Born in Holland, Bill Vrolyks was send to Australia in 1945 for training to fight the Japanese as part of the Dutch Air Force. Because of the union boycot in support of Indonesia the trainees were flown all over Australia to help loading ships to go to Indonesia. He also Read more…
Early Life and Education Hendrik (Cornelis Gijsbertus) Kolenberg was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on July 31, 1946, to Gijsbertus Anthonius Kolenberg and Wilhelmina Maria Kolenberg (née Schellaars). In October 1952, the Kolenberg family emigrated to Australia, where Hendrik began his education. He attended Black Forest Primary, Forbes Primary, and Read more…
After publishing ‘The Lost White Tribes of Australia‘ Part Two, the author Henry van Zanden realised that the Victorian chapters deserved a more thorough investigation and its own book dedicated entirely to the smallpox outbreak in Victoria and NSW. In Victoria, he explored the South-western districts especially Lake Condah and Read more…
On February 28, 1942, Japanese troops rapidly advanced through northern Java, quickly occupying airfields and towns. Within hours, they were only 50km from Andir Airport (Bandung) in West Java, where five civilian Royal Netherlands Indies Airways (KNILM) planes were based. Only the next day did the Dutch Government in Exile Read more…
Cornelis du Buy was born on January 8, 1921, in Amsterdam, the son of Cornelis du Buy and Maria Catharina Ramakers. During his teenage years, in the interwar period, Cornelis learned table tennis at home from his father, playing on the dining table. Cornelis’ mother, originally from Limburg, acted as Read more…
Nico was born on 8 December 1932 at Nijmegen, Netherlands, and migrated to Australia in 1955. On arrival he stayed in the Bonegilla Migrant centre, in 1997 he produced 15 cartoon styled drawings of live as an early migrant in Australia. He worked as a designer in various positions until Read more…
In this paper Dr. Nonja Peters explores the manner in which Dutch women, who left the Netherlands at various times during the postwar period, negotiated and carved out an ‘identity’ and satisfied their need for a sense of belonging in Australia. The interpretation derives its conclusions from oral history interview Read more…
Biography Johannis Jacob “Hans” Mol, (14 February 1922 – 26 November 2017) a notable sociologist of religion, was born in Rozenburg. His early academic pursuits at the University of Amsterdam were disrupted by World War II when he refused to pledge allegiance to the Nazi party. Consequently, he was forced Read more…
Nico Leonard Willem van Straten was born in Zwolle, September 3, 189 and died in Arnhem, September 18, 1968. He was a Dutch soldier of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) and bearer of the Military Order of William. At the start of WWII Lieutenant Colonel N.L.W. van Straten Read more…
Information provided by Peter’s son Laurie Early Life and Athletic Career Petrus “Peter” or “Piet” van Rijn was born in The Hague (Den Haag), Netherlands, on 18May, 1917 (and passed away on 26th June, 2002). His parents were Piet van Rijn and Antonius Hendrieka Knijf. His mother was born in Read more…