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Personal stories

Military and Political History

KNIL soldier Anne Beetstra: A Dutch-Canadian woman at Camp Columbia, 1944–46

This compelling first-person account, written by her daughter Claire Smith-Burns, traces the remarkable wartime journey of Anna Wiebrigje Beetstra, a Dutch-Canadian woman who served in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) during the final years of World War II. Born in Friesland in 1923 and raised in British Columbia, Read more…

By DACC, 3 daysJuly 14, 2025 ago
Literature

Saluut Batavia – Uncovering the untold story of female KNIL soldiers in Indonesia

In October 2024, Dutch journalist and copywriter Jorien Wallast published a groundbreaking work titled Saluut Batavia: Het verhaal van de vrouwelijke KNIL-soldaten (Salute Batavia: The story of the female KNIL soldiers), offering a rare window into a little-known facet of Dutch post-war military history. This non-fiction book explores the experience Read more…

By DACC, 4 daysJuly 13, 2025 ago
Dutch Retail Shops

The Dutch Pantry – A Taste of the Netherlands in Adelaide

In the quiet suburb of Klemzig, just outside of Adelaide, a little slice of the Netherlands is thriving thanks to the passion and heritage of Angela Leaney. Born to Dutch-speaking parents who migrated to Australia in 1956—her father from Tilburg and her mother from Utrecht—Angela grew up in a household Read more…

By DACC, 1 weekJuly 10, 2025 ago
Migration history

Arie Stiermann: From Buchenwald to Christies Beach (SA) — A story of survival and migration

The life of Arie Stiermann is a poignant reflection of the upheaval and resilience experienced by many Dutch migrants in the aftermath of World War II. His story spans persecution under Nazi rule, postwar trauma, and the search for a peaceful life in Australia—one marked by both hardship and hope. Read more…

By DACC, 1 weekJuly 10, 2025 ago
Maritime History

Bosun John “Dutchy” de Vos

John “Dutchy” de Vos served as the bosun (bootsman) aboard the barque Garthneill, a steel-hulled, three-masted sailing ship originally built in 1895 in Glasgow as Inverneill. After its sale and renaming in 1921, the Garthneill became notable for its role in South Australia’s grain trade. Following its decommissioning in 1926, Read more…

By DACC, 1 weekJuly 10, 2025 ago
Military and Political History

Vale – Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford on 29 June 2025, at his home in Brisbane. Jack had recently returned from hospital following heart treatment and, when we last spoke two days before his untimely death, he told me that the new Read more…

By DACC, 2 weeksJune 30, 2025 ago
Migration history

Jack Verschuren – Dutch Football Pioneer in Northam, Western Australia

Jack Verschuren arrived in Western Australia from the Netherlands in 1954, part of the post-war wave of Dutch migrants seeking new opportunities and a better life. Settling in Northam, a regional centre in the Wheatbelt, Jack quickly became a prominent figure in the local football scene during the 1950s and Read more…

By DACC, 3 weeksJune 26, 2025 ago
Migration history

A legacy of football: the van der Veekens of Adelaide

The story of the van der Veeken family reflects the enduring contribution of Dutch migrants to Australian football, spanning two generations of commitment to the game in South Australia. Born in The Hague, Jan van der Veeken arrived in Australia in 1950 as a young child with his family. Upon Read more…

By DACC, 3 weeksJune 26, 2025 ago
Migration history

Tony te Wierik – a Fortuna ’60 founding figure in the Latrobe Valley

Tony te Wierik was one of the foundational players of Fortuna ’60 Soccer Club in Morwell, Victoria – known affectionately as the Orangemen, proudly reflecting their Dutch heritage and orange team colours. Tony arrived in Australia in the mid-1950s as part of a large Dutch family aboard the Johan van Read more…

By DACC, 3 weeksJune 25, 2025 ago
Book Library

Gerrit, Jaap and Dirk: A Story of WWII, Forced Labour and Survival

In 1943, three young Dutch men—Gerrit Henneken (19), his brother Jaap (18), and their friend Dirk Keijzer (19)—became part of the millions of men and women subjected to forced and enslaved labour in Nazi Germany. What followed was a harrowing tale of hardship, endurance, and ultimately, liberation by the American Read more…

By DACC, 3 weeksJune 24, 2025 ago

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