In June 2022, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Sydney and Dutchlink Sydney welcomed Dr Chris Roelfsema, Associate Professor at The University of Queensland to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. Dr Roelfsema presented a lecture on ‘Maps Connecting People To Help Save Reefs’. The theme of the lecture indicates the priority that the Netherlands Read more…
At the time of the Japanese invasion in the Dutch Indies Hendrik (Henk) Paardekooper was employed – since 1938 – by the Droogdok Maatschappij Surabaya (DSM) being responsible e.g. for the floating docks and cranes used for the maintenance and repair of larger sea-going vessels, including those of the Dutch Read more…
Hans and (Luberta) Beppe Goote migrated from Indonesia to Australia in 1956 after Indonesia nationalised all Dutch assets. The Goote family worked on a Dutch-owned tea plantation in Indonesia. They had the following children: Henny, Meika, Josje, Hans (jnr) and Conny. That is oldest to youngest. Hans (snr), Beppe and Read more…
In Auschwitz, David Groenteman, as an eighteen-year-old boy, had to carry away corpses, bury them and scoop coal for twelve hours in the bitter cold. After the war he fled from the painful memories. In Australia he built a new life. But he learned that the aftermath of the war Read more…
John (Jan) was born in the Netherlands in 1946. The family of 13 – headed by father Karel and mother Anna – emigrated to Australia in 1960 initially settling at Brisbane’s Wacol Migrant Camp. Karel Van Lieshout, was a plasterer and John had an early but unsuccessful stint in the Read more…
The Clog Barn is one of Coffs Harbour’s longest running tourist attractions. The business is still run by the family. There are regular demonstrations of clog making at the barn. Tom Hartsuyker and his wife Rita immigrated from the Netherlands in 1951, where they settled in Musswelbrook in the Hunter Valley. Read more…
Mijn naam is Ashley en ik werk als redacteur voor de Nederlandse televisieprogramma’s Grenzeloos Verliefd en Baby in het buitenland. In het eerstgenoemde programma volgen we Nederlanders die voor de liefde naar het buitenland vertrekken en daar een leven opbouwen. In Baby in het buitenland wonen de Nederlandse vrouwen vaak Read more…
Personal report from Paul Budde about his meeting with Ayaan Hirsi. Written in 2007 Her full name is Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She was born in Somalia, in Africa. This is a worn-torn country, which already for many decades doesn’t have a proper government, it doesn’t have a banking system nor Read more…
Convict Trail Chairman and instigator Paul Budde received one of the inaugural Heritage Volunteer Awards – on 28 August 2002 from the Deputy Premier, the Hon Dr Andrew Refshauge, at a special ceremony in the NSW State Library. Paul moved from Oss in the Netherlands to Sydney, Australia in 1983, Read more…
My parents and 6 mt old brother arrived on the MS Fairsea, 2 April 1952 Jennifer remembers going to the Catholic Church at Wacol. Father Nouwens was the priest. He buried my 11 yr old brother Louie van den Elsen at St Brendans, Moorooka. (he was accidentally killed by a Read more…