Rumours abound of a Dutch settlement in central Australia in the 18th century. However, to date there is little concrete evidence to support the claim that a group of Dutch settlers established a colony in the region. This article offers an introduction to this topic and canvasses some of the Read more
The Dutch Lubbs family came to Australia via South America. They were one of the pioneering families who settled in the Pilliga Forest, sometimes known as the Pilliga Scrub, constitute over 5,000 km2 of semi-arid woodland in temperate north-central New South Wales. They settled at Upper Cumble (ed. couldn’t find Read more
Fokke Jacob de Jong was born on December 18, 1841, in Oldeboorn, Friesland, Netherlands. His parents were Jacob de Jong and Antje Jans Rinzema. It looks like he jumped ship somewhere around 187e and settled in the Romsey area. According to Australian marriage records, Fokke Jacob de Jong married Sarah Read more
Petrus van Alkemade, also known (in Australia) as Peter Alkemade, was born in Noordwijk, Netherlands in 1835. Son of Petrus van Alkemade, also known (in Australia) as Peter Alkemade, was born in Noordwijk, Netherlands in 1835. Son of Cornelis Cornelisz Alkemade and Alida Aris van der Plas. He arrived in Read more
The Referend John Dunmore Lang was a Scottish-born Australian politician and Presbyterian minister who advocated for the establishment of a Dutch settlement in Moreton Bay in the mid-19th century. Lang believed that a Dutch settlement in Moreton Bay would be beneficial for both the Dutch and the Australian colonies. He Read more
Obviously the Big Australian Gold Rush that started in the 1850s and 1860s had also reached the news in the Netherlands. It looks like that several potential prospectors signed on as sailor on the many merchants ship with the aim to jump ship in Australia and try their luck on Read more
Jan Vennik: the Dutchman at Eureka. This Dutchman was present in the vicinity of the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854, before he was arrested and charged with Treason together with 12 others.
Established in 1903 to support sailors who had jumped ship Established as the Queen Wilhelmina Benevolent Trust Fund, it was established in 1903 to support Dutch sailors who found themselves in need of financial assistance after jumping ship in foreign ports. At the time, many Dutch sailors were facing difficult Read more
The brothers Ploos van Amstel Jan Willem Ploos van Amstel was born in the Netherlands in 1827. The Ploos van Amstel family was a prominent Dutch merchant family in the 19th century. The family roots can be traced back to the 15th century and the family produced important theologians, painters Read more
The following text is from a booklet published by the Federation of Netherlands Societies Ltd. in February 1985. The research for this booklet was done by Mijntje Hage. The Netherlands Australian Sports Club Wilhelmina Ltd. (N.A.S.C) was a club with its own building and therefore an enormous number of activities going on. Read more