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| From the Netherlands to Australia |
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| The Hague, 30 March 2006 |
A new database contains the names of over 50.000 Dutch emigrants
From the Netherlands to Australia: Emigrants 1946-1991
Dutch emigration to Australia
After the Second World War there was a sharp rise in the number of Dutch emigrants to Australia. For many Dutch people the poor economic prospects in the Netherlands at the time were an important motive to try to build a future elsewhere.
Emigration cards
From 1946 onwards the Dutch consulates in Australia kept detailed records of Dutch emigrants or ‘new Australians’ of Dutch origin. The emigration cards show how the consulates helped the migrants to establish themselves in their new home country. Thus each card also provides a picture of a personal history – sometimes just a sketch, sometimes in considerable detail.
In March 2006 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over the Australian Emigration Cards Archive to the Nationaal Archief.
Website
On the website ‘From the Netherlands to Australia’ some of the data on the emigration cards has been made available in a database. Visitor to the website can search for emigrants whose names are included in the database. In many cases the search will also provide the name of the ship or airline by which the emigrant travelled to Australia.
The purpose of the website is to support and stimulate emigrants and their families in the Netherlands and Australia in their search for their 'roots'. The background information and the names in the database serve as a point of departure and a source of inspiration for further research into the searchers’ own history.
The website ‘From the Netherlands to Australia’ is a joint initiative of the Nationaal Archief and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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