
Photo collection Evert Herman van Hummel – Flight Engineer Royal Dutch Airforce – KLM
These pictures are all from the Evert Herman van Hummel collection. He was a flight engineer from 1938 till approx. 1970. Unfortunately most photographs don’t have any accompanying information. This first section is most likely from his early period in the 1930 and early 1940s. During WWII he was stationed

Evert Herman van Hummel survived a Catalina Crash in 1945
Evert van Hummel was born in Baarn in the Netherlands on 29 January 1916. Evert Herman Van Hummel (some called him Evert others called him Herman) started working at the Air force base Soesterberg aged 15 in the engineering shop. He became ground engineer on September 5, 1938 and went

MS Sibajak
The MS Sibajak – named after Mount Sibayak.- built at the Koninklijke Maatschappij “De Schelde” in Vlissingen and transferred in 1928 to the then Rotterdamsche Lloyd. Brief historic overview: Other stories and sources: Personal story of Reuben Goossens about his trip on the Sibajak My 1951 Sea Voyage – Elisabeth

Sailing on the Duyfken – new pics and videos
The first documented and undisputed European sighting of and landing in Australia was in late February 1606, by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon aboard the Duyfken. Janszoon charted the Australian coast and met with Aboriginal people. Janszoon followed the coast of New Guinea, missed Torres Strait, and explored and then

70 years since the 1953 North Sea Flood ‘Watersnoodramp’
Just as there have been extreme weather events in Australia last year carrying over into this year resulting in devastating floods over large areas of Australia resulting in loss of life, livelihood and billions of dollars’ worth of damage to property and infrastructure, so there was seventy years ago an

Jan Hendrik Scheltema Dutch-Australian Painter
Two Dutchmen, both now passed way, members of the same extended family, yet three generations apart, made a noticeable contribution to Australian culture, by just going about their business. The artist Jan Hendrik Scheltema by migrating here in the 19th century, and the other his great-nephew Cas Jeekel by just

The fascinating history of the DC3 Wielewaal (1937-now)
It was the 67th DC-3 (model Douglas DC-3-194B. c/n 1944) to be completed by the Douglas factory in California. It was the 10th DC3 purchased by KLM for the route Amsterdam-Batavia and received the name ‘Wielewaal’ (Golden Oriole). Initial registration sign: VH-ANR. The aircraft was flown from Santa Monica to

The rich history of Dutch football clubs in Australia
Clogball: Remembering the Dutch football clubs of Australia By Adam Muyt · On November 12, 2015 Adam is releasing a book on the topic of the Dutch migrants and soccer in Australia in 2023. We will cover this once the book has been released. If you think the Dutch have never won a

WWII Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service – Operating from Australia
Dutch Navy and Army Intelligence Service – 1941 The Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS) was a Dutch military intelligence service during and after World War II. The purpose of the NEFIS was initially to collect intelligence for the Allied forces with regard to the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) that was

Kun je nog zingen zing dan mee – WWII book published in Melbourne
The first edition of the song book ” Kun je nog zingen zing dan mee” (If you can still sing, sing along) was published in 1906 and the book has had numerous editions since. It is one of the most published books in Dutch publishing., with over a million copies

Bible Restoration Project
The Bible was donated to the DACC by Ellie Zinsmeester. It dates from 1768 and was deaccessioned (officially disposed off) by the church around 1940. It was brought to Australia when Ellie’s father migrated to Australia. Karma Rowe from the Dutch Genealogy Group, who previously restored some books for the

Looking for information on military ancestors
Bent u op zoek naar informatie over uw militaire voorouder? Bent u op zoek naar gegevens over uw militaire voorouder? Als deze heeft gediend in de Nederlandse krijgsmacht dan is er altijd een militair persoonsdossier (Staat van Dienst). Om deze Staat van Dienst op te vragen moet u weten bij

Dutch Women Army Corps at Yeronga Park Brisbane (WWII)
he US Army had chosen Yeronga Park for a military camp in 1942. Camp Yeronga Park housed a variety of units among them the military police and the 99th Signal Battalion, US Service Army of Supplies ( USASOS) and the US Women’s Army Corps (WAC). The Australian Army placed an

