This search form (with id 3) does not exist!

Dutch Community Radio Western Australia

The history of Dutch Community Radio in Western Australia is rich with dedication and passion from its volunteers. It began nearly 50 years ago with reel-to-reel tapes and has evolved significantly since then. Initially established

Read More »

Dutch lessons in Perth, Australia

Unlike in the Netherlands, the school year in Australia runs from January to December. LanguageOne offers Dutch language and culture education for Dutch-speaking children, Dutch for beginners and special Dutch Kindy groups for toddlers in

Read More »

Invitation to Dutch organisations in Australia

A revitalised Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) – now under new management – operates digitally Australia-wide and even internationally. The DACC was established in 1983 to oversee the preservation of Dutch heritage in Australia, including

Read More »

First Dutch contacts in Australia

South coast of Australia to 1772 and beyond Although part of the south coast, from Cape Leeuwin to around Fowlers Bay, was first mapped in 1627, there are no documented accounts of any visits until

Read More »

The first appointed agent for Australia was the Primrose Trading Co in Sydney, a company of the colourful Belgian migrant, wool merchant and composer Camille Clovis Gheysens. Despite Primrose’s marketing efforts in Australia, Heineken’s export

Read More »

Dirk Drok and the discovery of the Batavia

Dirk Drok (Dalfsen, Netherlands 1915–1988), Perth) and his wife Kitty Isabella Theodora Uitenhage de Mist-Barkey (Java 1921–2001 Perth) lived in Java, Netherlands East Indies NEI (now Indonesia). After the Japanese had occupied the NEI, Dirk

Read More »

Milk and Honey – but no Gold

By Dr. Nonja Peters Milk and Honey – but no Gold is the story of those who left behind their country of birth, and everyone and everything they knew, to become part of Australia’s mass migration

Read More »

Dutch immigrant ship S.S. De Waterman

The SS Waterman, initially constructed as the enlarged Victory troopship SS La Grande Victory (VC2-S-AP3), holds a notable place in maritime history. Post-World War II, the State of the Netherlands procured three ships from the

Read More »

Netherlands Forces in Australia WWII

Declassified documents from the National Archives of Australia, researched by Ruby Todorovski, University of Queensland Links to other declassified WWII Australian Documents re the Netherlands East Indies Military Command After the surrender of the Dutch

Read More »

Peter Grullemans – Indonesia Diary

Peter is a multi-faceted individual with a diverse educational and professional background. Born in Singapore to Dutch parents, he has pursued a wide range of interests and affiliations throughout his life. He holds a Bachelor

Read More »

WWII Camp Victory Casino

After the Japanese invasion of Indonesia in 1942, the Dutch fled to Australia taking with them Indonesian soldiers, sailors, government officials and more. The Dutch Government made a deal with the Australian Government which gave

Read More »

Petronella Jacoba Wensing OAM

Petronella Wensing (1924-2023) was a Dutch migrant to Australia who passed away in 2023. Below is an obituary written by her son Ed (posted with permission). A short story about Petronella was published in The

Read More »

Dutch – Australian Trivia

A basic Australian history questionnaire Noel Jackling The term ‘Australia’ is used in a broad sense to include its earlier names. 1.    Who was the first known European skipper to reach Australia? What was the

Read More »

Maetsuyker island Tasmania

Maatsuyker Island is named after Joan Maetsuycker, the The Dutch Governor of Zeylan (present-day Sri Lanka) during the Dutch period in Ceylon and later the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies from 1653 to 1678.

Read More »

Dutch Australians at a Glance (DAAAG)

Introduction DAAAG was created to be an accessible, easy to navigate, multimedia internet service dedicated to the sustainable digital preservation of Dutch Australians’ cultural heritage – for use by scholars, researchers, bureaucrats, journalists, Dutch individuals

Read More »

Australian Descendants of the VOC

In 2017 the Museum of Geraldton held an exhibition titled “Descendants of the VOC: Portraits and Histories”. Curated by Curtin University historian Dr Nonja Peters, the exhibition delved into the impact of the Netherlands East

Read More »

Book: The UnDutchables

“The UnDutchables: An Observation of the Netherlands, Its Culture, and Its Inhabitants” is a humorous and irreverent exploration of Dutch life and society co-authored by Colin White and Laurie Boucke. First published in 1989, the

