2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the South West Pacific Area, a significant milestone in global history. Brisbane’s role during this time was crucial as a central command hub for Allied forces, hosting General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters and serving as a launchpad for Read more…
Pierre van der Eng Sydney had two Dutch hospitals during 1944-1946. Both were related to the presence in Australia of a growing number of people from colonial Indonesia during 1942-1945. Since March 1942, officials of the government the Netherlands East Indies left Indonesia for Australia before the Japanese occupation of Read more…
The Tarin Kowt Memorial, located in Corinda, Queensland, is a bronze replica of the original memorial wall from Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. It honors the men and women from various nations who served in Uruzgan Province, listing the names of 114 coalition soldiers who lost their lives there, including 40 Australians. Read more…
Are you interested in your Dutch Australian family history? Did your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents migrate to Australia from the Netherlands? Or maybe you migrated to Australia from the Netherlands yourself and want to research your family history but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Read more…
Maria Island, situated off the east coast of Tasmania, holds a rich and complex history, particularly tied to Dutch exploration. Its story is interwoven with Indigenous heritage, European exploration, and a brief period as a convict settlement. Indigenous heritage For thousands of years, the Tyreddeme people of the Oyster Bay Read more…
The Dutch plans to establish a settlement on the west coast of New Holland (modern-day Western Australia) in the 1820s were part of broader European colonial interests in the region. Although the Dutch explored the territory of New Holland since its discovery by Abel Tasman in the 17th century, their Read more…
Republished with permission. Chapter two from the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf click here. See also: First contact between the Dutch and the Aboriginal People
This migration scheme was an Australian post-World War II initiative aimed at bolstering the nation’s population and workforce by facilitating the migration of ex-servicemen from the British Empire and Allied countries. Recognising the need for rapid population growth to ensure national security and economic development, the Australian government implemented this Read more…
Dutch Indonesian Association – Cairns In April 1995 a small group of Indische mensen’ (people born in Indonesia), such as Rob Elstak, Eric & Rob Marcus, Leo Vandersar, Jan Schmieman and Andreas Flach, came together in Cairns and founded the ‘Dutch Indonesian. Association – Melati’ (Jasmine). Andreas Flach became the Read more…
Introduction Very few people in Indonesia, Australia and the Netherlands know that during WWII many Indonesians fought on the side of the Allies. And nobody there knows the estimate of 4 million deaths. Because both are not part of Indonesia’s official history and therefore its public memory. The article below Read more…