Abraham Leeman van Santwitz (Santwits, Santwijk), a 17th-century Dutch sailor, embodies the spirit of resilience and leadership in the face of overwhelming adversity. His experiences as a navigator with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) are a testament to the perils and challenges of maritime exploration during this era, particularly Read more…
Anton van den Hengel is likely the only person born in the Netherlands who is also a fourth-generation Port Adelaidian. His father’s family hails from Amsterdam, specifically from the Jordaan district. Before settling in Amsterdam, the van den Hengels originated from a small town near Utrecht. Anton’s grandparents owned a Read more…
The history of soccer governance in New South Wales, Australia, dates back to 1882, evolving through various associations until the formation of the Australian Soccer Football Association (ASFA) in 1921. By 1943, the New South Wales Soccer Football Association was established to oversee the sport within the state. In 1957, Read more…
New Zealand-based author Rüdiger Mack is releasing a new book about Dutch navigator Abel Tasman (1603-1659). Titled First Encounters: The Early Pacific and European Narratives of Abel Tasman’s 1642 Voyage, Mack’s 348-page book takes a new look at the beginnings of contacts between the Dutch and Indigenous peoples in Australia, Read more…
While on an extended visit from the Netherlands to Perth WA at the homes of his shipbuilding sons Dick and Nick, he stayed and established together with them, Australian Shipbuilding Industries Limited. Dick Verboon, a ship’s carpenter, recalls that to get into a boat building in Fremantle in the 1950s, Read more…
David Bos, a Dutch immigrant, arrived in Sydney in the 1930s. During World War II, he played a crucial role as manager of the Netherlands Canteen. This canteen became a vital social hub for Dutch military personnel after the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942. After the Read more…
The following information is abstracted from an interview with Robert Caporn (Ian) . Conducted by the UNSW Australians at War Film Archive in Canberra In this interview Ian also talks (briefly) about the Dutch and based on that information I have abstracted the following article. Paul Budde Dynamics and Attitudes: Read more…
This book is reproduced here with permission. Pictures of Fairbridge Farm School
Republished with permission. Chapter five from the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf click here. See also: Dutch-Russian Ace Pilot Iwan Smirnoff (WWII) The Lost Dutch Diamonds on Carnot Beach, Western Australia
Republished with permission. Chapter two from the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf click here. See also: First contact between the Dutch and the Aboriginal People