Edgar Semmens was married to Anna Siebenhaar, who had arrived from the Netherlands in the 1890s, following her younger brother the socialist and activist Willem Siebenhaar who had arrived in Perth a few years earlier. As a result of his marriage to Anna – who was active in the small Read more…
Abraham Leeman van Santwitz (Santwits, Santwijk), a 17th-century Dutch sailor, embodies the spirit of resilience and leadership in the face of overwhelming adversity. His experiences as a navigator with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) are a testament to the perils and challenges of maritime exploration during this era, particularly Read more…
Anton van den Hengel is likely the only person born in the Netherlands who is also a fourth-generation Port Adelaidian. His father’s family hails from Amsterdam, specifically from the Jordaan district. Before settling in Amsterdam, the van den Hengels originated from a small town near Utrecht. Anton’s grandparents owned a Read more…
The history of soccer governance in New South Wales, Australia, dates back to 1882, evolving through various associations until the formation of the Australian Soccer Football Association (ASFA) in 1921. By 1943, the New South Wales Soccer Football Association was established to oversee the sport within the state. In 1957, Read more…
New Zealand-based author Rüdiger Mack is releasing a new book about Dutch navigator Abel Tasman (1603-1659). Titled First Encounters: The Early Pacific and European Narratives of Abel Tasman’s 1642 Voyage, Mack’s 348-page book takes a new look at the beginnings of contacts between the Dutch and Indigenous peoples in Australia, Read more…
Australian Shipbuilding Industries Ltd (ASI) was founded by Dutch Australian brother Dirk and Nick Verboon. Historian Nonja Peters wrote in her PhD thesis that “Dirk Verboon was a Netherlands trained marine engineer and he found his way back into boat building more by chance than design. ‘When dad came to Read more…
David Bos, a Dutch immigrant, arrived in Sydney in the 1930s. During World War II, he played a crucial role as manager of the Netherlands Canteen. This canteen became a vital social hub for Dutch military personnel after the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942. After the Read more…
The following information is abstracted from an interview with Robert Caporn (Ian) . Conducted by the UNSW Australians at War Film Archive in Canberra In this interview Ian also talks (briefly) about the Dutch and based on that information I have abstracted the following article. Paul Budde Dynamics and Attitudes: Read more…
Anna Siebenhaar, the older sister of Willem Siebenhaar, followed his brother from the Netherlands to Perth, Australia in the 1890s. In 1896 at the age of 42 she married Edgar Semmens at Coolgardie In 1908, Anna was appointed the Australasian representative of the ‘Het Algemeen Nederlandsch Verbond’ (the ANV or Read more…
Karel (1921-1999) en Gerard (1923-2006) van het Reve are two of the Netherlands most important post-WWII authors. Their mother, Net Jannetta Jacoba Doornbusch (1892-1959), simply Net, came from Almelo. Her father Kornelis worked in the textile industry and had a small farm. There were ten siblings in the family, including Read more…