Read More »

Interview: Wubbo Bijker – ship builder

Wubbo Edward Bijker, was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in April 1939.  His parents were Wiebe Bijker, born in Zwolle, and Nicolette Kempff who was born in Haarlem.  Grandfather Bijker was Frisian.  Father Wiebe Bijker was

Read More »

Sinterklaas Overseas Foundation

Family in Holland could have a Sinterklaas package sent to their relatives overseas. There was all kinds of stuff in there. Candy, calendar, teaspoon, gramophone record, booklets, tablecloth, you name it. In the DACC archives

Read More »

Sinterklaas Treats

Pepernoten: The Traditional Sinterklaas DelicacyIs Christmas Eve truly complete without gingerbread cookies? Sinterklaas festivities naturally include these delightful treats, making them an essential part of the celebration. Gingerbread cookies, available at Dutch shops or enjoyable

Read More »

Sinterklaas in Australia

The story of Sinterklaas (Sint Nicolaas) is of course well known, there is plenty of information on the internet about this typical Dutch tradition. Although it has changed over the years due to changes in

Read More »

Author Maria Douwes – Back to Australia

Maria Douwes started her career at Time-Life International, the Book Department. After that she worked at the PR-Departments at De Volkskrant (national newspaper) and the Cinetone Filmstudios. Thereafter she started her own Communication-Organisation Company and

Read More »

Cape Leeuwin Gable Stone in Amsterdam

Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie – VOC – (Dutch East India Company) related gable stone with a lying lioness in the ‘gable stone wall’ at the Oudezijds Kolk in Amsterdam. The stone comes from Kleine Kattenburgerstraat 14/16

Read More »

WWII Propaganda Flights from Australia to Java

Propaganda and intelligence gathering. As the Allied Forces were able to push back the Japanese, by 1943, preparations started in Australia to liberate the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). The Netherlands East Indies Government-in-Exile was established

Read More »

Er is er een jarig hoera hoera!

A Dutch tribute on the 50th anniversary of the opening of that hallowed hall on the harbour. Willen van Otterloo conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) for the inaugural concert in front of the Queen.

Read More »
Dutch Australian Cultural Center Logo

We need your help

Enhancing Dutch Australian Cultural Heritage Together Over the past few years, you have undoubtedly noticed the gradual expansion of Dutch-Australian cultural information within our database. We hold a strong belief in the significance of documenting

Read More »

Dutch cargo confiscated in Sydney – 1942

In January 1942, based on this document from the Australian National Archives, Dutch cargo from the Norwegian M/S Høegh Silverstar, destined for the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), was confiscated on orders from the American Government

Read More »

Dr. Sir Hendrik Johan Rutgers (1917-1997)

Gedurende de Tweede Wereldoorlog was Henk verzetsstrijder tijdens de Duitse bezetting van Nederland. Na de oorlog werd hij uitgezonden naar Batavia in het voormalige Nederlands Indie als Officier van Justitie bij de berechting van Japanse

Read More »

Dutch Catholic Hostel in Brisbane

In 1889, German priest and scientist, Arnold Janssen, together with German women Helena Stollenwerk and Hendrina Stenmanns, founded the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (in Dutch: “Dienaressen van de Heilige Geest” in German: “Dienerinnen des Heiligen

Read More »

Many awards bestowed on Dr Wouters

Dr. Cornelius Wouters is most likely the internationally most awarded Dutch-Australian. He was awarded the Knighthood in the Order of Oranje-Nassau. He also received the Silver Anjer from the Prins Bernhard Fonds in 1976 for

Read More »

Dutch emigration literature in Australia

In previous months we have highlighted Dutch literature in Australia and we continue this month with another collection of interesting and often forgotten books. However, some will recall nostalgic memories from those who arrives as

Read More »

Dutch Naval Visit to Australia in 1930

A Dutch naval squadron visited Australia in 1930, led by Rear Admiral C.C. Kaijser on the light cruiser HNLMS Java with the destroyers De Ruyter and Evertsen. The following ports were visited successively: Fremantle, Adelaide,

Read More »

The DACC Library Collection  

The DACC Library has a collection of books, magazines, CD’s,  DVD’s and VHS tapes. Most are not yet in the online data base. The table below lists the categories and the number of books and