Dutch Club of Sydney – Flying Dutchman Restaurant (1957-1962)
DACC researchers came across ‘The Dutch Club’ in Sydney. There are no records of this club, further research revealed that the Dutch Club of Sydney and the restaurant The Flying Dutchman in the City (Elizabeth Street) are always mentioned together. The restaurant was run by famous Dutchman Dick Groenteman. It

The Batavia and its many stories
The Batavia – 1629 The Batavia, built in Amsterdam in 1628 was the company’s new flagship, she sailed that year on her maiden voyage for Batavia. On 4 June 1629, the Batavia was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain of small islands off the coast of Western Australia. Five

Annual Nieuwjaarsduik in Bondi, Sydney
After a Covid initiated break of 2 years, on January I, 2023 Bondi Beach Australia turned orange again, also this year organised by Dutch Travel. Under different climate conditions the original event in Scheveningen takes place under more severe conditions. Afterwards the participants do get erwtensoep met UNOX rookworst

The history of Shell in Australia – since 1901
Shell Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Shell. Shell has operated in Australia since 1901, initially delivering bulk fuel into Australia, then establishing storage and distribution terminals, oil refineries, and a network of service stations. It extended its Australian activities to oil exploration, petrochemicals and coal mining, and became a

Dutch Art Import Committee (Dutch Consulate) – early 1900s
There is an episode in the letters from Dutch-Australian painter Jan Hendrik Scheltema (JHS) – who we discuss extensively elsewhere – where he wrote having been asked by the Dutch Consul to become a committee member < with some title >, looking after ART to help import Dutch Art, including

Professor Tom Calma named Senior Australian of the Year 2023 – and his Dutch heritage
Professor Tom Calma was named Senior Australian of the Year 2023. Professor Calma became the Chancellor of the University of Canberra in January 2014. He is an elder of the Kungarakan people and member of the Iwaidja people. He is also proud to share that his heritage is 75% Indigenous

Archive files 1953 North Sea Flood ‘Watersnoodramp’
This post contains articles from newpares and magazines and archoval material from The DACC. Go back to the main article. Newspapers and magazines with pictures from the Flood You can open each newspaper in a new tab to read it. Books about Flood. Reporting on the flood for the Dutch

Kees Lumkes imported the first tulips in Australia
Written by his daughter Wilma Summerville Kornelius Berend Lumkes ( 26/2/1911 to 13/7/1984) son of Willem Lumkes was born in Groningen, Netherlands. His parents were old at his birth and his only sibling was 16 years older. His family were quite affluent and had a large grain farm. The house

David Groenteman Auschwitz survivor, ice hockey champion, restaurateur and Dutch community leader
Auschwitz survivor David Groenteman , born in 1923 in Amsterdam ended up as an eighteen-year-old Jewish boy In Auschwitz, where he had to carry away corpses, bury them and scoop coal for twelve hours in the bitter cold. After the war he fled from those painful memories. After the Germans

Australia on the Map 1606-2006
The initiative for what became the project was taken by Peter Reynders. He had published a proposal for a 2006 commemoration in a WA maritime history newsletter from the VOC Historical Society suggesting to start preparations for the commemoration of the arrival of the first European ship in Australia. Peter

Marta Dusseldorp – Actress
Marta Dusseldorp (born 1 February 1973), the granddaughter of Dick Dusseldorp, the founder of Lend Lease. Martha is an Australian stage, film and theatre actress. Her television credits include BlackJack, Crownies (and its spin-off Janet King), Jack Irish and A Place to Call Home. Her story is told in the

Guillaume Daniel Delprat (1856-1937) Metallurgist at BHP
Guillaume Daniel Delprat was born on 1 September 1856 at Delft, son of Major General Felix Albert Theodore Delprat (1812-1888), sometime minister of war, and his wife Elisabeth Francina, née van Santen Kolff. From 1873 to 1877 he served an engineering apprenticeship in Scotland. In 1879 he married Henrietta Maria

