Source: National Archives of Australia Gerard van Wezel migrated to Australia from the Netherlands in 1952 under an ex-serviceman assisted passage scheme. In January 1958, he began working as a technical officer with the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. During this time, he met fellow Dutch migrant Marretje Ida Sonnenberg, who Read more…
Source: National Archives of Australia Sherry Wright, originally named Berta Joanna van Wheeley, migrated from the Netherlands to Australia with her family in 1950. Her father, having endured severe starvation during World War II, was advised to seek a warmer climate for health reasons, prompting the family’s relocation to Brisbane. Read more…
Source: National Archives of Australia In February 1957, the Wolswinkel family, including Henk Wolswinkel, the youngest of 13 children, embarked on the Dutch migrant ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (JVO) from Amsterdam to Australia. Their meticulous preparations were slightly overshadowed by a forgotten pair of clogs, left behind by young Henk. Read more…
Cees and Ina Huig, along with their three children, migrated from the Netherlands to Australia in 1972, settling in Brisbane. Their journey and experiences have been documented by the National Archives of Australia. Cees Huig was born on February 25, 1933, in the Netherlands. During World War II, as a Read more…
Source: National Archives of Australia In 1951, Nieske Besselink traveled from the Netherlands to Ulverstone, Tasmania, before deciding to marry her fiancé, Jan Hoogenhout, wanting to ensure she would feel at home in Australia. Fortunately, Nieske embraced her new life, and the couple became integral members of their community. They Read more…
The following text is from a booklet published by the Federation of Netherlands Societies Ltd. in February 1985. The research for this booklet was done by Mijntje Hagen. This Federation was formed a few years ago to incorporate all the existing “klaverjasclubs”, whether they were part of an organisation or a separate Read more…
The following text is from a booklet published by the Federation of Netherlands Societies Ltd. in February 1985. The research for this booklet was done by Mijntje Hagen. The difficulties of the ‘first’ assisted immigrants were many, “housing” being one of the greatest problems. Although in post-war Holland housing was Read more…
This migration scheme was an Australian post-World War II initiative aimed at bolstering the nation’s population and workforce by facilitating the migration of ex-servicemen from the British Empire and Allied countries. Recognising the need for rapid population growth to ensure national security and economic development, the Australian government implemented this Read more…
Republished with permission. Chapter 38 of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Introduction chapters of the book: Touch of Dutch
Republished with permission. Chapter 36 of the book: A Touch of Dutch. For the full pdf of the book click here. Introduction chapters of the book: Touch of Dutch See also: Dutch-Australian photographer Richard Woldendorp