Jan (John) Mees, a longstanding volunteer and representative of the Dutch-Australian community in New South Wales, passed away at Abel Tasman Village on 1 August 2026, aged 97. Born in Amersfoort in the Netherlands on 10 December 1928, Jan subsequently Read more
A group photograph taken aboard the Netherlands hospital ship Oranje in Sydney on 2 March 1943 records a little-known connection between one of the most celebrated Dutch ships of the Second World War and one of Australia’s greatest maritime tragedies. Read more
The KPM steamship ’s Jacob was the first of three Dutch merchant vessels lost during Operation Lilliput. On 8 March 1943, while carrying troops and supplies from Milne Bay towards Oro Bay, she was attacked by Japanese bombers near Porlock Read more
The Dutch-operated cargo ship Karsik played a distinctive role in the Allied campaign in Papua. In December 1942 she became the first large vessel to reach Oro Bay, carrying Australian Stuart tanks that were urgently needed at the Battle of Read more
Between 21 February and 4 March 1943, the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij vessels Bontekoe, Karsik and Van Heemskerk transported approximately 3,200 American troops from Australia to Oro Bay in Papua. The troops belonged to the United States 162nd Infantry Regiment, part of Read more
Accounts of the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij’s contribution to the Pacific War frequently refer to “Dutch ships.” This is correct in terms of company ownership, registration and command, but it tells only part of the story. KPM vessels were generally commanded by Read more
The arrival of surviving Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM) vessels in Australia during early 1942 gave the Allies access to a shipping capability they urgently needed. It also created a complicated question: who had the authority to control and deploy these Dutch Read more
The Japanese conquest of the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942 destroyed the commercial and maritime system that the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM) had developed over more than half a century. Ships were sunk, captured or scuttled, port facilities and offices Read more
The Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM), or Royal Packet Navigation Company, was established in Amsterdam in 1888 to operate an extensive inter-island shipping network throughout the Netherlands East Indies. Its vessels connected hundreds of islands and ports, carrying passengers, mail, produce, commercial Read more
The relationship between Australia, the Netherlands and the Netherlands East Indies during the Second World War developed under extraordinary circumstances. Before the Pacific War, Australia and the Netherlands East Indies were close geographical neighbours but had relatively limited direct political Read more