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Netherlands East Indies Commission for Australia and New Zealand

Prelude Following hastily established diplomatic relationships in January 1942, the Australian Labor Government offered the Dutch, after the fall of NEI, shear unlimited support in relation to facilities and training, while at the same time providing them with a remarkable high level of independence for their operations in Australia. What

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Netherlands East Indies Government-in-Exile in Australia (1944-1946)

Apart from policies regarding the direction of a post-war NEI there was tension between the Dutch-government-in-exile and the NEI government-in-exile, in relation to the decision-making process. Soon after the liberation of the southern Netherlands, on 14 September 1944, the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina decreed from London the official formation of a

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Dutch Society Neerlandia of WA Inc.

The earlier Dutch migrants that arrived in the late 1940’s had made several attempts to establish Dutch clubs in WA, such as the Dirck Hartogh Society and the Australian Dutch League, but these all folded after a short while. But during the early 1950’s the Dutch migrants arrived in larger

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A short overview of the Dutch exploration of Torres Strait

Scroll down and a map shows up with New Guinea connected to Australia but a small missing part on that map shows where in this perspective the Torres Strait could have been. See also: The Colonial Warship the Doerga explored northern Australia (1825-1826) Dutch Explorers in the Gulf of Carpentaria

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Jan Logeman and the Juliana Village – Sydney

Juliana Village in Miranda in Sydney’s South came about thanks largely to the vision and drive of one man: Johan (Jan, John) Logeman (more info on Jan in the pdf below). The idea was born when he he was recovering from a heart illness. Talking to people around him it

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Christian Reformed Churches of Australia

The Reformed Churches of Australia is the name of the church established by post-war Dutch immigrants of the Reformed faith in Australia. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Dutch Reformed Church. The first Reformed Church of Australia was established at Kingston, Tasmania in 1952. Its name was chosen

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Dutch Settlers of the Latrobe Valley

“Settlers of the Latrobe Valley: A Sociological Study of Immigrants in the Brown Coal Industry in Australia” is book by Polish-Australian sociologist and academic Jerzy Zubrzycki. The book includes two detailed studies, of the Dutch at Moe and the Ukrainians at Newborough, directed to testing the validity of generalisations about

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The Dutch and America’s 7th Fleet

The United States 7th Fleet is responsible for operations in the Western Pacific Ocean. It was formed on March 15, 1943, in Brisbane, Australia, during World War II. The fleet was initially commanded by Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender, and it consisted of the cruisers USS Minneapolis and USS New

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Maerten van Delft explored northern coast in 1705

Maerten van Delft was a Dutch explorer who conducted an expedition in 1705 to explore the western and northern coastlines of what is now known as Australia. The expedition was organised by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The expedition played a significant role in the early European history and

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Marayke Jonkers – Paralympic Swimming Champion

Marayke Caroline Jonkers was born on 13 September 1981 in Hobart. Her parents are of Dutch descent and migrated to Australia before she was born. She moved to Queensland as a baby. She currently (2023) lives in the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. She became a paraplegic due to a car

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The famous tulip growing Tesselaar family

The following information is abstracted from the Tesselaar website. In June 1939 – just weeks before the outbreak of World War 2 in Europe – Cees and Johanna Tesselaar left their home in Beverwijk, the Netherlands and on their wedding day aboard the Strathallan. They were headed for Australia, bringing little

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Jessie Catherine Couvreur- Dutch-Tassie author ( 1848-1897)

Born in Highgate, London, Jessie Catherine Couvreur was of Dutch, French, and English descent, with her father, Alfred James Huybers, originally a merchant from Antwerp. She arrived in Tasmania with her family in December 1852 and received her education in Hobart. In June 1867, she married Charles F. Fraser and

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Early cubist artist Harry den Hartog (1902-1984)

Henricus Marie (Harry) den Hartog (1902-1984) was a Dutch-born artist who emigrated to Australia in 1923. He is known for his contribution to the development of cubism in Australia. Den Hartog was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and studied art at the Rotterdam Academy. After completing his studies, he moved to