Read More »

Emigration on the MS Sibajak

The MS Sibajak was a passenger ship named after Mount Sibayak, a volcano located in Sumatra, Indonesia. It was built at the Koninklijke Maatschappij “De Schelde” shipyard in Vlissingen, Netherlands. The ship was initially constructed

Read More »

Dutch Football Club Austral Sydney

Dutch Football Club Austral was a soccer club that was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 1949 by a group of Dutch immigrants. The club was named after the southern continent of Australia, which was sometimes

Read More »

The Indisch Dutch in post-war Australia

Recalling the Indies: Colonial Culture and Postcolonial Identities. This is an article written by Dr Joost Coté, Monash University (Australia) and published in June 2010 in the “Tijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis” Abstract. This

Read More »

Book: Australia and New Zealand – 1965

“Australië en Nieuw-Zeeland” is the Dutch translation of the book “Australia and New Zealand” written by Colin MacInnes in collaboration with the editors of LIFE magazine. The translation was done by Anna R. Wierdsma. The

Read More »

Information from the Dutch Emigration Service – 1953

Nederlandse Emigratiedienst, Australië. Dagelijks leven van emigranten tegen de achtergrond der Australische economie. Recente emigrantenbrieven, aangevuld met enkele belangrijke artikelen, welke de laatste tijd over Australië het licht zagen, themanummer van: Leven en Werken in

Read More »

Podcast: ” Australië tot nu toe” SBS Dutch

Historicus Ingeborg van Teeseling bespreekt maandelijks een onderwerp uit de Australische geschiedenis. Van de na-oorlogse migratie stroom en de controverse omtrent Australia Day tot de herkomst van ‘single sex’ scholen. Historian Ingeborg van Teeseling discusses

Read More »

Dutch in Victoria – Henk Overberg

Dr. Henk Overberg was a Senior Lecturer, School of Australian and International Studies at Deakin University, Melbourne and an academic researcher at Victoria College, Melbourne. He specialised in ethnic research and researched the history and culture of

Read More »

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

Read More »

Book: Toen wij uit Nederland vertrokken – 1983

Nelly de Rijk-Zaat, ‘Toen wij uit Nederland vertrokken’. Ervaringen van Nederlandse emigranten in Australië. ’s-Gravenhage: Katholieke Vereniging van Ouders en Familieleden van Geëmigreerden, [1983] This is a book that contains the experiences of Dutch emigrants

Read More »

Book: “Australië – 1968

Rohan Rivett, Australië, [vert. van: Australia. London: Oxford University Press, 1968, door J.N.H. Gevers Leuven-Dijkstra]. Nijkerk: Callenbach, 1969 is a book that provides an overview of Australia’s history, geography, culture and society. It covers topics

Read More »

Jan Wakker jockey

Jan Wakker was a Dutch-Australian jockey who had a successful career in horse racing. He was born on January 10, 1943, in Groningen, and emigrated to Australia in 1950.  His family settled in Moe. Fred

Read More »

The Alssema Milk Factory in Perth

The Alssema family is a Dutch family who emigrated to Australia in the early 1900s. The family patriarch, Jan Alssema, was born in Nieuw-Lekkerland in 1865. He married Geertruida van der Meer (born in 1871

Read More »

Dutch Folk Dancing Group

Dr. Cornelis Wouters was the founder of the Dutch Folk Dance Group, a group of over 30 enthusiastic Dutch immigrants (later joined by Australians who married Dutch immigrants). They performed folkloric dances at charitable association

Read More »

Surf Champion Dorothy de Rooy

Dorothy De Rooy (Vidgen) is a former professional surfer and champion who was born in Breda, Netherlands in 1948. When she was three years old, her family immigrated to Australia, and they eventually settled in

Read More »

Journalist and publisher Jan Rempt

‘Aan de rand der wereld. Een Hollandse emigrant in Australië’ with a foreword written by B.W. Haveman, Regeringscommissaris voor de Emigratie (Government Commissioner for Emigration) was published in Dokkum by Schaafsma & Brouwer in 1953.

