photo Ammerlaan

Dutch-Australians in the past, now and in the future

Dutch emigrants in Australia are described on this homepage: in the 17th century, the first WW and after WW2. Information on the Dutch in the Netherlands is listed here. As information needs to be updated regularly, and this project is no longer a priority, please use the names and sites as keywords for your updated search


INDEX
  • Australie Pagina on general info on Australia, visas, books, jobs, travel stories, tour operators, car rentals, national parks, hostels, flights, music etc.
  • Geographical aspects of Dutch emigrants
  • Dutch Australian Emigrant HomePages in Australia
  • Dutch societies and clubs
  • Dutch retirement organisations in Australia
  • Nijmegen

  • Dutch Language
  • Dutch Territories
  • Finding Dutch relatives via an agency in Leiden
  • 400 year anniversary of the discovery of Australia by the Dutch in 1606.
  • The legend of the early Dutch in Central Australia: Exerpts from research chapters by the Bush Tukker Man, ABC on the Dutch community in the 1550s near Hermansburg, NT.
  • emigrants bilingual site on the trials and adventures of two recent Dutchies who moved downunder.
  • Loss of Dutch: conferences and researchers in the 90s on language contact, language shift and minority languages
    An online research library on the Dutch (and other immigrant groups) in Australia is available on the Victorian Government homepages
    A bok about Australia for anyone considering migrating is
    Living in Australia
    Geographical aspects of Dutch emigrants in Australia

    96.000 Dutch born emigrants in Australia Approximately 250,000 Australians with some Dutch blood in them. Currently most Dutch in Sydney (30,000) and Melbourne (33,000) metropolitan areas, although there is a tendency to head north towards Brisbane upon retirement. The Dutch are unique: about one third of the original group has returned to the Netherlands or gone elsewhere (US, Canada..), making this the highest return rate of Australian emigrants. In Tasmania, the return rate is much lower (5%). In addition, the Dutch look Anglo-Australian, and tend to be monolingual in one generation, yet deep down still feel Dutch. The Dutch live as dispersed thoughout Australia as the Anglo-saxon Australians, with very few concentrations. Even within these concentrations (e.g. Dandenong) not many Dutch know one another.

    AGE AND AGING
    Most Dutch arrived in the 1950-60s at an age of 20. This means that soon the majority of Dutch emigrants will have retired by now, or worse.... Migration years tend to count as ' tropical years' as most bodies go through a lot in the years of adjustment and construction: most Duch Australians are own home owners, and many the building themselves....in addition to starting up their own businesses.

    LANGUAGE
    The Dutch tend to speak English at home, even in families where both parents are Dutch. The Dutch tend to raise their kids as monolingual English speakers. This is unique in the world, but not unique to Dutch migrants; the same happened in RSA, Canada, the US and other 50's countries. Some notable exceptions exist though, like Hollambra in Brasil and Little Groningen in Tasmania. In these sites, Dutch migrants moved in complete communities, and managed to become self-reliant very quickly.

    EDUCATION
    Most Dutch emigrants have secondary education and an additional skill. They tend to be self-employed, and not university trained but profesionally trained.

    POLITICS
    Emigrants tend not to get involved, certainly not to the same extent as for instance the Greek and Italian emigrants. An additional problem is the extensive 'verzuiling' which causes internal devisions which to an outsider is confusing. Applications from Limburger groups are rejected because these tend not to "benefit the Dutch emigrant community at large". Recent changes in the population as a result of aging is rapidly reducing this barrier; elderly Dutch no longer find it a major hurdle that they share Dutch-language elderely homes with Dutch migrants from othr regions.
    REFERENCES:

    For a recent collection of articles, books and other publication, see Ammerlaan's 1996 Dissertation on the Dutch in Australia.

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    Dutch-Australian emigrant homepages (requires updating)



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    Dutch societies and clubs (needs updating)
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    Dutch retirement organisations in 90s Stichting Buitenlands Pensioen Belang
    Laan van Meerdervoort 489 The Hague Holland / 1316 Jason Dr. Lompoc California, 93436, USA
    Email: sbpb@xs4all.nl
    Dutch Net in Australia (weather, societies, news, Dutch products, whats on)

    VICTORIA
    Petra Neelemens has been one of the driving forces towards Dutch care. She is chief executive of the Dutch Australian Community Action (DACA), an amalgamation of 3 Dutch-specific retirement vollages (Beatrix, Providence, Avondrust). Dutch Care has 73 hostel places plus 89 Independent Units. Petra's address is P.O. Box 109 Montrose VIC 3765.

    TASMANIA

    NEW SOUTH WALES
    Sydney still has several Dutch specific residential retirement places. the Federation of Netherlands Societies provides homecare and receives funding for 50 Aged Care Packages. Manager is Colin Zentveld, 114-116 Henrey St. Penrith 2750 NSW.

    SOUTH AUSTRALIA

    QUEENSLAND
    Brisbane has a Dutch specific retirement village, consisting of independent living units and a hostel (Prins Willem Alexander Village, 62 Collingwood Rd., Birkdale 4159).
    Noosa has the Prins Bernhard Village (PO Box 1407 Noosa 4567 tel/fax 074 474 241) of which John de Roo is secretary.
    The Ethnic Community Council in Queensland provides homecare for elderly Dutch Australians if language problems are experienced (manager: Karen Hungerford, ECCQ Community Options Program, P>O Box 5199, West End 4101).
    Brisbane also has a Friendly Visiting Scheme in which peopl;e of the same background visit one another. There is a Dutch Helpline (07 3393 0079) to assist in emergencies.

    WESTERN AUSTRALIA

    NORTHERN TERRITORIES

    CONFERENCES
    In October 1996 the Dutch organisationsl hosted a conference on Dutch Care in Australia, covering all aspects. Aim is to exchange ideas, experiences and to promote cooperation.
    Details from Annelies Zeissink, P.O. Box 235, Ashgrove 4060.

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    Nijmegen Back to top
    Dutch Language Courses
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    Dutch territories
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    Dutch communities outside the Netherlands in 90s
    AUSTRALIA
    NEW ZEALAND

    CANADA
    Louie's collection in Canada

    SOUTH AFRICA

    UNITED STATES