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Jacob Carabain Dutch-Belgian – Melbourne – 1885

Jacob Frans Jozef Carabain, also known as Jacques François Joseph Carabain, was a Dutch-Belgian painter. He was renowned for his Romantic-Realist style, particularly his depictions of cities and buildings. Carabain’s interest in Medieval and Baroque architecture often led him to paint busy marketplaces. Carabain initially studied at the Amsterdamer Kunstakademie,

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Fokke Jacob de Jong – jumped ship and settled in Victoria

Fokke Jacob de Jong was born on December 18, 1841, in Oldeboorn, Friesland, Netherlands. His parents were Jacob de Jong and Antje Jans Rinzema. It looks like he jumped ship somewhere around 187e and settled in the Romsey area. According to Australian marriage records, Fokke Jacob de Jong married Sarah

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Three unique Dutch movies during WII from around Australia

Amateur movies made by Mr. Arie Berger. Source Netherlands Ministry of Defence Movie #3 – 1943 Beeldbank – Department of Defence – Netherlands Movie #4 1943 -1944 Beeldbank – Department of Defence – Netherlands Movie #5 1945 -1946 Beeldbank – Department of Defence – Netherlands See also: The Dutch at

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The Dutch at Batchelor Airport in the Northern Territory

Batchelor Airport is a former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base located in Batchelor, Northern Territory, Australia. The base was established in 1942 during World War II and was used primarily as a bomber base for the RAAF’s No. 1 Operational Training Unit. During the war, Batchelor Airport was also

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Van Alkemade’s Major Plains Limekiln in Lara Victoria

Petrus van Alkemade, also known (in Australia) as Peter Alkemade, was born in Noordwijk, Netherlands in 1835. Son of Petrus van Alkemade, also known (in Australia) as Peter Alkemade, was born in Noordwijk, Netherlands in 1835. Son of Cornelis Cornelisz Alkemade and Alida Aris van der Plas. He arrived in

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Dutch Migrants and the gold rush of the 1850s.

Obviously the Big Australian Gold Rush that started in the 1850s and 1860s had also reached the news in the Netherlands. It looks like that several potential prospectors signed on as sailor on the many merchants ship with the aim to jump ship in Australia and try their luck on

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Kingsford Smith flew in a Dutch plane with a Dutch co-pilot

After the successful trans-Pacific flight of the Southern Cross in 1928, Kingsford Smith and his team continued to break new ground in aviation. In 1930, Kingsford Smith and his crew, which included co-pilot Evert van Dijk, completed the first non-stop flight between Australia and England in a Fokker F.VIIb/3m aircraft

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First contact between the Dutch and the Aboriginal People

The first known Dutch encounters with the Aborigines in Australia took place during the 17th century, when Dutch ships were looking for new trading opportunities and made voyages of discovery to the region now known as Australia. It’s worth noting, however, that the lack of recorded incidents does not mean

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Dutch persons among convicts transported to Australia

While most convicts transported to Australia came from Britain or Ireland there are also a remarkable number of Dutch names under the convicts. Some might have been Dutch people living in England, but others in one way or another also ended up in Australia. The following is a list of

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The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command – 1942

The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, or ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in Southeast Asia, the area also included the supply port of Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Australia.  ABDA had been established  at Bandung, Java on 10 January 1942 and became operational following the declaration of war

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Dutch language and schooling in Sydney

Despite the poor level of language retention among the descendants of the Netherlands-born, Dutch remains an important community language in Sydney. In 2002 a new Dutch syllabus was introduced to the New South Wales Higher School Certificate. However, the number of students sitting for Dutch exams at the end of

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The family xxx arrived in Sydney on the MS Sibayak

By Janneke Hall Our family of 5 arrived in Sydney in December 1950 on the Sibayak. We came from a little village in North Holland Brabant called Werkendam. I was 5 years old. We went to Bathurst migrant camp but we’re only there for a few weeks. Orbost then Oakleigh

