Since 1942, Dutch authorities operating from Australia had worked towards a central objective: the restoration of Dutch administration in the Netherlands East Indies following Japan’s defeat. Their efforts culminated in the establishment of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) Government-in-Exile in Read more
By late 1944 the Netherlands East Indies Government-in-Exile had become firmly established in Brisbane. Government departments were functioning, the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) was preparing to restore civil government, and Dutch military units were increasingly integrated into Allied operations Read more
By 1943, the tide of the Pacific War had begun to turn. Allied victories in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands gave increasing confidence that Japan would eventually be defeated. For the Dutch Government, however, military success created an entirely Read more
When Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch Government escaped to London, where they continued as the internationally recognised government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Constitutionally, the situation appeared straightforward: the Queen remained Head Read more
Editorial Note This six-part series is based primarily on the research of Dr Jack Ford, as presented in his book Allies in a Bind. It is intended as a high-level overview that makes this important and often overlooked chapter of Read more
During the Second World War, Dutch, Australian and Indonesian personnel worked together in a little-known series of clandestine operations against Japanese forces occupying the Netherlands East Indies. Their activities were organised through the Netherlands East Indies Section of the Inter-Allied Read more
Charles van der Plas: colonial expert, wartime administrator in Australia and advocate of gradual reform Charles Olke van der Plas (1891–1977) was one of the most experienced Dutch colonial administrators of the Netherlands East Indies. Born in Buitenzorg, now Bogor, Read more
A photograph taken in Brisbane on 9 October 1943 captures three of the most senior American commanders in the Southwest Pacific: Admiral William F. Halsey, General Douglas MacArthur and Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender. The men were photographed at the Read more
Situated on the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point, Yungaba Immigration Depot was for more than a century the gateway through which thousands of migrants entered Queensland. While it welcomed people from many nations, Yungaba also occupies a special place in Read more
When people think of Dutch companies in Australia, names such as Philips, Shell often come to mind. Yet another Dutch company has quietly become one of the most important technology businesses in the world. ASML, founded in the Netherlands in Read more