Camp Columbia in Brisbane was set up by the Americans in 1942 as a staging camp for the liberation of the Southwest Pacific. When the Americans moved on to Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea in 1944, the Dutch took over Camp Columbia. It was used by the Netherlands East Indies Read more
During the Second World War, English sailor Henry Alfred Brooklyn (born 27 July 1922 in Cambridge, England; sometimes known as Harry) was decorated with the Netherlands Bronze Cross. This story was brought to our attention by his daughter, Wendy Arrowsmith, and published with her consent. Brooklyn served on board the Read more
Blackman Bay and East Coast of Tasmania 1642 Tasman’s Voyage of 1642 Journal – Abel Tasman Tasman, A J 1898Abel Janszoon Tasman’s Journal, J E Heeres (comp. and trans.),Amsterdam: Frederick Muller. p.15 [Report of Pilot-Major and Second Mate, 2 December 1642]They [shore party] had heard certain human sounds, and also sounds nearly Read more
Pierre van der Eng It may appear that Dutch multinational beer brewer Heineken has long tried to carry the proverbial coal to Newcastle, because its beer has been on sale in Australia since 1884. In October that year, an advertisement of trading company Boult Bros in Adelaide announced the sale Read more
The name of the current Sturt Lions Soccer Club shows the Dutch heritage of the club, the club still plays in orange and has the Dutch Lion in its logo. The Orange Soccer Club was formed in 1953 by Dutch migrants. In 1963 the club amalgamated with the Sturt Soccer Read more
I was born in Heerlen and my family emigrated to Australia, (Brisbane) in 1956 when I was 3 years old. My parents didn’t speak English but learned quickly in order to fit in. Upon arriving in Australia We travelled by train from Melbourne to Brisbane where we were lodged in Read more
The first documented and undisputed European sighting of and landing in Australia was in late February 1606, by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon aboard the Duyfken. Janszoon charted some 300 kms of the northern parts of the Australian coast and met with Aboriginal people. Janszoon followed the coast of New Read more
This article is about the Dutch seizure of part of New Guinea in 1828. The English activities in Northern Australia played an important role in this. The author of the article is Jeroen Overweel. He is engaged in cultural heritage participation and is an independent researcher on Indonesian, Melanesian and Read more
The SS Bantam (3322 gross weight, built in 1930 ) was one of the original twenty-one KPM vessels that took refuge in Australian ports after the fall of Java that Dutch officials requested be put into service for the war effort. The ship, as well as other Dutch merchant ships, Read more
One of the greatest pilots of the 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron RAAF was Gerson (Guus) Hagers. In February 1942 he was part of the group tasked with receiving newly acquired B 25 bombers from the USA at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane. The planes didn’t arrive in time and in Read more