The celebrations of the first 400 years of relations between The Commonwealth of Australia and The Kingdom of The Netherlands mark a very special and important event for both countries.
The shared relationship between the two countries was first established in 1606, when the Dutch vessel Duyfken mapped part of the coast near present day Weipa, Cape York Peninsula, of the continent that would, in time, become known as Australia. This event led to further encounters between early maritime pioneers, and traces of early Dutch influence is still found in such Australian place names as Tasmania and Cape Leeuwin.
Over time, subsequent global events have forged closer links between the two countries: as part of the post-war migration from a war-ravaged Europe to the population-hungry Australia, almost 170 000 Dutch nationals arrived ‘down under’. It was this migration from Europe in the 1950s that allowed the Australian economy to move forward into more prosperous times. Today, there are some 270 000 Australian residents who were either born in the Netherlands, or who claim Dutch ancestry.
'The Dutch Down Under 1606–2006', provides illuminating commentary, from 23 contributing authors, on the history of these relationships, and on the socio-economic and cultural impact of the migration on both Dutch residents in Australia, and their families in the Netherlands. The chapters are the result of intensive scholarly research from many leading academics and historians, who provide a rich and diverse range of perspectives.
Contents:
Foreword by His Excellency Stephen Brady and His Excellency Hans Sondaal
Foreword by Nancy McKinstry
Preface by Nonja Peters
Contributing Authors
Part A: Early and Pre-Contact History
1. The Dutch Contribution to the European Discovery of Australia
2. Dutch Place Names in Australia
Vignette: Too Late to set the 'Wreckord' Straight?
3. The Evidence for Cohabitation Between Indigenous Australians, Marooned Dutch Mariners and VOC Passengers
4. The Dutch Down Under: Sailing Blunders
Vignette: The Butlers of Wickepin
5. In Search of Utopia
Part B: The Pacific War and the Post-Word War II Influx
6. The Pacific War, 1942-1946
7. Evacuations into Australia from the Netherlands East Indies, 1942-1948
8. Breaking Down the White Walls: The Dutch from Indonesia
9. Dutch and Australian Governments' Perspectives on Migration
Vignette: Bonegilla: Australia's Largest Migration Camp
10. Explanations of Post-War Dutch Emigration to Australia
11. The Legacy of Abel Tasman: Post-War Dutch Settlement in Tasmania
Part C: Resettlement
12. 'Lifting to Low Sky': Are Dutch Australian Assimilationists of Accommodationists?
13. Two Generations of Dutch Women in Australia: Citizenship, Identity and Belonging
14. A Dutch Home in Australia: Dutch Women's Migration Stories
15. Indische Identity in Australia
16. The Demography of the Dutch in Australia
Part D: Social Life
17. Dutch Communal Life in Victoria
18. The Religious Contribution of Dutch Migrants to Multicultural Australia
19. The Dutch Language in Australia: Some Comparisons with Other Community Languages
20. Ageing and the Future
21. Caring from a Distance: Dutch Migrants and their Parents Back Home
Part E: Dutch Impact in Australia
22. Making it in Australia: Self-Employment Among Dutch Australians
23. Dutch Artists in Australia
Index
