From 1947 to 1962, the Netherlands and Australia both belonged to the same regional organisation, the South Pacific Commission (SPC). The Commission was created by the Canberra Agreement of 1947, signed by six administering powers with dependent territories in the Read more
The history of Dutch New Guinea is closely bound up with Australia, especially in the turbulent years after the Second World War. Few individuals illustrate this better than Piet Johannes Merkelijn, a civil administrator whose career spanned the Netherlands, Australia Read more
The story of Dutch New Guinea in the 1950s is often told through the lens of Dutch colonial policy and the role of European missions. Less well known is the presence of small Australian evangelical societies. One of these was Read more
In the 1950s, air travel played an important role in linking the two halves of New Guinea, one administered by the Netherlands and the other by Australia. Although most airline services stayed within their own territories, there were a few Read more
The Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) was created in April 1944 in Australia by the Netherlands Indies Government-in-Exile. Its purpose was to prepare young Dutch and Indo-European officers to restore civil rule across the Netherlands East Indies after the defeat Read more
In the final years of Dutch administration in New Guinea, the Netherlands and Australia sought to establish a common development policy across the island. These conferences, held between 1959 and 1960, symbolised an ambitious vision of regional cooperation in health, Read more
After completing his studies, Ravind moved to Amsterdam, immersing himself in the vibrant early music scene of the Netherlands. For ten years, he performed as a baroque flautist with the Dom Kantorij in Utrecht, participating in weekly Masses, Cantatas, and Read more
This memoir by retired air force colonel Jan Staal offers a vivid, personal account of the chaotic months surrounding the liberation of the Netherlands East Indies in 1945. Written decades later, it is both a critique of Allied leadership and Read more
This is a abstract in English from a chapter in a Dutch paper, titled: Het verraad van Amerika en (vooral) Engeland (The treachery of America and (particularly) England). It doesn’t mention the author. The paper is part of the archive Read more
Introduction This article was written by Pieter Robert (Robby) Boele van Hensbroek (1920–2011), a former officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy who migrated to Australia in 1951. He remained deeply engaged in Dutch community affairs through the Netherlands Ex-Servicemen and Read more