By 1943, the tide of the Pacific War had begun to turn. Allied victories in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands gave increasing confidence that Japan would eventually be defeated. For the Dutch Government, however, military success created an entirely new challenge. Defeating Japan was only the first step. The Read more
When Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch Government escaped to London, where they continued as the internationally recognised government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Constitutionally, the situation appeared straightforward: the Queen remained Head of State, Prime Minister Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy led the government, Read more
Editorial Note This six-part series is based primarily on the research of Dr Jack Ford, as presented in his book Allies in a Bind. It is intended as a high-level overview that makes this important and often overlooked chapter of Dutch–Australian history accessible to a broader audience. It is not Read more
During the Second World War, Dutch, Australian and Indonesian personnel worked together in a little-known series of clandestine operations against Japanese forces occupying the Netherlands East Indies. Their activities were organised through the Netherlands East Indies Section of the Inter-Allied Services Department (IASD), a secret Australian-based organisation responsible for intelligence Read more
Charles van der Plas: colonial expert, wartime administrator in Australia and advocate of gradual reform Charles Olke van der Plas (1891–1977) was one of the most experienced Dutch colonial administrators of the Netherlands East Indies. Born in Buitenzorg, now Bogor, in West Java, he developed a deep knowledge of Indonesian Read more
A photograph taken in Brisbane on 9 October 1943 captures three of the most senior American commanders in the Southwest Pacific: Admiral William F. Halsey, General Douglas MacArthur and Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender. The men were photographed at the US Naval Seaplane Base at Colmslie, which supported the US Read more
Situated on the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point, Yungaba Immigration Depot was for more than a century the gateway through which thousands of migrants entered Queensland. While it welcomed people from many nations, Yungaba also occupies a special place in Dutch Australian history. For many Dutch migrants, it was their Read more
In June 2026, representatives of the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) and the Camp Columbia Heritage Association (CCHA) visited the Netherlands as guests of the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE – Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands). While Camp Columbia formed the central focus of the visit, the discussions Read more
Among the many Dutch families who helped shape post-war Australia, few have left such a lasting legacy as the Van Berkel family. Today, their name is synonymous with tulips, flower bulbs and horticulture in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. Yet behind this successful family business lies a remarkable migration story—one that begins Read more
Among Australia’s many post-war migrant reception centres, Greta Migrant Camp occupies a special place. Located in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, it was one of the country’s largest migrant camps and welcomed approximately 100,000 migrants between 1949 and 1960. For many newly arrived Europeans, Greta represented their first Read more