Read More »

Footballer John “Jack” Pannenburg

John “Jack” Pannenburg was born in1946 in Arnhem, the Netherlands. His family immigrated to Australia when he was young, and he grew up in Mount Gambier, South Australia. Pannenburg was a talented footballer, and he

Read More »

Adrian van Leest – potato king

Adrian van Leest was born in the Netherlands, where his father had a community garden plot. When the family moved to Australia in 1955, they lived in Creswick, Victoria, on a large block cultivated by

Read More »

Baukje den Exter -Bathurst Migrant Camp

We have copied this information from the “Belongings Website” as that website has been archived. This was part of a collaborative project between the Migration Heritage Centre and Tweed River Regional Museum. Boukje was interviewed

Read More »

Stichting Emigrantenbelangen – 1952

The Stichting Emigrantenbelangen (Foundation for Emigrants’ Interests) was founded in 1952 in The Hague, with the aim of providing free advice and assistance to emigrants, in addition to the work of official agencies and confessional emigration

Read More »

Book: Always more potato – 1951

Petronella E. Wilson is the author of a book titled Always more potato. From Deventer to Tallangatta. An Olthof family history, which was published by Wilson in Mooroopna, Victoria, Australia in 1996. The book is

Read More »

Book: Op weg naar de toekomst – 1954

Klaas van der Geest (Schiermonnikoog, 27 november 1903-10 oktober 1964). Op weg naar de toekomst. Nijkerk: Callenbach, [1954] (2e dr. 1979; ook verschenen als grote-letter-boek (Eindhoven: Grootdruk-uitgeverij, 1989). Klaas van der Geest, Towards the future.

Read More »

Textile artist Annemieke Mein

Annemieke Mein was born in Haarlem, in 1944. Her Dutch heritage has had a significant influence on her art. Growing up in the Netherlands had a profound impact on her appreciation for nature and the

Read More »

Netball champion Ingrid Huisken

Ingrid Huisken is a Dutch-Australian former netball player who had a successful career playing for both Australia and the Netherlands. She was born on January 16, 1961, in Leiden. Her family migrated to Australia when

Read More »

Vossie’s Supermarkets in Tasmania

Roelf Vos was a successful Australian businessman and philanthropist, born on a boat in Bergum (later Burgum), the Netherlands, on 4 October 1921. During World War II, he was involved in the Dutch Resistance and

Read More »

Manon van Kouswijk – jeweler

Manon van Kouswijk, a Dutch artist born in 1967, has been residing and creating in Melbourne since 2010. She received her education at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, where she later became the Head

Read More »

16 Dutch books from the emigration Period

Books about Dutch girls in Australia (1960s) Dutch Children’s book”: “Stel je voor dat ik ging emigreren” Children’s book – Stampende hoeven. Tom Hoekstra als veedrijver in Australië Children’s book: Tula, de kleine houtsnijder Children’s

Read More »

De Australiër (The Northerner) – 1954

De Australiër, is authorised translation of The Northerner, 1954, written by Joan Colebook and translated by Hans de Vries. Den Haag: Zuid-Hollandsche Uitgeversmaatschappij, 1963. The Northerner by Joan Colebrook is a historical novel set in

Read More »

Dutch schools and courses

Dutch Courses University of Queensland:  https://iml.uq.edu.au/learn-language/learn-dutch Listen and Learn Australia Melbourne (online) https://www.listenandlearnaustralia.com.au/learn-dutch Dutch Language Institute Sydney https://sydneylanguagesolutions.com.au/dutch-course/ Centre for Adult Education Melbourne: https://www.cae.edu.au/course_category/all-languages/dutch/ Language one Perh https://www.languageone.org/locations/languageone-perth/ Schools Dutch School De Kangoeroe Sydney https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/archive/dutch-culture/new-online-classes-at-dutch-school-de-kangoeroe-in-sydney-2/

Read More »

Henk Vogels Olympic Cyclist

Henk (Hendricus) Vogels (Haarlem, 1 November 1942 – 9 August 2019) was a Dutch professional cyclist who immigrated to Australia with his parents and siblings in 1955. His father, a plumber, settled the family in Riverton,

Read More »

Frank Broeze – maritime historian

Franklin Jan Aart Broeze, who went by Frank Broeze, was a prominent maritime historian and academic who was born on January 20, 1945, in Rijswijk, Netherlands. Broeze grew up in the Netherlands and attended Leiden

Read More »