Refugees from Netherlands East Indies recuperating in Australia after WWII
After the surrender of Japan there were some 100,000 European people in the Japanese camps, many of them were close to starvation. An agreement between Australia and Netherlands East Indies governments led to the formation of the Netherlands Indies Welfare Organisation for Evacuees (NIWOE). The organisation emerged out of the

Personal recollections Camp Columbia – Jean van Schilfgaarde
Personal recollections Camp Columbia – Jean van Schilfgaarde The information below is the exact text of a letter from Jean van Schilfgaarde to Dr Jack Ford in 1992. Jack had contacted her for his research for his publication: Allies in bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies relations during World War Two. This

Dutch at WWII Camp Columbia Brisbane 1944 – 1947
Camp Columbia in the suburb of Wacol in Brisbane was a United States Army military camp. It was built in 1942 to accommodate American troops. The Sixth US Army Headquarters was formed and stationed here. It also hosted two hospitals and an Officer Candidate School till 1945. This was the

Dr Ray Kerkhove Historian specialising in Aboriginal history
Ray was born in ‘s-Gravenhage (The Hague). In 1965, at the age of 4, he migrated to Sydney with his family – his parents Wim Kerkhove and Cornelia (in Australia ‘Corinne’) Kerkhove (Muusse), and sister Louise Wilhelmina Kerkhove (now Freebairn). In Indonesia, Ray’s father Wim served in the Dutch-Indonesian War

‘The Oasis’ famous (WWII) Brisbane resort frequented by the Dutch military.
‘The Oasis’ in the Brisbane suburb of Sunnybank was created by Mrs Mabel Pottinger and her two sons, Norman and Lewis. They had a flower, fruit, vegetable and poultry farm and turned that into a tourist attraction what became The Oasis. This started in 1937 when the family built a tennis court

Joan McConachy – secretary at the Dutch Army at Camp Columbia
By her son David Hill. Joan McConachy was a secretary at Camp Columbia, Brisbane working for the Dutch Army as she later told her son David (perhaps at NEFIS). Joan was born in 1924 at Winton (Central West QLD) and moved to Brisbane around 1943 from the then family home

Dr. Cas Jeekel Dutch zoologist and entomologist – expert in Australian millipedes
Casimir Albrecht Willem (Cas) Jeekel (Medan, 24 February 1922 – Breda, 13 March 2010. He was a former director of the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam. (now based in Leiden). Dr Jeekel was once the world authority on millipedes and, as a Dutchman, had a great influence on the study of

A fascinating link between the Boven Digul Camp, the 18th NEI Squadron and the Cowra WWII Cemetery
The Burgers Family from Cowra bring together several important historical events. It starts with Jan Hevel who is an Adjutant at the Political Prisoners Camp Boven Digul -Dutch New Guinea. The leaders of the Indonesian independence uprising of 1925/1926 were imprisoned in the remote jungle of Netherlands New Guinea. In

Long agriculture history between Australia and the Netherlands
Being the 2nd largest export of agriculture products, The Netherlands has a very long relationship with Australia in relation to agriculture. Already in the 1970 the Netherlands participated in agriculture events in Orange NSW. Further down below is an article from the Washington Post providing an overall state of the

Dutch Dugong fisherman killed by Aboriginal people in 1859
I came across a reference of a Dutchman killed by Aboriginal people in February 1859 in Moreton Bay, Brisbane. At this time, this was still part of NSW as the separation of Queensland only happened later that year.

Migration story of Dr Jurriaan Beek – GP at Casino NSW
This story outlines the history of how the Beek family (Father, Mother and two sons) came to migrate to Australia.

Jeff Crosbie – Australian Gunner at the 18 NEI RAAF Squadron
On 22 January 1944 RAAF Flight Sergeant Jeff Crosbie reported for duty at the aircrew headquarters tent of 18 NEI-RAAF Squadron at Batchelor, Northern Territory. When the Dutch had to flee Netherlands East Indies, after the Japanese invaded the country, Dutch planes, ships and military personnel regrouped in Australia. While

Professor Klaas Woldring – reflecting on Australian politics
Biography This is a personal story from Associate Professor Klaas Woldring the author of six short books on democracy and political changes that are needed in Australia to move forward. Klaas was born on 2nd July 1934 in Groningen He went to Highschool there, completed two years compulsory military service, worked

Indonesian War Graves at Cowra (Netherlands East indies)
When the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies, some 20,000 Dutch and Indonesians (Netherlands East Indies – NEI) fled to Australia. As Australia had a strict White Australian Policies, native people from NEI where housed separately. Of them 1,200 Indonesian internees were held at the Cowra POW Camp during WWII.