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The Duyfken – new pics and videos

The first documented and undisputed European sighting of and landing in Australia was in late February 1606, by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon aboard the Duyfken. Janszoon charted the Australian coast and met with Aboriginal people. Janszoon followed the coast of New Guinea, missed Torres Strait, and explored and then

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The Willemse Family – major mushroom suppliers

By Maria Horrocks Petrus (Piet) Wilhelmus Johannes Willemse was born on 13 July 1933 at Liessel, Deurne, North Braband, Netherlands to Johannes Jozef Willemse (b 27.01.02 d 27 Oct 1944) and Francina Petronella Wilhelmina Spreeuwenberg (b 30 Nov 1906 D April 1968). Piet was second child, oldest son. There were

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70 years since the 1953 North Sea Flood ‘Watersnoodramp’

Just as there have been extreme weather events in Australia last year carrying over into this year resulting in devastating floods over large areas of Australia resulting in  loss of life, livelihood and billions of dollars’ worth of damage to property and infrastructure, so there was seventy years ago an

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Jan Hendrik Scheltema Dutch-Australian Painter (1861-1941)

Compiled by  Paul Budde, in consultation with Peter Reynders. Two Dutchmen, both now passed way, members of the same extended family, yet three generations apart, made a noticeable contribution to Australian culture, by just going about their business. The artist Jan Hendrik Scheltema by migrating here in the 19th century,

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The fascinating history of the DC3 Wielewaal (1937-now)

It was the 67th DC-3 (model Douglas DC-3-194B. c/n 1944) to be completed by the Douglas factory in California. It was the 10th DC3 purchased by KLM for the route Amsterdam-Batavia and received the name ‘Wielewaal’ (Golden Oriole). Initial registration sign: VH-ANR. The aircraft was flown from Santa Monica to

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The rich history of Dutch football clubs in Australia

Clogball: Remembering the Dutch football clubs of Australia By Adam Muyt · On November 12, 2015 Adam is releasing a book on the topic of the Dutch migrants and soccer in Australia in 2023.  We will cover this once the book has been released. If you think the Dutch have never won a

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Bible Restoration Project

The Bible was donated to the DACC by Ellie Zinsmeester. It dates from 1768 and was deaccessioned (officially disposed off) by the church around 1940. It was brought to Australia when Ellie’s father migrated to Australia. Karma Rowe from the Dutch Genealogy Group, who previously restored some books for the

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Looking for information on military ancestors

Bent u op zoek naar informatie over uw militaire voorouder? Bent u op zoek naar gegevens over uw militaire voorouder? Als deze heeft gediend in de Nederlandse krijgsmacht dan is er altijd een militair persoonsdossier (Staat van Dienst). Om deze Staat van Dienst op te vragen moet u weten bij

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Adrian van Leest – potato king

This article was written by Susan Parsons for her Kitchen Garden column in The Canberra Times in November 2013. Permission was provided by Susan and the publication to replicate the text for the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre. Adrian van Leest was born in the Netherlands, where his father had a

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The Batavia and its many stories

The Batavia – 1629 The Batavia, built in Amsterdam in 1628 was the company’s new flagship, she sailed that year on her maiden voyage for Batavia. On 4 June 1629, the Batavia was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain of small islands off the coast of Western Australia. Five

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Annual Nieuwjaarsduik in Bondi, Sydney

After a Covid initiated break of 2 years, on January I, 2023 Bondi Beach Australia turned orange again, also this year organised by Dutch Travel.   Under different climate conditions the original event in Scheveningen takes place under more severe conditions. Afterwards the participants do get erwtensoep met UNOX rookworst

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The history of Shell in Australia – since 1901

Shell Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Shell. Shell has operated in Australia since 1901, initially delivering bulk fuel into Australia, then establishing storage and distribution terminals, oil refineries, and a network of service stations. It extended its Australian activities to oil exploration, petrochemicals and coal mining, and became a

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Archive files 1953 North Sea Flood ‘Watersnoodramp’

