The Dutch were 350 years in Indonesia, which achieved independence in 1949. In 1602 the Vereenigde Oost Indische Company( VOC ) was formed to start the spice trade which the Portuguese had maintained for 100 years already. It was the first multi-national company and the first company financed by shares, in the world.
The Dutch were the middlemen in that period who distributed the spices throughout Europe, from Lisbon. The 80-years war between the Netherlands and Spain (1568 – 1648) made the continuation of that role impossible and the Dutch then decided to venture out to the Indies themselves.
The VOC lasted until around 1800 when the Dutch Government took over the colonial administration until after WWII. The history of that Dutch involvement is contained in the story the Duyfken’s landing in 1606 on the West Coast of Cape York; Dirk Hartog’s landing in Shark Bay where he left the famous pewter plate in 1616; and the horrific story of the sinking of and the mutiny on the Batavia in 1629.
Dutch merchant fleet delivered major contribution to the war in the Pacific.
Dr Jack Ford wrote an extensive history of the Dutch war effort in the South West Pacific. He published this in: Allies in Bind: Australia and the Netherlands East Indies relations during World War Two. He also wrote a number of articles on this history, below the one on the
Henk Paardekooper- Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies
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
Stories of the Dutch WWII submarines in Australia
There are several memorials in Australia that mention the activities of Dutch submarines in the Australian waters. These submarines played an import role during the Battles of Singapore and Malaya. In the first few weeks of the was in the East they sank more Japanese boats that the Brits and
Sailing on the Duyfken
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
400 years ago Dutch ship Leeuwin encountered WA Coast – 1622
Four-hundred years ago, in March 1622, the Dutch ship Leeuwin encountered the south-west coast of Western Australia—the first recorded sighting of the area by Europeans. Known to the Wadandi Noongar people as Doogalup, the Dutch named it ‘t’Leeuwin’s Landt’, or ‘Leeuwin’s Land’. In 1801, in recognition of this early Dutch
Exhibition Maps of the Pacific
Roland Spuij attended a guided tour by conservator Maggie Patton of the “Maps of the Pacific” in the Mitchell Library in Sydney. A brilliant exhibition of original maps going back to 1490, including the famous Tasman map of 1644 and other beautiful maps of Dutch cartographers and wonderful globes. And
Abel Tasman Map restored at NSW State Library
In October 2019 Dutch Premier Mark Rutte paid a three day working visit to Sydney. There was an official reception at the State Library of NSW where Premier Rutte received a tour along the various Dutch artifact. For this special occasion the Library put the famous Abel Tasman on display
VOC Historical Society, Perth (VOCHS)
The Society was formed in 2000 by a group of history enthusiasts that were: Concerned at the lack of general knowledge about maritime events that took place in the 17th and 18th centuries off and on Western Australia’s (WA) coastline hundreds of years before the settlement of WA in 1829
80th Anniversary – Battle of the Java Sea
Updated with newspaper article from 1945 below It is 80 years ago this month that this heroic, but at the same time disastrous Battle took place. By that time the Dutch Allied Forces had already been involved in the war in SE Asia for three months. Here they had occurred
Algemene Vereniging Oud-personeel van de Koninklijke Marine
AVOM’ is known in Australia as the Association of Ex-Royal Dutch Navy personnel. The Australian branch has been established in 1996 and was recognised by the Chief Directorate in the Netherlands in 1997. In 2000 the association has approximately 4000 members, mostly in the Netherlands with a small portion all
New Holland Bulletin
Thomas Vanderveldt, VOC historian in West Australia writes a monthly newsletter. Facebook page Member of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society
Dirk Hartog – images and videos
Dirk Hartog (baptised 30 October 1580 – buried 11 October 1621) was a 17th-century Dutch sailor and explorer. Dirk Hartog’s expedition was the second European group to land in Australia and the first to leave behind an artefact to record his visit, the Hartog Plate. His name is sometimes alternatively
Historic Maps of the explorers
Historical maps relevant to the mapping of Australia from 1521 onwards to 1814 by a great variety of European mapmakers. Most of these maps are digitally available from the National Library, Canberra. The final maps in this series are based on the map (s) by Nicholas Vallard (“Atlas”, 1547), based
Abel Tasman – images, maps
Abel Abel Tasman did more than mapping the south coast of Tasmania. The original plan in 1642 was to find a fast route to Chilli, South America. However, he landed in New Zealand instead and mapped important parts of the West coast of Zealand in 1643, thinking initially that this
Early encounters with Australian Shores
Book by Rupert Gerritsen, 2015 Introduction This book brings together a selection of stories about Australia’s early, and neglected, maritime history. They were written by Rupert Gerritsen R.O.N. for a general audience, and their publication here celebrates his life and achievements before his untimely death in 2013. Rupert’s mission was
Canberra Dutch Club
The origin from the current club lay with the Wilhelmina Club and the Football Club Hollandia, who shared resources. They split in 1960 and it looks like the club slowly disappeared. Together with a friend I started the current Canberra Dutch club in 1970, It grew exponential and after many
Batavia research at Flinders University Archaeology
Research by Domínguez-Delmás Daly and Flinders Associate Professor Wendy van Duivenvoorde, is carried out on Batavia’s wreck timbers, currently on display at the Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle. Built in Amsterdam in 1628 CE and wrecked on its maiden voyage in June 1629 CE in Western Australian waters, Batavia epitomises Dutch East India
Dutch-build Icebreaker Nuyina arrives in Tasmania
The arrival of the Nuyina has been a true connector between the Netherlands and Australia. Our Honorary Consul in Tasmania, Peter Sypkes, celebrated the opening of the Antarctic season in Hobart. Construction of the ship at Damen Shipyards in Romania commenced in May 2017, with a steel cutting ceremony. Our Ambassador
Wooden Boat Building Exhibition in the Shipwrecks Museum in WA
At the Shipwrecks Museum in WA a wooden boat building exhibition has opened. The Dutch Australian Foundation highlights the importance of wooden boat building in Western Australia and with it, marks the 25th anniversary of the construction of the Duyfken replica which is now in Sydney. This exhibition has been supported
Scheepswrak ‘Batavia’ onthult geheimen van 17de-eeuwse scheepsbouw.
