By Beno Groothoff It was in the year 2000, a time when fears were widespread that computers would not be able to handle the transition from 1999 to 2000 and that the world might collapse, that I responded to an urgent call for volunteers to assist with Dutch-language radio programs Read more…
Overview of the Series Title:“Dutch–Australian Connections”]Produced by: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Radio NederlandFormat: 8 x 10-minute radio programsYear: c. 1988 Theme: The series traces four centuries (from 1606 till 1988) of Dutch-Australian connections, covering early exploration, wartime alliances, migration stories, and shared cultural developments. The ABC can supply this Read more…
In 1957, the Dutch Social Club of Mount Gambier established an amateur football team nicknamed Wit-Blauw (White-Blue), inspired by the colours of Dutch club De Graafschap. Coached by Tony Mulders, the team was multicultural but predominantly Dutch. Despite its promising start, Wit-Blauw lasted only three seasons before disbanding around 1960. Read more…
In 1944, the United States War Department published a small but detailed booklet titled Pocket Guide to the Netherlands East Indies. Produced as part of a broader series of cultural guides for American troops deployed overseas, this 80 pages booklet was designed to familiarise servicemen with the geography, people, customs, Read more…
Following the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Japanese forces advanced into the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), marking a significant turning point in World War II and signaling the decline of British colonial influence in the region. Aware that the Allies would use Australia as a base for launching military Read more…
The Dutch submarine K IX, later known as HMAS K9, was a K VIII-class vessel constructed for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) in the early 20th century. Ordered on 27 June 1917, she was laid down at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen on 1 March 1919, launched Read more…
This story is about how Little Groningen came to be. The name was coined by the farmer, Geard, who sold the land to the “G7” scouts, van der Laan and Pinkster. (The “G7” was a group of 7 families who had decided to emigrate to Tasmania and establish a building Read more…
A family’s journey from persecution to peace In 1939, the Nazi regime upended the life of my grandfather, a tax accountant in Vienna, Austria. He owned a large apartment in the city, but being born in Czechoslovakia made him a target, despite my grandmother Caroline Kleiner’s Catholic faith and blonde Read more…
During World War II, as the Japanese occupation swept through the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia), the Netherlands government-in-exile faced a daunting challenge: how to maintain control and provide administrative continuity in the occupied territory. Out of this necessity, the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) was born. Established in 1944 Read more…
Special Tasman’s Briefcase to mark the 300th anniversary of the death of Abel Tasman The briefcase was made from black leather, embossed with the Tasmanian coat of arms. Inside there were several compartments. The main compartment contained a carved {profile?] head of Tasman let into a block of Tasmanian myrtle.A Read more…