Anthropologist Mark de Graaf

Mark de Graaf came to Australia in 1958. He studied a Claremont Teachers College and the University of Western Australia to become a geology teacher. He took part in the Perth Drama Festival and the

Read More »

Sunrise Choral Society – Blacktown

Sunrise Choral Society was a Dutch choral group that formed in Blacktown in 1959 under the name “Morgenrood”. Initially their repertoire was purely Dutch., however they became increasingly more anglicised. They held an International Festival

Read More »

Opera singer Pieter van der Stock

Pieter van der Stock was born on November 18, 1933, in Rotterdam. At a certain stage he moved to Britain, here he appeared in several BBC television shows and films, including “Z Cars,” “Doctor Who,”

Read More »

Ballet Dancer Willy de la Bye

Willy de la Bye was born on August 25, 1934, in The Hague, Netherlands. She began her dance training at a young age and went on to study with several renowned teachers and choreographers in

Read More »

Free Reformed Church of Australia

The Free Reformed Church of Australia (FRCA) is a Protestant denomination that has its roots in the Dutch Reformed tradition. The church was established in the 1950s in Australia, as a result of Dutch immigration

Read More »

The Dutch immigration press

The post-World War II immigration to Australia began in 1947-8 with only a few persons of Dutch birth. However, the numbers increased rapidly, and by the time of the 1954 Census, 42,000 persons born in

Read More »

Reformed Theologian Rev. John Vanderbom

Rev. John Vanderbom (1913-1992) was a Dutch-born Australian Reformed pastor. He was born in the Netherlands and migrated to Australia in 1951. His parish originally centred on Sydney but extended from Brisbane to the Victorian

Read More »

Cornelis Vleeskens – Performance Poet

Cornelis Vleeskens (1948-2012) was a Dutch-Australian poet, translator, and visual artist known for his experimental and wide-ranging works. Vleeskens arrived in Australia as a Dutch immigrant in 1958, and he spent much of his life

Read More »

Stained Glass Artist Rein Slagmolen

Marinus “Rein” Slagmolen (7 November 1916 – 29 January 1999) was a Dutch-Australian artist and sculptor with a background in chemical research. Slagmolen was born in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands, as the youngest son

Read More »

Adrian Mauriks – sculptor

Adrian Mauriks was a Dutch-born Australian artist who was born in 1942 and passed away in 2020. He emigrated to Australia with his family in 1957 when he was still young. His family was involved

Read More »

Renown Potter Henri Le Grand

Henricus Alexander Theodorus (Henri) Le Grand, was born on May 10, 1921, in Zevenaar, the Netherlands. His parents were Petrus Egidius Hubertus Le Grand, a laborer of French-Dutch descent, and Elisabetha Antoinetta van Haren. Henri

Read More »

The Dutch and USA’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

Read More »

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

Read More »

Queen Wilhelmina Benevolent Trust Funds

Established in 1903 to support sailors who had jumped ship Established as the Queen Wilhelmina Benevolent Trust Fund, it was established in 1903 to support Dutch sailors who found themselves in need of financial assistance

Read More »

Dr. Edward Duyker, historian, author.

Dr Edward Duyker was born in 1955  to a father from the Netherlands and a mother from Mauritius. His mother has ancestors from Cornwall who emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1849. Edward’s father Herman,

Read More »

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

Read More »

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

Read More »

The Batavia and its many stories

Latest developments Wreck of the Batavia brought back to life in forensic reconstruction by Flinders University The Batavia – 1629 The Batavia, built in Amsterdam in 1628 was the company’s new flagship, she sailed that

Read More »

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

Read More »

Australia on the Map 1606-2006

Australia on the Map” (AOTM) is the history and heritage division of the Australasian Hydrographic Society (AHS). This website consequently focusses on important themes in Australian hydrographic history and heritage. This includes maritime exploration and

Read More »

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

Read More »

Akky van Ogtrop – Art Curator

Akky van Ogtrop graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, s-Hertogenbosch, TheNetherlands, majoring in printmaking, and has a Masters Degree Fine Arts, Sydney University. As a director and project manager of major arts events,

Read More »

The history of the Dutch Australian Weekly

The Sydney-based Dutch Australian Weekly (DAW) w was founded in 1951 by Alfred Schuurman with the assistance of Cumberland Newspapers. The paper was established to serve the Dutch community in Australia, providing news, features, and

Read More »

Huygens Institute – The Netherlands

The Huygens Institute aims to make Dutch history and culture more inclusive. It also provides access to primary source material and text editions on which to base further analytical and interpretive research. In addition, the

Read More »

Jan Zevenboom from gold-digger to Vice Consul (1856)

Jan Zevenboom born in 1822. He arrived in Melbourne from Amsterdam in 1856 his profession was listed as brush-maker. He travelled straight on the gold fields, but apparently was not lucky enough to become rich. He settled in Melbourne taking up his trade as a brush-maker in Beckett Street.

