Cultural Events and Activities
VOC Historical Society, Perth (VOCHS)
The Society was formed in 2000 by a group of history enthusiasts that were: Concerned at the lack of general knowledge about maritime events that took place in the 17th and 18th centuries off and on Western Australia’s (WA) coastline hundreds of years before the settlement of WA in 1829 Read more…
Dutch Organisations
Dutch Club Abel Tasman – Melbourne
The Club was initially known as the ‘Netherlands Society Abel Tasman’ and first opened its doors on the 1st November 1958 in Barkly Street, St Kilda. The Club changed its name on the 30th October 1978 to its present name of Dutch Club ‘Abel Tasman’. The Club organises several activities Read more…
Dutch artefacts
Dutch Australian Heritage Centre & Dutch Museum – Melbourne
The Dutch Australian Heritage Centre (DAHC) gives the general community an opportunity to learn about Dutch and former Dutch East Indies culture and language and shows how families moved to Victoria and lived and worked in the post World War II migration period. The Dutch and Dutch East Indies migration Read more…
Maritime History
Merchant Man Derk Johannes Kippers
Derk Johannes Kippers was born in The Hague, Netherlands, 9th November, 1909.Graduated with First Class Wireless Operators Licence, about 1928. Partly because of the Great Depression, he did not enter the Dutch Merchant Navy until a few years later. The Merchant Navy ships he served on sailed the Atlantic, Pacific and Read more…
Dutch Culture, Sport, and Religion in Australia
Rembrandt Male Choir St Marys (Sydney)
It was around 1985 and the club needed more regular visitors. The Friday nights were alright but could be better. The idea came up to start a male choir. The name would be the same as the club. Rembrandt Male Choir St Marys. Looking for interested persons went as far Read more…
Military and Political History
British pilot in Dutch WWII resistance dies in Sydney
Frank Dell, first a RAF pilot who joined the Dutch resistance against Nazi Germany and later migrated to Australia was buried under the sound of the Wilhelmus (Dutch national anthem) with his casket under the Dutch flag and the Union Jack. Article below from SMH. See other personal stories.
Aviation and Shipping
Joop Gijzemijter at NEI-TS in Archerfield
Johannes (Joop) Gijzemijter Born 24 Feb, 1915, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Died 30 April, 1999, Brisbane, Australia. Written by his son John Gyzemyter. “What did you do during the war Daddy?” As children Dad often told us stories about his career in aviation which started on the 3rd of March 1930 as Read more…
Aviation and Shipping
Fred “Pulk” Pelder. His18 NEI Squadron RAAF version aircraft wants to fly again
The “Pulk” (which was originally N5-131 a B-25C – the first mass-produced B-25 version) from No. 18 (NEI) Squadron – a Netherlands East Indies / RAAF composite squadron. Fred Pelder He was credited with directing the rebuild of a severely damaged military Lockheed L212 training aircraft including grafting on a Read more…
Aviation and Shipping
First flight between Netherlands and Australia – May 1931
In May 1931, KLM added an experimental flight from Batavia to Melbourne to their regular Amsterdam – Batavia service providing a through service from Amsterdam to Australia. The plane was a Fokker FVIIA/3m trimotor specially named ‘Abel Tasman’ for this trip. The pilot and co-pilot were Maurits Pattist and Jan Read more…