Elly Anderson: The adventures of migration
The Van der Sommen Family’s Migration from Helmond to Mount Gambier Elly Anderson (née van der Sommen) | Written in 2014 In my small collection of Dutch books at our home in South Australia there is a 1950 hard cover publication titled Australië – Land van Vele Mogelijkheden by J.J.
Anton Roodhuyzen: Life as a child in a POW camp
Anton Roodhuyzen recalls his childhood in the Netherlands East Indies, his family’s internment during the Japanese occupation, their post-war evacuation to the Netherlands and his eventual migration to Australia. My full name is Antonie Roodhuyzen. I am of European Dutch descent and was born on 1 December 1936 in the
Adriaan and Johanna Rutte arrived at Woodside SA
Published by DAAAG April 8, 2016 Adriaan and Jo on their silver Wedding Anniversary In June 1991, when Adriaan and Johanna Rutte had been married 50 years, a family of no less than seventy members, spanning four generations, celebrated with them. The number was hardly surprising to those who had seen
Wilhelmina de Brey – Courage, Resistance and Survival under Japanese Occupation
Wilhelmina De Brey These pieces are in memory of those I failed to help survive. I had hoped to save their lives. Through the betrayal of another person, to the secret police, the Kempeitai, our house was invaded. I had received a visit from a woman three weeks before the raid, and
Dirk, Kitty and Arnold Drok: Internment, resilience and survival
The story of the Drok family is one of courage, endurance and remarkable resilience in the face of war. During the Japanese occupation of the Netherlands East Indies, Dirk Drok, his wife Kitty, and their young son Arnold experienced the hardships of internment, separation and survival. Yet their lives after
John (Jan) Rikkers – From the Dutch Resistance to a Life of Teaching in Western Australia
John (Jan) Rikkers John (Jan) Rikkers was born on 5 February 1925 in den Haag, the youngest child of Jan Rikkers and Marie van der Wansem (official papers in later years state his date of birth as 1921, but according to John he had deliberately put his age up so
Captain Adrianus Cornelis Marinus (Hoffie) Hofman
Memories of my father, Captain Adrianus Cornelis Marinus (Hoffie) Hofman Adrianus Cornelis Marinus Hofman was born in Velsen, a small town in the Province of North Holland, on the 26th of September 1898. His childhood sweetheart, Frouwe Christina Boomgaard was born in Breskens in the Province of Zeeland, on 2
Cora Baldock Emeritus Professor– Murdoch University, Western Australia
Cora Baldock was born on 16 December 1935 in Rotterdam as Corrie Vellekoop, the youngest of three children. Her father, Cornelis Vellekoop, was also born in Rotterdam and worked for the Norwegian Consulate there. His job meant that as a young girl Corrie frequently met Norwegian people, who usually communicated
Gerada Baremans: quilter and textile artist
Gerada Baremans: scattered innocence I was born in the Netherlands on 8 April 1937, the eldest of five girls. I was only two years old, when war broke out. My childhood was not free and easy as my mother had three girls between 1937 and 1940. She would constantly remind
Zing! Melbourne Carens story
When and why did you move to Australia? I moved to Melbourne five years ago to live with my new partner. He is Dutch too and moved here fifteen years ago. I found out I was pregnant with my first child just before moving here. It was a huge surprise, luckily
Walter Mannot – Life at an Indonesian Sugar Plantation
A touch of humour: the recollections of Walter Mannot as a lively nine-year-old living in the former Dutch colony of the Netherlands East Indies By: Dr. Sue Summers – 2006 Walter Mannot was born in the in the Netherlands East Indies in Kemanglen in central Java in 1932. His brother
From the ‘Groote Beer’ to Albany: The van der Steen migration journey to Western Australia
Written by Johanna Wagenaar (nee, van der Steen). Johanna (Hannie) tells of the family’s sea journey from The Netherlands to Fremantle Western Australia on board the ‘Groote Beer‘ in 1951, their reception by members of the Free Reformed Church, their adventures settling into a new country, and a journey not
