Liefs van je Leen (loosely translated: ‘With love, your Leen’) is a Dutch-language historical romance novel written by Hilde Veeren. Published in 2025, the novel is based on the true story of Veeren’s grandparents. Liefs van je Leen begins in 1939 on the island of Celebes in the colonial Dutch Read more
The World Solar Challenge is a biannual race in outback Australia that aims to promote the development of solar-powered vehicles. The Challenge was first held in 1987 and draws teams from all over the world, including the Netherlands. About the World Solar Challenge Participants in the World Solar Challenge (teams Read more
Sara’s Walkabout (2020) by Inez van Loon is a Dutch-language historical fiction novel for young adults. It tells the story of Sara, a thirteen year old Dutch girl who emigrates from the Netherlands to Australia by sea with her parents and younger brother in 1959. Unlike her younger brother, who Read more
In the years leading up to 1962, several Dutch, Papuan and Australian thinkers imagined a new political constellation for the Pacific: a Melanesian Union or Federation. This proposed bloc would have united Dutch New Guinea, the Australian-administered territories of Papua and New Guinea, and perhaps other nearby islands such as Read more
Isaac Le Maire: entrepreneur, dissident, and pioneer explorer Isaac Le Maire (c. 1558–1624) was a Dutch merchant of Walloon origin, born in Tournai (now Belgium). After settling in the Dutch Republic, he became one of the largest investors in the Dutch East India Company (VOC). However, Le Maire soon clashed Read more
After completing his studies, Ravind moved to Amsterdam, immersing himself in the vibrant early music scene of the Netherlands. For ten years, he performed as a baroque flautist with the Dom Kantorij in Utrecht, participating in weekly Masses, Cantatas, and Passions alongside orchestral and solo performances. His engagements extended across Read more
This memoir by retired air force colonel Jan Staal offers a vivid, personal account of the chaotic months surrounding the liberation of the Netherlands East Indies in 1945. Written decades later, it is both a critique of Allied leadership and a first-hand testimony of a Dutch officer unexpectedly caught between Read more
Introduction This article was written by Pieter Robert (Robby) Boele van Hensbroek (1920–2011), a former officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy who migrated to Australia in 1951. He remained deeply engaged in Dutch community affairs through the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen and Women’s Association (NESWA) and contributed a number of personal recollections Read more
Australian artist Jenny Dodson, whose family background includes Dutch heritage, has created works that draw on the cultural imagery of the Netherlands. One of her notable pieces is Monochrome (2025): tribute to my Dutch heritage, a painting of a traditional Dutch windmill. In this work, Dodson uses a restrained palette Read more
On 24 August 1945, just days after the end of the Second World War, Melbourne hosted a massive Victory in the Pacific parade. Tens of thousands of service personnel marched through the city in celebration, cheered on by vast crowds lining Swanston Street and Flinders Street. Among the international contingents Read more