Onderzoek naar het scheepswrak van het 17de-eeuwse VOC-schip de Batavia werpt nieuw licht op de scheepsbouw van de Republiek der Nederlanden. Het wrak is in 1970 in Australië opgegraven en wordt momenteel tentoongesteld in het Western Australian Shipwrecks Museum in Fremantle. Een internationaal team van archeologen en dendrochnologen (specialisten in
Joris Ivens – Doco Indonesia Calling
Ivens came to Australia in early 1945 as the Netherlands East Indies(NEI) Film Commissioner, to document the re-colonisation effort of the Dutch Indies from Australia. He was employed by the NEI Government Information Service (NIGIS) in Melbourne they had 128 staff—25 of these ‘Indonesians’—(a branch office of three in Sydney),
Duyfken attacked by Aboriginals at “Keer Weer”
‘Murriland! #1” 2015-2017 – an oil on canvass painting by Gordon Hookey about the colonialisation of Australia at the HOA Gallery at the Gold Coast. The painting directly speaks to the British cocolonisation of Queensland. ‘Murri’ is a broad term used to encapsulate all Aboriginal people of Queensland. Gordon Hookey’s
DACC Paper-based ARCHIVES
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre was founded in 1983 and gives as its aims and objectives in its mission statement, the collection, preservation, promotion and dissemination of Dutch culture and heritage in Australia. The Centre immediately started the collection of material for the archives and Library and now, after almost
SBS Video – Peter FitzSimons Talks Batavia 5-4-2016
Peter Fitzsimons with a gruesome tale from Australia’s maritime history, taken from ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler. This is a YouTube video. After playing the video, press the return button to go back to the DACC Hub.
SBS Video – Dirk Hartog lecture at Maritime museum 21-10-2016
A perfect evening for a “Dirk Hartog” lecture at the Maritime Museum in Sydney with Prof. Wendy van Duivenvoorde, Dutch C-G Willem Cosijn and a rooftop projection for all of Sydney to see. This is a YouTube video. After playing the video, press the return button to go back to
SBS Video – The Duyfken before it leaves Sydney on 3-4-12 for Queensland
This is a YouTube video. After playing the video, press the return button to go back to the DACC Hub.
SBS Video – Broome March 1942 – Pilot Henk Hasselo and Navigator Frits van Hulsen remember. 8-3-2012
For many years it was a forgotten day in the Dutch and Australian history books.This year a few of the survivors of the Japanese attack on Broome harbour revisted Broome for the first time. They came from far to remember that fateful day when 88 people people died in Broome
SBS Video – First contact memorial the Duyfken – 30-5-2013
The “First Contact Memorial” was unveiled in Mapoon (QLD) on 27 May 2013 by Australian and Dutch officials. It was the first point of contact for Europeans and Aboriginal people in 1606 which ended badly. In three years time (2016) we will be remembering the voyage of Dirk Hartog to
SBS Video – Peter FitzSimons at SBS Radio/Dutch about his book Batavia 29-3-2011
How much Dutch and Australian history are intertwined is clear from an entertaining interview Peter gave to SBS Radio /Dutch broadcaster Anneke Boudewijn. The third and final installment goes to air Monday 4.4.11. This is a YouTube video. After playing the video, press the return button to go back to
SBS Video – Broome honours the fallen and survivors of 1942 – 7-3-2012
3 March 1942, the Japanese attack on Broome. 70 years later the WA government, Federal Australian, Dutch and American governments honour the fallen and survivors. This is a YouTube video. After playing the video, press the return button to go back to the DACC Hub.
SBS Video – Peter FitzSimons on SBS Radio about the Batavia’s significance 5-4-2011
If a Dutch fort and gallows were the first permanent European structures on Australian soil – why aren’t the Dutch granted a more prominent place in Australia’s history books? Peter FitzSimons’ book ‘Batavia’ is the result of years of research here and in The Netherlands. ‘Batavia’ is now being translated
Following the Dutch Seafarers
Most of Dutch history in Australia is linked to its explorers charting the country to the north, west and south. Shipwrecks from the Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie (VOC- Dutch East Indie Company) along the West Australian Coast adds another level to the story. The drama of the Batavia is an