Pioneers on the land: Dutch migration and farming life in Western Australia in the 1920s
The Butlers of Wickepin Records show Dutch were on the first fleet, that the Swan Colony had a Dutch consul as early as 1879 and that Dutch made a living on the land in Queensland in the early part of the 20th century. This tiny portal into the life of
Henriette Thomas (nee Kuneman): Life in Java, internment in war, evacuation to Singapore and Australia
Life in Java in the early 20th century Henriette Adriana Margaretha Thomas (nee Kuneman) was born on 22 January 1930 on the Badek Estate, a coffee and rubber plantation, near Kediri, East Java in the former Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Her father Jan Hendrik Kuneman (7 April 1885 – 9 March
From the Netherlands East Indies to Australia: Jan Giezen’s journey and legacy of service
By Dr Sue Summers – 2006 John (Jan) Giezen would have to be one of the better known people within the Dutch-Australians veterans community living in Queensland. He has helped ex-veterans and their widows to access compensation and pensions; he established the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen and Women’s Association (NESWA) website, and
The Elwood Dutch Playgroup – Melbourne
Hello and welcome! This is how every meeting of the Elwood Dutch playgroup based in Melbourne, Australia, commences: a warm welcome expressed to all in song. The main objective of the group is to teach the children (ages ranging from 0 – 4) the Dutch language through play, reading sessions,
DutchCare – Micare and the directors of 2016
Ed. The profiles of the directors were written in 2016 by researchers from DAAAG. the DACC has added the introductory history overview as an introduction and added the document at the end following the retirement of Petra Neeleman. From DutchCare to MiCare DutchCare Ltd formed on the 1st October 1996,
Cor Frederiks: businessman, scholar, author, investor and art collector
Cornelis Frederiks, who prefers to be addressed as Cor, is a down-to-earth, sprightly and quick-witted 86-year-old businessman, scholar, author, investor, art collector and company director with a flourishing accounting practice in Cleveland, a sea-side suburb of Brisbane. Cor insists he is not retired and he still attends his office from
Family stories of entertainer and singer Marty Rhone (Karel van Roon)
Popular Australian entertainer Marty Rhone began life as Karel van Rhoon in the former Netherlands East Indies. His father Eddy van Rhoon was of mixed Dutch and Chinese heritage and his mother Judith (nee Bagshaw) was fifth generation Australian. Together, they gave Marty a rich and wonderful heritage: he is
Childhood memories of Sinterklaas – Peter Spronk
From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper. At the time of writing, the fifth of December, I pause to remember and momentarily celebrate what was once an important annual event during my childhood. Childhood: The Time Of Our Life Traditionally, on this day,
Childhood memories Peter Spronk – The Yellow Tulip
From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper. When I was a young boy I lived in Haarlem, Holland. Across the road from our house was a canal. For a long time this canal represented the edge of my life. The edge of life
Dutch War Story by Peter Spronk
From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper. Any war does not, as the historians like to have it, run from, let’s say, 1940-1945 as was the case with the WW2, but has reverberations till long after the date. Some to this very day,
Childhood memories by Peter Spronk
From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper. Memories of the last century. The last century, which holds the roots to the tree which will grow in the next. From my childhood I remember my room in a distant Dutch attic. My room where
Petrus Spronk Ceramicist and Sculptor
In the beginning: My name is Petrus Spronk, a name which got me introduced once, when I was on tour with my portable ceramic workshop in Ireland, as a one-man Rock & Roll-band. As a result I had a lot to live up to, but being in Ireland I did.