Dutch War Cemetery Perth incl. names of people killed
This is the only official Dutch War Cemetery in Australia. It is only one of three non Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Australia, the other two being the Tatura (German) War Cemetery in Victoria (250 graves) and the Cowra (Japanese) War Cemetery in New South Wales (523). At Cowra the Dutch

Nonja Peters Dutch historian, anthropologist, museum curator and social researcher.
Dr Nonja Peters is an historian, anthropologist, museum curator and social researcher whose expertise is transnational migration (forced and voluntary) and resettlement in Australia. She is the author of several books, museum exhibitions, journal articles, TV documentaries, and government reports. Her achievements and dedication towards raising awareness of the post-war

The Smallgoods business story of Hans and Anthony van de Drift
Hans van de Drift – Hans The story of one of Australia’s largest sausage manufacturers ‘ Hans’ begins in the Netherlands. Hans van der Drift tried to escape being in the army (draft was still a thing back then) AND having to work for his dad on the weekends in

Dutch ship Kyverheid offered rescue assistance to the Island Queen – 1854
The Dutch barque De Kyverheid had some Involvement in the rescue of the crew of the schooner ‘Island Queen’ under command of Captain Porter. This ship was lost on the Great Detached Reef on 24 July 1854. The 27 passengers and crew crowded into the longboat and set out for

The wrecking of four Dutch ships on the Reef – 1854 – 1858
The Hester and the Doelwyck Two Dutch ships were wrecked on 21 April 1854 upon Kenn’s Reef. The crew of the 840 tonnes wooden vessel ‘Hester’ lost one man but the others were able to make it Port Curtis (Gladstone) and from there to Maryborough and eventually Sydney. It is

Langbroek – John-Paul: politician, Kate: comedian, radio and television presenter
The Langbroek family emigrated from the Netherlands to Australia in mid-1961, shorty after the birth of John-Paul. Their mother, Anne, is part Jamaican and American, and their father, Jan Langbroek, is Dutch, and they both worked as missionaries in Papua New Guinea. The family travelled around rural Queensland where Langbroek

Dutch Australians at a Glance – Exhibition: People Movement Stories
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, Dutch individuals and other digital end users worldwide. DAAAG is an initiative of the History of Migration Experiences

Huygens Institute – The Netherlands
The Huygens Institute aims to make Dutch history and culture more inclusive. It also provides access to primary source material and text editions on which to base further analytical and interpretive research. In addition, the Huygens Institute takes the lead in developing innovative methods, tools and sustainable digital infrastructure. The

The Brisbane Borrelclub and Borrel Boomers Sinterklaas at Prins Willem Alexander Village
The Borrelclub (a club of Dutch gin drinkers) had its foundation in 1964, when the Officer-in-Charge of the local Dutch Emigration Service, Mr Cees Mossel, invited a few prominent expatriate Dutch businessmen for an after work ‘borrel’ at his office. Business problems and experiences of Dutch immigrants became the topic

Jan Zevenboom from gold-digger to Vice Consul (1856)
Jan Zevenboom born in 1822. He arrived in Melbourne from Amsterdam in 1856 his profession was listed as brush-maker. He travelled straight on the gold fields, but apparently was not lucky enough to become rich. He settled in Melbourne taking up his trade as a brush-maker in Beckett Street.

Jan Vennik – the Dutchman at Eureka (1854)
Jan Vennik: the Dutchman at Eureka. This Dutchman was present in the vicinity of the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854, before he was arrested and charged with Treason together with 12 others.