Read More »

Can you assist the DACC with our Digital Hub?

We are looking for people to join this team so we can make the right selections for our Hub and can assist with the various elements of the digitisation process.  While the physical archives are in Sydney, we also are looking at cloud-based projects which can be done from home.

Read More »

Emigrant story – Joop Mul

I was born in Gouda, the Netherlands during World War II. I migrated to Australia at the age of 12, on the migrant ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt in 1956. My parents thought they would find

Read More »

Jacqueline van der Bie a Hoekse Waardse in Australia

In 2001 they visited her brother-in-law in New Zealand and both she and her husband felt there should be more to life than running the rat race they were in. So, the seed of migration had been planted.
Australia seemed the obvious choice. So, the visa process got started, but that took a long time. So, they decided to go on a tourist visa for 6 months and see what would happen. Well, that was a golden move, because while they were travelling around Australia their visa was approved!

Read More »

Dutch Camp Casino WWII – Archive Jan de Wit

This post contains a unique collection of archives kept by Jan (John) de Wit. Jan joined the Dutch Airforce and became a guard at the Dutch Camp in Casino NSW. There were uprisings in the camp and people were killed. This became an embarrassment for Australia. The Australian Unions played a key role here as well.

Read More »

Black Armada: Australian Boycott of Dutch shipping WWII

After the Japanese invasion of Netherlands East Indies, some 20,000 Dutch people fled to Australia, the majority were Indos. They were not well treated and the Australian Unions started to fight for their rights. As they became involved they understood these people wanted independence from the Netherlands. When, after the War, the Dutch wanted to recolonise NEI the Unions blocked all Dutch transport from Australia.

Read More »

Hans de Vries Flight Lieutenant No. 18 Squadron NEI / RAAF

When the war reached Java, he fled on the merchant ship the KPM SS Boissevain to Freemantle. He was despatched to the RAAF training camp near Lake Macquarie and from here he was send to the Jackson, Mississippi to be trained on the B25 bombers. He was assigned to the No. 18 Squadron NEI / RAAF operating from the Batchelor Airfield, Northern Territory. He flew bombing missions against Japanese military strongholds and shipping. He was highly decorated.

Read More »

Dutch internees from Japanese camps and POWs received medical recuperation in Australia

There were some of 42 000 Dutch military and naval personnel and 100 000 Dutch civilians who were captured when the Japanese conquered the Netherlands East Indies in early 1942. After the War around 6,000 internees and Dutch POWs who needed immediate medical assistance were brought to Australia where they were allowed to recuperate for between 3 to 6 months, after which they were either repatriated to the Netherlands or went back to Netherlands East Indies.

Read More »

Abraham Crijnssen – Dutch minesweeper in the service of the Australian Navy (WWII)

The ship was built during the 1930s, she was based in the Netherlands East Indies when Japan attacked at the end of 1941. After the Japanese invasion the ship left for Australia. For its escape the ship was painted in camouflage colours and the ship was disguised as a tropical island with the help of nets, branches, and other greenery. It arrived in Geraldton. Here the ship served as a patrol vessel until 16 August 1942. After that the ship was in service with the Australian Navy.

Read More »

Dutch immigrant ship Willem Ruys

Royal Rotterdamsche Lloyd (then Nedlloyd and now part of Maersk) started building the ship in 1938. The company  was in the process to replace the aging fleet of ships on the Dutch East Indies route,

Read More »

Dutch immigrant ships to Australia

More individual information is available on the DACC database (see links below). The major ships bringing Dutch migrants to Australia include: Remembering the Dutch Ships contribution for the defence of Australia. Dutch passenger liners such

Read More »
Categories: