Migration history Archives - Dutch Australia Cultural Centre

Lifting the Low Sky” – Dutch Australians: Assimilationists or Accommodationists?

Summary Desmond Cahill’s extensive analysis explores whether Dutch Australians have assimilated into mainstream Australian society or adapted through a more complex, accommodationist process. Drawing on historical, cultural, and statistical perspectives, Cahill challenges the longstanding stereotype of the Dutch as “the perfect migrants” who effortlessly assimilated and vanished into Australian life. Read more…

By DACC, 23 hoursMay 31, 2025 ago

Maritime History

Robert de Jong – Managing Curator of the Maritime Museum of Townsville

Robert de Jong was born in the Netherlands and spent most of his life in South Africa before emigrating to Townsville, Queensland, in 2011 to be with family. In 2016, he was appointed Managing Curator of the Maritime Museum of Townsville, a position through which he has highlighted the city’s Read more…

By DACC, 24 hoursMay 31, 2025 ago

Migration history

The Religious Contribution of Dutch Migrants to Multicultural Australia

By Gary Bouma Introduction and Summary: Dutch Religious Influences in Australia’s Multicultural LandscapeBased on Gary D. Bouma’s “The Religious Contribution of Dutch Migrants to Multicultural Australia” Dutch post-war migration to Australia is often told in terms of economic resilience, cultural adaptation, or family stories of hardship and hope. But less Read more…

By DACC, 1 dayMay 31, 2025 ago

Migration history

Explanations of Post-War Dutch Emigration to Australia

By Wim Blauw. Introduction and Summary: Understanding Dutch Emigration to Australia After WWII Why did tens of thousands of Dutch citizens leave their homeland after World War II, and why did so many choose Australia as their destination? Wim Blauw’s comprehensive study provides the most thorough sociological explanation to date. Read more…

By DACC, 1 dayMay 31, 2025 ago

Dutch Organisations

Dutchies in Bundaberg

This is a Dutch Australian Weekly article from 18 November 1991 Since 1989, Bundaberg has had a ‘Dutch Aussie Friendship Club’. Coming from Sydney, where many Dutch associations exist, the driving force behind D.A.F.C., Alex Zwarts, discovered that there was no longer a club in Bundaberg. The previous one had Read more…

By DACC, 5 daysMay 27, 2025 ago

Migration history

Shannon Bauwens the history of a Dutch Aboriginal

Bunya Mountains Aboriginal Corporation Shannon is member of the Wakka Wakka Nation. This country is represented by several clan groups and encompasses the traditional land and waters that surround the Bunya Mountains region of Southeast Queensland, Australia. The Bunya Mountains held immense cultural and spiritual significance for Aboriginal people for thousands Read more…

By DACC, 6 daysMay 26, 2025 ago

Migration history

From Dutch Roots to Queensland’s Deputy Premier: The Journey of Jarrod Bleijie

A Legacy of Resilience: Dutch Heritage Jarrod Pieter Bleijie was born on January 25, 1982, in Griffith, New South Wales, to Pieter and Christine Bleijie. His paternal grandfather’s story is one of survival and determination. Born in the Dutch East Indies, he endured the hardships of a Japanese internment camp Read more…

By DACC, 6 daysMay 26, 2025 ago

News and Updates

Dutch Victims at the Childers Backpacker Hostel Fire in 2000

On 23 June 2000, a deliberately lit fire engulfed the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, Queensland, claiming the lives of 15 young travelers from around the world. Among them were two Dutch nationals: Joly van der Velden, 23, and Sebastian Westerveld, 22 The fire was started by Robert Paul Long, Read more…

By DACC, 2 weeksMay 20, 2025 ago

Migration history

Erna Walraven: a pioneering zookeeper with Dutch roots

When Erna Walraven began working at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo in 1983, she entered a world still heavily dominated by men. As a newly qualified zookeeper, the role was a dream come true—but some of her male colleagues didn’t share her enthusiasm. She faced resistance, exclusion, and open scepticism. Yet Erna Read more…

By DACC, 2 weeksMay 19, 2025 ago

Migration history

Dutch Migrants in Queensland

Author: J.A. Hempel (Jan Andrzej Hempel)Published: 1960Publisher: Department of Demography, Australian National UniversityLength: 100 pages Overview: This publication is a demographic and sociological study of Dutch post-war migrants in Queensland, Australia. It was part of a broader research program undertaken by the ANU’s Department of Demography to understand post-war migration Read more…

By DACC, 4 weeksMay 5, 2025 ago