The Vergulde Draeck – 1656 – New relics found November 2022
On the night of the 28 April 1656, the Vergulde Draeck struck a submerged coral reef midway between what are now the coastal towns of Seabird and Ledge Point, Western Australia. On board were 193 crew, eight boxes of silver coins worth 78,600 guilders and trade goods to the value

Glen op den Brouw awarded the Order of Liverpool (Sydney)
The following is an interview with Glen published in October 2018 in the Daily Telegraph. A link to the Article is provided underneath, Liverpool Historical Society president Glen op den Brouw reflects on what he loves about Liverpool. 1. When did you move to this suburb and why? After migrating

Dutch Australian Native Warrior Joost Bakker
Dutch-born Bakker has floristry in his blood. His father was a fourth-generation tulip farmer and Joost and his three brothers grew up surrounded by flowers on their property.

Dutch-Australian Author Yvonne Louis and her book on Mondriaan
Yvonne Louis (born 1946) migrated to Australia as a child with her parents from the Netherlands. When raging bushfires threatened her family home in the Lane Cove National Park in Sydney’s northern suburbs Yvonne managed to save the treasured Dutch heirlooms that had been handed down to her by her

Student exchange collaboration Universities of Utrecht and Sydney
In early November 2022 a delegation of Utrecht University, including the Rector Magnificus Prof Dr Henk Kummeling and Margot van Sluis-Barten, director External Relations, visited the University of Sydney to discuss cooperation and a student exchange programme. It was agreed that there will be a large number of student exchanges

Emigrant story – Joop Mul
I was born in Gouda, the Netherlands during World War II. I migrated to Australia at the age of 12, on the migrant ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1956. My parents thought they would find a house and work easily in Perth but, after a brief talk with the family

Jacqueline van der Bie a Hoekse Waardse in Australia
In 2001 they visited her brother-in-law in New Zealand and both she and her husband felt there should be more to life than running the rat race they were in. So, the seed of migration had been planted.
Australia seemed the obvious choice. So, the visa process got started, but that took a long time. So, they decided to go on a tourist visa for 6 months and see what would happen. Well, that was a golden move, because while they were travelling around Australia their visa was approved!

Max Horstink – bombardier at 18 NEI Squadron RAAF and guerrilla fighter at Timor WWII
As a KNIL Officer, he was part of the Australian troops (Sparrow Force) in Timor. He was later placed as a bombardier at the 18 NEI Squadron RAAF in MacDonald airfield near Darwin. After that he became a NEI intelligent officer on Dutch New Guinea and Borneo and was killed during the Indonesian uprising, Bersiap.

Indonesian Political Prisoners held by the Dutch, freed in Australia
In 1926 the Dutch had imprisoned Indonesian freedom fighters in a camp in the jungle of Dutch New Guinea. When the Japanese advanced they were brought – under false pretences – to Australia in 1943. When the Australians did find it they were political prisoners they ordered the Dutch to free them.

Dutch Camp Casino WWII – Archive Jan de Wit
This post contains a unique collection of archives kept by Jan (John) de Wit. Jan joined the Dutch Airforce and became a guard at the Dutch Camp in Casino NSW. There were uprisings in the camp and people were killed. This became an embarrassment for Australia. The Australian Unions played a key role here as well.

Black Armada: Australian Boycott of Dutch shipping WWII
After the Japanese invasion of Netherlands East Indies, some 20,000 Dutch people fled to Australia, the majority were Indos. They were not well treated and the Australian Unions started to fight for their rights. As they became involved they understood these people wanted independence from the Netherlands. When, after the War, the Dutch wanted to recolonise NEI the Unions blocked all Dutch transport from Australia.

Surabaya Sue, eccentric but influential foreign freedom fighter in Indonesia
She is best known for her work as a radio announcer for the Voice of Free Indonesia in Surabaya, in the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution. The foreign press gave her the name Surabaya Sue.

Philips in Australia
Looking for more information. Philips opened its first office in North Ryde, NSW in 1927, with seven staff members. Later they established a factory in Camperdown for the production radiosets and radio kits later followed by lightbulbs . During WWII the company produced electronica and navigation equipment for the Australian

Children’s book about emigration to Australia (in Dutch)
Een vriendschap zonder grenzen. Voor meiden vanaf 9 jaar. In 2 Far moeten de twee elfjarige vriendinnen afscheid van elkaar nemen als Avrils ouders besluiten naar Australië te emigreren.