This post contains articles from newpares and magazines and archoval material from The DACC. Go back to the main article. Newspapers and magazines with pictures from the Flood You can open each newspaper in a new tab to read it. Books about Flood. Reporting on the flood for the Dutch

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Kees Lumkes imported the first tulips in Australia

Written by his daughter Wilma Summerville Kornelius Berend Lumkes  ( 26/2/1911 to 13/7/1984) son of Willem Lumkes was born in Groningen, Netherlands. His parents were old at his birth and his only sibling was 16 years older. His family were quite affluent and had a large grain farm. The house

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Australia on the Map 1606-2006

The initiative for what became the project was taken by Peter Reynders. He had published a a proposal to commemorate the Dutch ship Duyfken making contact with the Aussie coast  in a newsletter of the VOC Historical Society suggesting to start preparations for the commemoration of the arrival of the

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Marta Dusseldorp – Actress

Marta Dusseldorp (born 1 February 1973), the granddaughter of Dick Dusseldorp, the founder of Lend Lease. Martha is an Australian stage, film and theatre actress. Her television credits include BlackJack, Crownies (and its spin-off Janet King), Jack Irish and A Place to Call Home. Her story is told in the

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Guillaume Daniel Delprat (1856-1937) Metallurgist at BHP

Guillaume Daniel Delprat was born on 1 September 1856 at Delft, son of Major General Felix Albert Theodore Delprat (1812-1888), sometime minister of war, and his wife Elisabeth Francina, née van Santen Kolff. From 1873 to 1877 he served an engineering apprenticeship in Scotland. In 1879 he married Henrietta Maria

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Personal recollections Camp Columbia – Jean van Schilfgaarde

Personal recollections Camp Columbia – Jean van Schilfgaarde The information below is the exact text of a letter from Jean van Schilfgaarde to Dr Jack Ford in 1992. Jack had contacted her for his research for his publication: Allies in bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies relations during World War Two. This

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Dutch at WWII Camp Columbia Brisbane 1944 – 1947

In 1944 the Dutch took over Camp Columbia in the suburb of Wacol in Brisbane. It was built by the Americans in 1942 as a staging camp for the liberation of the South West Pacific. The Sixth US Army Headquarters was formed and stationed here. It also hosted two hospitals

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Akky van Ogtrop – Art Curator

By Akky van Ogtrop                       My time in the Netherlands I was born and educated in the Netherlands in Bussum, the youngest in a family where the arts and especially music were very important.  My father was a musicologist, principal viola player and conductor and my mother a concert pianist. I

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Dr Ray Kerkhove Historian specialising in Aboriginal history

Ray was born in ‘s-Gravenhage (The Hague). In 1965, at the age of 4, he migrated to Sydney with his family – his parents Wim Kerkhove and Cornelia (in Australia ‘Corinne’) Kerkhove (Muusse), and sister Louise Wilhelmina Kerkhove (now Freebairn). In Indonesia, Ray’s father Wim served in the Dutch-Indonesian War

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Long agriculture history between Australia and the Netherlands

Being the 2nd largest export of agriculture products, The Netherlands has a very long relationship with Australia in relation to agriculture. Already in the 1970 the Netherlands participated in agriculture events in Orange NSW. Further down below is an article from the Washington Post providing an overall state of the

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Jeff Crosbie – Australian Gunner at the 18 NEI RAAF Squadron

On 22 January 1944 RAAF Flight Sergeant Jeff Crosbie reported for duty at the aircrew headquarters tent of 18 NEI-RAAF Squadron at Batchelor, Northern Territory. When the Dutch had to flee Netherlands East Indies, after the Japanese invaded the country, Dutch planes, ships and military personnel regrouped in Australia.  While

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Professor Klaas Woldring – reflecting on Australian politics

Biography This is a personal story from Associate Professor Klaas Woldring the author of six short books on democracy and political changes that are needed in Australia to move forward. Klaas was born on 2nd July 1934 in Groningen He went to Highschool there, completed two years compulsory military service, worked

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