Historical maps relevant to the mapping of Australia from 1521 onwards to 1814 by a great variety of European mapmakers. Most of these maps are digitally available from the National Library, Canberra. The final maps in this series are based on the map (s) by Nicholas Vallard (“Atlas”, 1547), based on likely Portuguese visits to the East Coast of Australia in 1521/22 (by Mendonca). They have been discussed in detail by Peter Trickett in a very convincing book entitled “Beyond Capricorn”, 2007 published by East Street Publications, Adelaide. Trickett was highly critical that the Vallard maps were not displayed at the historic exhibition of old maps in Canberra in 2013/2014. He demonstrated personally in front of the Library protesting against their exclusion.
The book The Devil’s Grin by Toni Harting provides an in-depth exploration of the Japanese military’s imprisonment of Dutch civilians in the Dutch East Indies during the Pacific War (1941-1945). Harting offers a detailed account Read more…
The following story was told by Les Bryant and recorded in World War II Stories from Brisbane’s South West My aunt was one of MacArthur’s drivers in Brisbane, but her story started overseas. She actually Read more…
I have lived in Forest Lake, Brisbane for years. But during World War 11,-I was in Java. When the Japanese invaded, the Dutch East Indies government escaped to Australia and ended up at Wacol, Brisbane. Read more…