Heineken Tennis Tournament – Sydney 11 December
Back on! After missing out on two Heineken Tennis Tournaments in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid and the renovations of Primrose Park Tennis, Dutchlink is very pleased to invite you to the Dutchlink Heineken Tennis Tournament 2022 version which will take place on Sunday 11 December 2022.We’re back on

Hans de Vries Flight Lieutenant No. 18 Squadron NEI / RAAF
When the war reached Java, he fled on the merchant ship the KPM SS Boissevain to Freemantle. He was despatched to the RAAF training camp near Lake Macquarie and from here he was send to the Jackson, Mississippi to be trained on the B25 bombers. He was assigned to the No. 18 Squadron NEI / RAAF operating from the Batchelor Airfield, Northern Territory. He flew bombing missions against Japanese military strongholds and shipping. He was highly decorated.

Theo and Eef ten Brummelaar
Theo and Eef ten Brummelaar were among the initiators of Dutch Radio in Australia.

Dirk Hartog and the famous Hartog Plate
Dirk Hartog Dirk Hartog (baptised 30 October 1580 – buried 11 October 1621) was a 17th-century Dutch sailor and explorer. Dirk Hartog’s expedition was the second European group to land in Australia and the first to leave behind an artefact to record his visit, the Hartog Plate. His name is

Dutch internees from Japanese camps and POWs received medical recuperation in Australia
There were some of 42 000 Dutch military and naval personnel and 100 000 Dutch civilians who were captured when the Japanese conquered the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942. After the War around 6,000 internees and Dutch POWs who needed immediate medical assistance were brought to Australia where they were allowed to recuperate for between 3 to 6 months, after which they were either repatriated to the Netherlands or went back to Netherlands East Indies.

Abraham Crijnssen – Dutch minesweeper in the service of the Australian Navy (WWII)
The ship was built during the 1930s, she was based in the Netherlands East Indies when Japan attacked at the end of 1941. After the Japanese invasion the ship left for Australia. For its escape the ship was painted in camouflage colours and the ship was disguised as a tropical island with the help of nets, branches, and other greenery. It arrived in Geraldton. Here the ship served as a patrol vessel until 16 August 1942. After that the ship was in service with the Australian Navy.

The Steam Ship Volendam (1947) and the Motor Ship Volendam (2009) to Australia
The Steam Ship Volendam was a 15,434 GRT ton ocean liner operated by Holland America Line (Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij). She was built in 1922 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, in Govan, Glasgow. The ship was purchased by Holland America Line while under construction and launched on 6 July 1922. Her

Dutch immigrant ship Willem Ruys
Royal Rotterdamsche Lloyd (then Nedlloyd and now part of Maersk) started building the ship in 1938. The company was in the process to replace the aging fleet of ships on the Dutch East Indies route, her keel was laid in 1939 at De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen, Netherlands. Interrupted by

Dutch immigrant ships to Australia
The following information is available on the DACC database. The major ships bringing Dutch migrants to Australia include: See also: Steam Shipping Lines Australia – Netherlands – starting in 1864 Other Research information: Passengers list: National Archive of Australia Fremantle, Western Australia, Passenger Lists, 1897-1963

Dutch immigrant ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
When she was built in 1929, she was the largest ship yet built in the Netherlands. She had berths for 770 passengers: 366 in first class, 280 in second, 64 in third and 60 in fourth class. She had berths for 360 crew. She had four decks and could carry

Dutch immigration to Australia, history, stats and other resources
History Already in the 1800 we see Dutch people settling in Australia. A rather famous early immigrant was Willem Hendrik Paling who settled in Sydney in 1853. He established music stores in Sydney and Brisbane, wrote music, was a teacher and a performer. The 1911 caucus lists only 650 Dutch

Adri Zevenbergen – 100,000th Dutch emigrant to Australia – 1958
Adriana Zevenbergen, Australia’s 100,000th Dutch migrant, excited to start unpacking after arriving in Melbourne, 1958. The 50,000th Dutch migrant arrived had arrived in 1954.

