The article below by Femme S. Gaastra, published in The Great Circle, offers a nuanced interpretation of the role of the Dutch East India Company in the early European encounters with Australia. Rather than celebrating discovery alone, it examines a more revealing question: why the Dutch, despite being the first Read more
Merle Calvin Ricklefs Merle Ricklefs (1943–2019) was one of the leading Western historians of Indonesia. Born in the United States, he built his academic career in Australia, where he held senior positions at Australian National University and Monash University. From this Australian base, Ricklefs developed an international reputation as a Read more
In her book Zoals het leven komt, Dutch author Michelle Visser explores family secrets and their impact on family relationships, and Dutch migration to Australia after the Second World War. The book was published in 2021 by Uitgeverij Boekerij; its title translates loosely into English as ‘As life comes’. Plot Read more
Introduction During the Indonesian Revolution (1945–1949), the struggle between the newly proclaimed Republic of Indonesia and the returning Dutch colonial authorities was fought not only on land and through diplomacy, but also in the air. Less well known is the decisive role aviation played in sustaining the Republican cause under Read more
Nando Boers’ second novel Breng me thuis (‘Take me home’, 2020) tells the story of a Dutch family that moves to Australia in the 1990s but struggles to reconcile with this country as their new home. A young Dutch couple, Hector and Anna, turn to Australia as a place to Read more
Liefs van je Leen (loosely translated: ‘With love, your Leen’) is a Dutch-language historical romance novel written by Hilde Veeren. Published in 2025, the novel is based on the true story of Veeren’s grandparents. Liefs van je Leen begins in 1939 on the island of Celebes in the colonial Dutch Read more
Sara’s Walkabout (2020) by Inez van Loon is a Dutch-language historical fiction novel for young adults. It tells the story of Sara, a thirteen year old Dutch girl who emigrates from the Netherlands to Australia by sea with her parents and younger brother in 1959. Unlike her younger brother, who 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
In a story that crosses borders, generations, and identities, Hendrika de Vries embodies the resilience of Dutch migrants who forged new lives in Australia after the Second World War. Her journey—from the trauma of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam to becoming South Australia’s swimming champion in 1955—is a testament to courage, adaptability, and Read more
In 2022, Australian authors Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, who is also an illustrator, were chosen to write the Kinderboekenweekgeschenk for Children’s Book Week (Kinderboekenweek) in the Netherlands. Children’s Book Week Children’s Book Week, or Kinderboekenweek, is an annual event in the Netherlands that brings the magic of literature to Read more