Mathilde Swift-Nolen -SBS Dutch Radio presenter 1991-2008
This article was written in 2006 Mathilde is the popular producer and presenter based in the Sydney office of SBS Dutch Radio. Born: Djalan Semarang, Jakarta on 3 March 1950 Arrival in Australia: 27 May 1981 Qualifications/Training: Secondary education: Rotterdamsch Lyceum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Tertiary education: Diploma – Ecole HÙteliËre
Lolo Houbein – Dutch-Australian author and conservationist
Lolo Houbein, of Aldgate in the Adelaide Hills, came to Australia from The Netherlands with her husband and children in 1958 at the age of 24. She did not speak English, yet eleven years later she matriculated as an adult student and Lolo is now an accomplished and prolific writer
Corrie Ancone- Freelance Photographer, Artist and Permanent Part Time Welfare Worker
In 1953 my parents and my four siblings migrated to South Australia. We initially spent six very hard months in Glossop, Berri, where we lived in an old workman’s out shed while my father was seeking house and work in Adelaide, while staying with Australian friends he had met in
Zing! Johns story
When and why did your parents move to Australia? I grew up during war. Dad was a soldier; my mom raised me. As a teenager, I arrived in Australia with my family, parents and brothers, in 1956. When we arrived, we didn’t speak a single word English. My aunt had
Zing! Joriks story
When and why did you move to Australia? We travelled around Australia in 2004, and had this really strong feeling of coming home, feeling at home. It is hard to describe. In Australia people work hard, but it also has a culture of leisure and it is less stressed compared to
Zing! Siri’s story
When and why did your parents move to Australia? The first time I heard about Australia, was in 1995 when my boyfriend went there to travel. I decided to go backpacking for a few months as well when I needed a break from my studies. My parents had given me a
Zing! Kurts story
When and why did you move to Australia? I came to Australia as a backpacker, to travel and work. My sister advised me I could work on farms and do other casual jobs. I travelled to Queensland from Sydney with a guy I met there (we keep in touch until this
Zing! Chris’ story
When and why did your parents move to Australia? My parents arrived separately in Australia after WWII. My mother was 19, and came with her family, while my father was 25 and came on his own. I have always been interested in their story. It can’t have been easy for them to
Zing! Sing in Dutch
Zing! Sing in Dutch Zing! is a Melbourne based Dutch choir that was formed in mid-2016 from an expressed interest in the Dutch community for a place to sing in Dutch, and meet other Dutch speakers. The choir is open to all people – whether or not they have previous
Dutch Migration to Tasmania in 1950
Motivation, Intention and Assimilation Author: Kees Wierenga A thesis submitted as part of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History, School of History and Classics University of Tasmania October, 2005. The object of this thesis is to examine the motivations, intentions and the attempted
Three Dutch Priests in South Australia – 1863
By Elisabeth (Elly) Anderson – October 2006 Whilst researching the early history of a mainly Irish-administered Catholic community in the Adelaide Hills some years ago I was intrigued to find that the first documented visit of a priest, back in the 19th century, had been by a Dutchman. Being Dutch-born
Johanna Binkhorst: quilter and textile artist
Johanna Binkhorst I was born in 1918 to a Dutch father and German mother. I was educated in Germany, where I lived and enjoyed a comfortable family life until the depression began. Due to political unrest, my father decided to take the family to Holland, not an easy transition to
Hans Hulsbosch: Independent brand designer
Interviewed by Klaas Woldring | Interview Series 2014 From the Netherlands to Australia Born in Valkenswaard just south of Eindhoven, the Phillips city, age 62 in 2014. Hans married Marianne in the Netherlands before emigration to New Zealand. Marianne’s father had knowledge of Australia and had positive views of the country. Hans
1950s migrant, Peter Herweynen
1950s Migrant, Peter Herweynen, Master Builder in Tasmania and the Antarctica When he was 18 years old, Jan van Herweynen was asked by his father to travel to Tasmania, and to purchase a piece of land and begin building a house. Jan was accompanied by his cousin Bob Brinkman and
Sylvia Bink-Faber, from Dutch village in Friesland to Australian farm
Sijke Bink-Faber, from Dutch village in Friesland to Australian farm Early Life My name is Sylvia Bink, I was born 25 May, 1915, as Sijke Faber in Schingen a small village, about an hour’s ride on the push bike from Leeuwarden, the capital city of the Dutch province of Friesland.
