died on April 18, 1989, in Amsterdam, was a significant figure during and after World War II. His life included notable interactions with Australia during his military service. Early Life and Military Involvement Chris van Read more
There is an unconfirmed story that General Douglas MacArthur ordered the printing of money for the Netherlands East Indies at the Commonwealth Bank Note Printing Works in Melbourne. This printing facility, established in 1912, had its role taken over by the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1960. There are mentions Read more
In all there were over a dozen WWII airfields in the Top End and many of them were at occasions used by the Dutch. Sometimes their planes were directed to these fields because of congestion or weather. Sometimes planes were more or less running out of fuel on their way Read more
Early Life and Education Hendrik (Cornelis Gijsbertus) Kolenberg was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on July 31, 1946, to Gijsbertus Anthonius Kolenberg and Wilhelmina Maria Kolenberg (née Schellaars). In October 1952, the Kolenberg family emigrated to Australia, where Hendrik began his education. He attended Black Forest Primary, Forbes Primary, and Read more
The following is the list of Dutch and Netherlands East Indies casualties mainly from the various squadrons that operated from the Northern Territory in Australia during the period 1942-1945, as published in: De Militaire Luchtvaart van het KNIL in de jaren 1942-1945. Dutch military initially buried at Adelaide River Cemetery Read more
From its inception in August 2016, Zing! Sing in Dutch promised to be a choir with a difference. Following a series of two vibrant workshops in June that year featuring nursery rhymes, cabaret ballads, pop songs and waltzes (all in Dutch), a core group formed under the leadership of founder Read more
After publishing ‘The Lost White Tribes of Australia‘ Part Two, the author Henry van Zanden realised that the Victorian chapters deserved a more thorough investigation and its own book dedicated entirely to the smallpox outbreak in Victoria and NSW. In Victoria, he explored the South-western districts especially Lake Condah and Read more
The link below is a PowerPoint presentation from Dr. Nonja Peters – 2023 See also: The Drama of Broome 3-3-1942 The 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron RAAF Stories of the Dutch WWII submarines in Australia Dutch at WWII Camp Columbia Brisbane 1944 – 1947 Dutch merchant fleet delivered major contribution Read more