In June and July 1950, two specially organised KLM flights carried Dutch dredging workers and members of their families to Australia. The passengers were associated with the establishment and early operations of Australian Dredging and General Works Pty Ltd, although the precise connection of several individuals with the company remains Read more
A migration project built around a business The Australian Building Corporation (ABC) was established in 1950 by a group of Dutch migrants from Groningen who planned to create a new future in Tasmania through a cooperative building enterprise. The original organisers, known as the Groningen Seven (G7), did not intend Read more
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
Dutch soldiers in British service The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) created unexpected connections between the Netherlands, Britain and territories across the world. One intriguing but largely unexplored question is whether Dutch soldiers who entered British military service during this period subsequently found their way to colonial Australia. An interesting starting point Read more
Following the Second World War, Dutch migrants arriving in Australia faced the challenge of adapting to an English-speaking society while maintaining their Dutch language and cultural identity. Over time, English increasingly replaced Dutch, not only within families but also in Dutch community organisations. Sacha McPherson, a student at the University Read more
From wartime Netherlands to post-war migration The story of Cornelis (Cor) and Anna Koopman is an unusual chapter in the history of Dutch migration to Australia. When they emigrated in 1951, they brought not only their three young children and personal possessions, but an entire prefabricated house that Cornelis had Read more
Herman van Tol was born in Delft on 9 May 1899. He was the son of Arie Jacob van Tol, a labourer, and Margaretha Vergragt. On 15 June 1927, Herman married Jacomijntje Kattestraat in Delft. Jacomijntje had been born in Waddinxveen on 20 April 1901 and was the daughter of Read more
On 10 October 1962, an aircraft departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport bound for Australia. Among the passengers was 36-year-old Thomas de Wit, born on 2 June 1926 in Kesteren. Thomas was the son of Arie de Wit, an agricultural labourer, and Hendrika Flora de Wit. His parents were living at Read more
This article was written by Rob Dijksman (Hulsberg, The Netherlands) and is published here with his permission. The memorial wall at the VC Corner Cemetery in the village of Fromelles in northern France bears 1,299 names. Brinckmann H.C. is one of them. On 19 July 1916, Hendrik was killed in Read more
Introduction Broome, on the remote north-western coast of Western Australia, occupies a particularly important place in the shared wartime history of Australia, the Netherlands and the former Netherlands East Indies (NEI). During the opening months of 1942, as Japanese forces advanced through Southeast Asia, Broome became a vital evacuation point Read more