WWI could have seen a different outcome for Australia and Netherlands
After the Franco-Prussian war in 1870/1871 – in which my grandfather fought – two important developments happened: This put Germany right in competition with Britain who was the global superpower of the day. Germany had a great (Prussian) army but didn’t have a strong naval force, rather the opposite of

Spectacular -mini series incl murder of two Australian tourists in Roermond (NL) -1990
Miniseries about a succession of IRA attacks that really took place in the late 1980s in Limburg, Germany. Team leader Jeanine Maes (Hadewych Minis) opens the hunt for the ruthless Fiona Hughes (Aoibhínn McGinnity). The Spectacular | SBS On Demand The movie also highlights the’mistake murders’ of two Australian tourists

An interactive ESG evening (Environment, Social and Governance) – Free event Sydney 9 Nov.
An interactive ESG evening (Environment, Social and Governance) – Sponsored by ING Wednesday 9 November 2022 – ING Level 28 60 Margaret St Sydney NSW 2000 ESG impact, transition and sustainability from various perspectives How will Australia meet its climate objectives? How do we transition from a carbon-based society to

Dutch Steamer Curaçao visits Australia in 1871
Reports concerning New South Wales, Queensland, the northern territory of South Australia (which then incorporated the Northern Territory), New Guinea and the Torres Strait by J.W. Ploos van Amstel, Consul-General of the Netherlands for Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Ploos van Amstel’s accounts are signed Cardwell [North Queensland]; Sweers Island

Revealing colonial interview during visit of Dutch Navy to Sydney in 1910
In 1910 the HNLMS Koningin Regentes undertook a cruise to Australia to show the flag. Lieutenant Pieren was interviewed re the security in the region both in regarding to Japan and the situation in the Netherlands East Indies,

Dutch Treat by Theodora Biesheuvel
Theodora (Thea) Biesheuvel – was born in Schiedam, Netherlands in 1939 and emigrated to Australia in 1953. She grew up in country Australia. She has written poetry since she was 8 but started short story writing as an adjunct to telling stories.

Petrus Ephrem Teppema 1920-1932 Consul Generaal 1920-1932, Ambassador 1947-1950
Following the resignation of Consul General Willem Lodewijk Bosschart in Melbourne in 1921, Consul Petrus Ephrem ‘Peter’ Teppema in Sydney became Consul General, since 1922 Consul General. In 1947 he became the 2nd official Ambassador for the Netherlands in Canberra. Here we see Dutch Consul-General Teppema, Madame Teppema and Rear-Admiral

Consul General Bosschart promotes trade with Queensland – 1908
Source (Trove): The Week Brisbane 16 October 1908 Java and Australia. Fostering Relations. Netherlands Consul-General. As stated in our first edition, Mr. W. L. Bosschart, Netherlands Consul-General for Australia and Polynesia, whose legation is situated at Melbourne, is returning from a visit to the Dutch East Indies by the steamer

Australia misses out on Netherlands East Indies: Count Limburg Stirum – 1921
Sydney Morning Herald 21 April 1921 AUSTRALIA’S HANDICAP. IN NETHERLANDS-INDIES. Among the passengers who arrived by the steamer Houtman yesterday was Count Limburg Stirum, who has only recently retired from the post of Governor-General of the Netherlands-Indies, after five years’ occupancy of It, and who is proceeding to Holland, via

Australia Netherlands Holdings Ltd (Nationale Nederlanden) had een goede start – 1968
CANBERRA, ACT — Australia Netherlands Holdings Ltd. heeft bekend gemaakt, dat de naamloze vennootschap van 13 December 1967 — de dag van oprichting — tot 30 Juni 1968 een netto winst van $207,131 heeft gemaakt. Er werden 4 maal aan delen ter waarde van $ 1,00 uitgegeven tot een totaal

Steam Shipping Lines Australia – Netherlands – starting in 1864
The first attempts to establish steam shipping lines from Java to Australia date from 1864. Negotiations were initiated by the Chamber of Commerce in Batavia. There was a trial voyage but Parliament voted against the operation as it didn’t see any trading value in such an operation. In 1866 Ambrosius