The Long Voyage of the MS Abbekerk
A remarkable Dutch merchant ship and its escape to Australia Among the many Dutch merchant ships that played a vital role in the defence of Australia during the Second World War, few have a more remarkable story than the MS Abbekerk. Carrying arms and ammunition through increasingly dangerous waters, surviving
Klaas Woldring: academic, political activist & supporter of the Dutch community
Klaas Woldring Klaas Woldring’s life as an academic, political activist, and notable supporter of the Dutch community in Australia, has taken him The Netherlands to South Africa, Northern Rhodesia, Norway, Spain, Germany, Malta and the Solomon Islands. An interesting life! Date of birth: 2 July 1934, Groningen, the Netherlands Arrival
Dutch history in the SE suburbs of Brisbane (2006)
Richlands, Inala and Suburbs History Group Inc. (RIHG) Richlands, Inala and neighbouring suburbs are located in the south-west of Brisbane, Queensland. The History Group was formed in 1996, incorporated in 2000, and has become a force in the local area. Our objective is to further the appreciation of our history
Rene De Kok a Horticulurist in Western Australia
I was born 22/8/51 in Den Haag, Netherlands, where I studied horticulture being the fifth generation to do so. After my studies I travelled the world for approx. 6 years. During this period I worked in the offshore oil industry. In 1975 I married Magda van Boheemen. After we were
Marijke Greenway: artist and former world-class trampolinist
Marijke Greenway, renowned artist and former world-class trampolinist Marijke Greenway is an achiever, in different countries, South Africa and Australia, and in quite different fields. Her story is exceptional in many ways. She was born in the Netherlands in 1943, in Halfweg/Zwanenburg, close to Amsterdam, the fourth child of six
John Mutsaers: professional artist and poet
John Mutsaers I was born in Eindhoven in Noord Brabant in 1942. I am the only son among five daughters, three older and two younger than I. Being a family with only six children was small in our neighborhood, twelve and fourteen were more common. My father was a bus driver
Thea Bourne – artist and former DACC board member
When I was 4 years old, my parents decided to leave Holland and go to the Dutch East Indies. That was in 1947. My father had a Doctorate in Eastern Linguistics and had better employment opportunities there than in the Netherlands so soon after the War. And so my parents
Shipping Lists at the National Archives of Australia
The National Archives of Australia (NAA) office in Perth holds inwards and outwards passenger lists for the port of Fremantle and other ports in Western Australia – including Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Cossack, Derby, Geraldton, Onslow and Port Hedland, Point Sampson and Wyndham and Perth airports. As Fremantle was
Selling a dream – expectation versus reality
Post-war Dutch and other migration to Australia 1945 – 1970 Presentation by: Dr Nonja Peters Date: 28 September – 2 October 2011 Danish Emigration Archives and Utzon Center Aalborg, Denmark. Migration History Matters Association of European Migration Institutions (AEMI) Annual Meeting and Conference This presentation looks at how local, national
Snapshots of the Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie (VOC) and influence in Australia
Presentation by: Dr Nonja Peters Date: 18 October 2011 Venue: Maritime Archeological Association of Western Australia How did the earth’s peoples, cultures, economies, and polities become so closely interconnected? When did our world become ‘global’ and what vital role did Asia and Africa play at the centre of this new international
Dutch History: Maritime, military, migration & mercantile
Dutch history in Australia is characterized by their maritime, military, migration and mercantile presence in Australia since 1606 Dutch Maritime History The Dutch have at various times had strong maritime, military, migrant or mercantile connections with Australia and Australians. This connection began in March 1606, in Wik country near what
Dutch Australian Maritime History
Dutch Maritime History Mariners, merchants and passengers on ships belonging to the Dutch Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie [VOC] (East Indies Company), were the first recorded Europeans to step foot on Australian soil, mainly by chance, while in pursuit of the spice trade, and largely because the instruments used to determine
Dutch Australian Mercantile History
Dutch Mercantile History The economic integration of Dutch migrants in Australia Driven mostly by the desire to improve their material position Dutch migrants embraced Australia’s booming economy. War-boosted, the prolific job market engendered gave them purchasing power beyond belief, compared to the Netherlands economy they left behind. Their resettlement was also
Dutch Australian Migration History
Dutch diaspora to Australia Since 1606 the Dutch have at various times had strong maritime, military or immigration connections with Australia. The focus of this history is the period from 1947 to 1970, when the Commonwealth Government deliberately set about enticing emigrants to Australia for security, to reverse population stagnation,
Dutch Australian Military History
The Pacific War Dutch military history in Australia begins with the outbreak of WWII in the Pacific, which provoked the American British Dutch Australian Alliance, forged in defence of the region. It ties the Nethelands, the NEI and Australia to experiences of invasion, capitulation, occupation, evacuation, revolution, rehabilitation, repatriation and
Research and Collaborations
The aim of the DAAAG Virtual Centre and Web Portal is to digitise, to preserve for posterity, Dutch Australians’ intangible and images of their tangible cultural heritage for their progeny, for education and for research purposes. Academics on Dutch history, migration and culture will provide a context for the digitised
News and Events
A Touch of Dutch has just come off the press and will make a great Xmas gift. It’s the first ever comprehensive book about the 400 year connection the Dutch have with Australia. Its 34 authors give you a detailed view of the maritime, military, migration and mercantile connection with
001 – Home
Welcome to Dutch Australians at a Glance (DAAAG) Acknowledging the Past and Sustaining the Present and Future DAAAG DAAAG was created to be an accessible, easy to navigate, multimedia internet service dedicated to the sustainable digital preservation of Dutch Australians’ cultural heritage – for use by scholars, researchers, bureaucrats, journalists,