The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has approached the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) to assist with recruiting people from the Dutch-Australian community to support the 2026 Australian Census. Every five years, the Census provides a comprehensive snapshot of who we are as a nation. The information collected directly influences Read more
When I walked into the Grand View Hotel in Wentworth Falls in the NSW Blue Mountains to have drink on a Saturday evening, I noticed a painting of recently nicely restored hotel painted by James Willebrant. Having the DACC in mind I wanted to see if there was a Dutch Read more
Missionary origins and the road to Australia In the late nineteenth century, there was growing interest among Catholic women in becoming actively involved in overseas missionary work. This development was closely linked to the rapid expansion of European colonial empires and the social conditions that accompanied them. In many colonial Read more
During the Second World War, the Royal Netherlands Navy operated extensively from Australia following the collapse of the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942. Dutch naval forces, including submarines, surface vessels, and support units, were integrated into Allied operations in close cooperation with the Royal Australian Navy and the United Read more
This article is based on personal documents, military records and a recorded wartime interview provided by Elva Mary Bennett’s son, Russ Morison, together with supporting Australian and Dutch archival sources. The wartime history of the Bennett–van der Land–Morison family connects Australia, the Netherlands, the Netherlands East Indies, Burma and the 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
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) has reached an important milestone in the long-term preservation of Dutch-Australian heritage. After several years of preparation, planning and infrastructure development, the DACC Archive Digitisation Project has moved from concept to active implementation. Preserving a unique national archive Since its foundation in 1983, the Read more
John Rothwell, born in the Netherlands and later known under his anglicised surname, is the co-founder and long-time chairman of Austal Limited. His leadership played a decisive role in transforming Austal from a small Western Australian start-up into one of the world’s leading builders of advanced aluminium vessels for both Read more
From VOC trading worlds to wartime exile: a material history across four centuries Dutch coins discovered in Australia tell a story far richer and more complex than simple first contacts or accidental landfalls. These small objects, sometimes corroded coppers, sometimes fused silver from shipwreck sites, and sometimes the stray pocket Read more
On 1 August 1711 the ship the Zuytdorp left the Netherlands with a load of freshly minted silver coins. The ship never arrived at its destination and was never heard from again. No search was undertaken, presumably because the VOC did not know whether or where the shipwrecked or if Read more