Colonial Dutch Consul-General to Victoria – J. W. Ploos Van Amstel – 1864
Colonial Dutch Consul-General to Victoria made watercolour sketches and photographs during his travels around Australia. A sketcher and photographer, is known for a watercolour of a settler’s camp, dated 1855, watercolour landscapes and photographs of Aboriginal groups, dated 1860, and several watercolours of Sweers Island, Qld, one dated 1871 (all

Willem Frans Theodoor Brijl – merchant captain WWII
Willem Frans Theodoor Brijl was born May 17th, 1897 in Surabaya in the Dutch East-Indies, the son of Frans Hendrik Brijl. In 1910 he left for the Netherlands in order to have his HBS education. September 21st, 1914 he enrolled in the Merchant Navy Academy on the island of Texel.

Some members of the18 Squadron NEI RAAF
See the profiles and stories of Joop van Doorn and Hans de Vries and Max Horstink. Click here for more information on the 18 Squadron Nederlands East Indies Royal Australia Air Force The following information with thanks to TracesOfWar. Sidney Rudi de Kadt evaded from occupied country the Netherlands to

Gerard Johan Lugt Flight Commander at 18 NEI Squadron in Australia
Gerard Johan Lugt was born in Amsterdam, August 9th, 1917. When war broke out in the Netherlands on May 10th, 1940, he was in London studying aircraft construction. In August 1940, he left for the Dutch East Indies and was employed by Werkspoor in Surabaya from January 1941 onwards. Here

Sparrow Force – Allied guerrilla force in Timor WWII
Sparrow Force was a detachment based on the 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion and other Dutch, British, US and Australian 8th Division units during World War II. The force was formed to defend the island of Timor from invasion by the Empire of Japan. It formed the main part of the

Major Jan Willem Zijlstra – Sparrow Force Timor WWII
Military record Born in Malang, Java, on 27 December 1910. Died at “Ladang” House, near Berry, New South Wales, Australia, on October 6, 1965. Army number 102417002 Second lieutenant KNIL Army (31-07-1932), First Lieutenant (31-07-1935), Captain. (27-05-1943), Major (17-12-1949). Well-known decorations: · Ereteken Belangrijke/Bijzondere Krijgsbedrijven/-verrichtingen BK,E.1,OHK.3,OV.1,XV,KLO· Bronze Cross K.B.

The Battle of Timor – 1942-1943
The Battle of Timor – the Dutch and Australians kept fighting after the surrender of Netherlands East Indies. The bombing of Darwin did bring WWII directly onto the shores of Australia. However, what is less well known is that the reason for the Japanese attack on Darwin and Broome was
Netherlands – Australia Memorial – Canberra
The monument commemorates the servicemen and women of the Dutch forces which operated from Australia between 1941 and 1945. The Dutch, along with the Americans, were the only non-Commonwealth countries to establish bases in Australia during World War Two. The original memorial was unveiled on the 7th December 1991 and

Mutiny on the Tasmanian ferry Abel Tasman -1985
The following is an abstract – with permission – from the Mitchell Bruce’s website Ferries of Australia Abel Tasman (IMO 7362108) sailed on the Bass Strait between 1985 to 1993. She started life as the Nils Holgersson, built in 1975. She commenced her regular route, linking Travemünde (Germany) to Trelleborg

Various ships named Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman – Bermuda Schooner This Bermuda Schooner, derived from the famous “America 1”, designed by George Steer. From this renowned fast yacht from the mid-19th century a few replicas have been built. Though “Abel Tasman” is not a pure replica, she has the same lines. She has been proven

Dutch mapping of the Indo-Pacific 1550 – 1750 (with emphasis on the mapping of Australia)
Presentation by Roland Spuij President Dutch Australian Cultural CentreFor the Abel Tasman Museum, Lutjegast on 10 October 2022 See also: Historic Maps of the explorers Maps from the Exhibition Maps of the Pacific. Abel Tasman Abel Tasman Museum Lutjegast, Netherlands