From Dutch schoolgirl to servant of the people

Subtitle:

Adriana Taylor, from Dutch Schoolgirl to Servant of the People.

It is normal for the eldest son to inherit the farm. This has been true over the centuries, and in many places in the world. Jos (Adrianus Johannes Ansems), known to all as Lange Jos, refused the privilege. He had no heart for farming after a childhood of helping out, especially when the weather was cold, and chose to be a bricklayer in the nearest big town, Tilburg.

Sylvia Bink

Subtitle:

Sijke Bink-Faber, from Dutch village in Friesland to Australian farm

My name is Sylvia Bink , my Dutch name is Sijke Bink-Faber, I was born 25th May 1915 in Schingen a small village, about an hour’s ride on the push bike from Leeuwarden, the capital city of the province of Friesland. I have ridden that track many times in different conditions with rain and slippery roads with ice and snow. I grew up in Schingen, and went to school there for five years, I didn’t start until I was seven as the law was that children had to be six years of age 1st April and my birthday wasn’t until the 25th May so I had to wait for a whole year, it was very silly. When I was twelve years old I had to help my father on the land, so I only went to primary school for five years.

John (Jan) Rikkers

Subtitle:

John (Jan) Rikkers

John (Jan) Rikkers was born on 5 February 1925 in den Haag, the youngest child of Jan Rikkers and Marie van der Wansem (official papers in later years state his date of birth as 1921, but according to John he had deliberately put his age up so he could join the army). By the standards of his Catholic relatives at the time, it was only a small household, of father, mother and three children (one older brother and sister).

Migrant Memories

Subtitle:

Elly Anderson (Nee Van Der Sommen)

In my small collection of Dutch books at our home in South Australia there is a 1950 hard cover publication titled “Australië – Land van Vele Mogelijkheden” by J.J. van der Laan. It was one of many books that my parents brought to Australia when they emigrated from The Netherlands after World War II.

John Mutsaers

Subtitle:

John Mutsaers

I was born in Eindhoven in Noord Brabant in 1942. I am the only son among five daughters, three older and two younger than I. Being a family with only six children was small in our neighborhood, twelve and fourteen were more common. My father was a bus driver for the Statsbusdienst and my mum, like most mothers at the time, a housewife. Dad was regarded as “Mr fix it” by the neighbours; there seemed to be no end to his talent. He made everything from rabbit hutches to furniture, he even made a bike trailer/pram to take us around.

Elly Schuth

Subtitle:

Elly Schuth

In May 1950, a group of 10 men, and their wives, met in the residence of Eerke van der Laan in the city of Groningen. They had met several times before, and during the war years had learned to know and trust each other. Now they were discontented, but hopeful.

Voyage of the MS Abbekerk

Subtitle:

The Dutch Contribution to the Defence of Australia in World War II

It is not always realised that the Dutch made a considerable contribution to the defense of Australia. They fought alongside Australians against the Japanese during the dark days of 1942-43 and continued to fight until the Pacific War was over.

Stories : Art and Culture

Subtitle:

Sinterklaas

From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper.

At the time of writing, the fifth of December, I pause to remember and momentarily celebrate what was once an important annual event during my childhood. 

Childhood: The Time Of Our Life

Stories : Art and Culture

Subtitle:

The Yellow Tulip

From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper.

Stories : Art and Culture

Subtitle:

War Story

From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper.

Stories : Art and Culture

Subtitle:

Childhood memories

From ‘The Artist’s View,’ a column written by Petrus Spronk for his local newspaper.

Mo: A snapshot

Submitted by shane on Mon, 02/13/2012 – 12:41

Living in the bush

Submitted by shane on Mon, 02/13/2012 – 12:38

Settling “Down Under” in the 50’s

Submitted by shane on Mon, 02/13/2012 – 12:20

Opoe Arrives in Australia

Submitted by shane on Mon, 02/13/2012 – 11:54

Travel into a Distant Future

Submitted by alison on Mon, 02/13/2012 – 11:03

Stories : Family and Personal Stories

Subtitle:

Life at an Indonesian Sugar Plantation

The Mannot family in Kemanglen (near Tegal) in Central Java (1938).

Stories : Family and Personal Stories

Subtitle:

Vandersteen Family History

Hannie’s story: On Wednesday afternoon of 2 October 1951, the “Groote Beer” sailed into Fremantle harbour with approximately 35 passengers on board. It had been a long and tiring journey. We had left Amsterdam on 17 August 1951 and, due to the unrest in the Suez Canal region, our route had taken us through the Panama Canal instead.

Anton Roodhuyzen

Subtitle:

Anton Roodhuyzen, Memories of life as a child in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp in the former Netherlands East Indies

My full name is Antonie Roodhuyzen, a male of European Dutch descent, born 1st December 1936 in the city of Malang, on the island of Java, in Indonesia, then the Netherlands East Indies.
I am a university graduate in art-photography at the Royal Dutch College of Rotterdam. I arrived in Australia in 1988 after 14 years living in New Zealand and have been an Australian citizen since 1996.
My early life in Java was like being in paradise. Of course I didn’t know that when I was just six years of age, like other people this was something I realised far later.

Stories : Family and Personal Stories

Subtitle:

Adriaan and Johanna Rutte

In June 1991, when Adriaan and Johanna Rutte had been married 50 years, a family of no less than seventy members, spanning four generations, celebrated with them. The number was hardly surprising to those who had seen the 10 Rutte children growing up in the Stirling area of the Adelaide Hills over the years. In addition to the sons and daughters and their spouses, there were 28 grandchildren, aged from 10 months to 29 years, and eight great grandchildren.

Stories : Military

Subtitle:

Captain Adrianus Cornelis Marinus (Hoffie) Hofman

Adrianus Cornelis Marinus Hofman was born in Velsen, a small town in the Province of North Holland, on the 26th of September 1898. His childhood sweetheart, Frouwe Christina Boomgaard was born in Breskens in the Province of Zeeland, on 2 April 1898.

Stories : Religion

Subtitle:

Three Dutch Priests in South Australia