Wartime experiences in the Netherlands Pieter Laning was born on 2 February 1914 and lived in Groningen, the Netherlands. During the German occupation in the Second World War, he became involved in the Dutch Resistance. Kees Wierenga’s historical research records Read more
Dutch migrants seek to establish a community in Kingston In September 1950, two Dutch migrants, Eerke van der Laan and Egbert (Eb) Pinkster, appeared before Kingborough Council in southern Tasmania to discuss plans for a Dutch settlement at Kingston. The Read more
Introduction In 1950, a group of Dutch migrants from the province of Groningen began establishing a settlement at Kingston, south of Hobart, Tasmania. Their undertaking became known as Little Groningen and developed into an important centre of Dutch-Australian religious, educational, Read more
Jacob Teunis Guijs was born in Sliedrecht on 4 November 1917. He was the youngest son of labourer Arie Guijs and Barbera de Waard. Jacob was among the Dutch workers who travelled to Australia in connection with the post-war dredging Read more
Dutch soldiers in British service The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) created unexpected connections between the Netherlands, Britain and territories across the world. One intriguing but largely unexplored question is whether Dutch soldiers who entered British military service during this period subsequently Read more
Petrus Franciscus Martinus Hendriks was born on 16 May 1914 at a house on Gasthuislaan in Leiden. He was the son of Martinus Hendriks, a copperplate printer, and Anna Oomens. On 3 November 1937, Petrus married Cornelia Godschalk in Leiden. Read more
Pieter Willem van der Veer was born in Hellevoetsluis on 11 December 1916. He was the son of Jacob van der Veer (1889–1928), who worked as a blacksmith and pyrotechnician at a shipyard, and Sara Maria Spruijt (1892–1957). Pieter Willem Read more
Following the Second World War, Dutch migrants arriving in Australia faced the challenge of adapting to an English-speaking society while maintaining their Dutch language and cultural identity. Over time, English increasingly replaced Dutch, not only within families but also in Read more
A migration story about hope, establishing a new life and an early farewell in Tasmania In the post-war Netherlands, increasing numbers of people decided to seek their future elsewhere. The Kroon family from The Hague also made this momentous decision. Read more
From wartime Netherlands to post-war migration The story of Cornelis (Cor) and Anna Koopman is an unusual chapter in the history of Dutch migration to Australia. When they emigrated in 1951, they brought not only their three young children and Read more