Aviation and Shipping
Flight of De Uiver – 1934 New: Painting Added
The MacRobertson Trophy Air Race (also known as the London to Melbourne Air Race) took place in October 1934 as part of the Melbourne Centenary celebrations. The race was devised by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Harold Gengoult Smith, Read more…
Aviation and Shipping
The 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron RAAF – WWII – Painting added.
The 18 Netherlands East Indies squadron RAAF was established on April 4 1942 They destroyed many Japanese operations on NEI, sunk 6 Japanese ships and numerous smaller boats.
Maritime History
Honouring the forgotten: Abraham Crijnssen and its role in Allied naval operations from Brisbane.
The HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen, a Dutch minesweeper famed for its remarkable escape from the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies by disguising itself as a tropical island, reached Australia in March 1942. After a refit and the installation of new ASDIC equipment, the vessel Read more…
Migration history
Dutch-born Ferdinand von Sommer left a trail of controversy across colonial Australia
Republished with permission. Original article was published in the Conversation on January 3, 2025 Author:Alexandra LudewigProfessor and Head of the School of Humanities, The University of Western Australia Disclosure statementAlexandra Ludewig does not work for, consult, own shares in or Read more…
Literature
No Sheltering Sky: Migrant Identities of Dutch Nationals from Indonesia
Wim Willems, Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, The Netherlands In this chapter, in the book: Europe’s invisible migrants “No Sheltering Sky: Migrant Identities of Dutch Nationals from Indonesia” by Wim Willems, delves into the complex postwar migration and settlement Read more…
Migration history
Alexander Jan Reitsma: Dutch economist and global academic influence
Read his full Wikipedia article here. Alexander Jan Reitsma (1919-1982) was a distinguished Dutch economist whose career bridged three continents, making significant contributions to the fields of international economics and trade policy. Born in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, he began his Read more…
Art, Music, Film, Theatre
Premiere of a Pierre’s Mill Documentary on the emigration journey of the Looyen Family Melbourne, Brisbane
Holland Festival Melbourne, 15 March 2025 As part of the 2025 Holland Festival, there will be screenings of the documentary Westlanders in Australia. The documentary tells the story of the Looyen family’s emigration to Australia, as seen through the eyes of Read more…
Military and Political History
Dutch names at the National Australia Remembers Freedom Wall Brisbane
The National Australia Remembers Freedom Wall commemorates the “sacrifice of a generation” that have resulted in 50 years of peace in the Pacific since World War Two, and honours the servicemen and servicewomen who died in service or were killed in Read more…
Military and Political History
The secret and dangerous operations of Australia’s and the Netherlands’ Pacific War flying boat crews
The Pacific War during World War II saw countless daring operations carried out by Allied forces, often in extreme secrecy. Among these, the contributions of Australia’s RAAF Catalina crews and their Dutch counterparts from the Marine Luchtvaartdienst (MLD) stand out Read more…