Walter Hes started life in the Netherlands. His Roman Catholic rigid thinking was shaken up by the unfriendly break-up of his first marriage, emigration to controversial South Africa in the 70s having to leave 2 kids to grow up with their mother; 2nd marriage to a protestant, re-emigrating to Brazil Read more
Among the many Dutch migrants who arrived in Australia with little more than determination and ambition, Richard Kuipers represents a remarkable entrepreneurial success story. Originally from the Netherlands, he transformed a modest idea begun in a caravan in his Sydney backyard into one of Australia’s largest removals and relocation businesses. Read more
Among the many Dutch migrants who enriched Australia’s cultural life, Sjoerd van der Meulen brought a particularly international perspective. Music formed the central thread throughout his life, but the journey that eventually brought him to Australia followed a path across several continents and cultures. Sjoerd originated from Friesland in the Read more
In 1978 then-Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Claus visited Australia on an official royal tour. The royal couple toured Australia from 26 May to 6 June, visiting the ACT and all states except Tasmania and South Australia. Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia, formally announced their Read more
Long before ambassadors, embassies and formal diplomatic relations between Australia and the Netherlands, there was already practical cooperation between South Australia and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). It was not driven by politics or military alliances, but by telecommunications. In the nineteenth century telegraph cables were the equivalent of Read more
For many years, one publication has stood above all others as the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the Dutch wartime presence in Australia during the Second World War: Dr Jack Ford’s Allies in a Bind – Australia and the Netherlands East Indies in the Second World War. The Dutch Read more
Introduction The wartime history of No. 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron RAAF is closely connected with northern Australia. From 1942 onwards the Dutch-manned squadron operated North American B-25 Mitchell bombers from a network of airfields around Darwin in support of Allied operations against Japanese forces in Timor and the former Read more
From migration camp to Dutch houseThe story of Fred and Marie van Breemen The history of Dutch migration to Brisbane after the Second World War was shaped not only by organised migration schemes and housing initiatives, but also by personal encounters, community networks and the determination of migrant families to Read more
During the dark days of 1942, as the Japanese advance swept through Southeast Asia, a remarkable group of Dutch flying boats found their way to Australia. These aircraft — the Dornier Do 24K flying boats of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) — became part of the wider Dutch wartime presence Read more
Many thousands of post-war migrants passed through Scheyville Migrant Accommodation Centre, including large numbers of Dutch arrivals beginning new lives in Australia. For many families, Scheyville represented the first Australian chapter of their migration story — a place of uncertainty, hope, adaptation and new beginnings. While much attention naturally focuses Read more