On Friday 15 August 2025, the Chair of the Camp Columbia Heritage Association (CCHA) attended the official 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific (VP Day) commemoration in Brisbane at the invitation of Cr Sarah Hutton, who represented Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner at the event. The event was hosted by the Board of the General […]
VP Day 2025 commemoration in Brisbane Read More »
Hendrik Johan de Haas was born in Batavia (now Jakarta) on 28 November 1904, the son of Jozef Hendrik de Haas and Johanna Frederika Susanna Jostein. He married Hendrina Maria van der Meer Mohr in Batoeroesa on 2 January 1911. The couple had two children: Robert Johan (born 28 December 1932, died 15 November 1937)
Hendrik Johan de Haas – Dutch officer at NEFIS Camp Columbia Read More »
The Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service (NEFIS) was the wartime intelligence arm of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) government-in-exile. It emerged after the collapse of the NEI in early 1942, when Dutch civil and military authorities relocated to Australia. NEFIS became the centre of Dutch intelligence, propaganda, and special operations in the South West Pacific Area
In October 2024, Dutch journalist and copywriter Jorien Wallast published a groundbreaking work titled Saluut Batavia: Het verhaal van de vrouwelijke KNIL-soldaten (Salute Batavia: The story of the female KNIL soldiers), offering a rare window into a little-known facet of Dutch post-war military history. This non-fiction book explores the experience of young women who joined
Saluut Batavia – Uncovering the untold story of female KNIL soldiers in Indonesia Read More »
We are pleased to share a feature article , now available on the website of our researcher Ingeborg van Teeseling: Australia Explained. This comprehensive piece brings together historical insights and personal recollections to highlight the unique international role of Camp Columbia during and after World War II. From American and Dutch military operations to the
Camp Columbia – a wartime crossroads on Brisbane’s doorstep Read More »
This compelling first-person account, written by her daughter Claire Smith-Burns, traces the remarkable wartime journey of Anna Wiebrigje Beetstra, a Dutch-Canadian woman who served in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) during the final years of World War II. Born in Friesland in 1923 and raised in British Columbia, Anne was inspired to join
KNIL soldier Anne Beetstra: A Dutch-Canadian woman at Camp Columbia, 1944–46 Read More »
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford on 29 June 2025, at his home in Brisbane. Jack had recently returned from hospital following heart treatment and, when we last spoke two days before his untimely death, he told me that the new medication had given him a
Vale Dr Jonathan (Jack) Ford Read More »
While Brisbane’s role in World War II is often remembered in connection with the large American presence and the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur, few people today are aware of the significant Dutch wartime presence in the city—or the extraordinary fact that a foreign government operated from Australian soil during the final years of the
The untold Dutch chapter of Brisbane’s wartime history Read More »
Even in Brisbane, the global importance of the city’s role during World War II is largely unknown. While many locals are aware of the large American presence, few know that the Dutch also operated from here during the Pacific War. Even fewer in the Netherlands would be aware of the role their country played in
Forgotten allies: how Brisbane’s WWII history has faded from Dutch memory Read More »
Among the many functions of the Netherlands East government-in-exile based at Camp Columbia in Brisbane during World War II, one of the most strategically significant—and least remembered—was the work of NIGIS, the Netherlands Indies Government Information Service. Operating in close cooperation with Allied information and propaganda units, NIGIS served as the Dutch government’s voice to
NIGIS: the Dutch wartime voice from Brisbane Read More »
The Netherlands Ex-Servicemen and Women’s Association Queensland Branch Inc. (NESWA-Qld) was established in 1973 and incorporated in 1991. This organisation served as a community hub for Dutch ex-servicemen and women residing in Queensland, offering camaraderie, support, and a platform to honour their shared heritage and service. During WWII Camp Columbia became the seat of the
Netherlands Ex-Servicemen and Women’s Association Queensland Branch Read More »
During World War II, as the Japanese occupation swept through the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia), the Netherlands government-in-exile faced a daunting challenge: how to maintain control and provide administrative continuity in the occupied territory. Out of this necessity, the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) was born. Established in 1944 and operating initially from Australia,
The Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) WWII – Established at Camp Columbia Read More »
Sailors Boesidien and Samanuddin were members of the Netherlands Merchant Navy during World War II and are interred at Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane. Their service highlights the significant role of Dutch merchant vessels in the Allied efforts in the Pacific. Boesidiwn (1909–1942): Born in Bengkalan, Java, Boesidien served aboard the MV Maetsuycker, a vessel of
Dutch Sailors interred at Toowong Cemetery Read More »
Brisbane’s significance as a naval port was exemplified by its shipbuilding capacity and the deployment of vessels that shaped the war’s outcome. Evans Deakin & Co Ltd, located in the city, was a prominent shipyard that built numerous vessels for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), including the Bathurst-class corvettes. These versatile ships, designed for minesweeping,
Brisbane’s role in Allied naval efforts. Read More »
The Japanese invasion of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) in early 1942 led to the rapid collapse of Dutch military resistance. However, a strategic legal manoeuvre by the Dutch colonial government ensured that its sovereignty was never officially ceded to Japan. This distinction would have profound implications for the Netherlands’ post-war claims in Indonesia and
Military Air Transport in Australia started soon before the fall of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). In the few months before this happened evacuations started to happen, mainly of Dutch civilian personnel including families of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Airline (KNILM). These civil aircrafts became the earliest core of military air transport in Australia.
Nederlands Military Air Transport Services at Archerfield – WWII Read More »
With several military hospitals in and around Camp Columbia looking after people wounded in the Pacific War Theatre, obviously a large number died. These soldiers were buried at the USAF Military Cemetery in Ipswich. In all 1206 of them were buried here. In 1947 the bodies were exhumed and brought to the USA. Most burials
USAF Military Cemetery – Ipswich -Wreath laying for Dutch Javanese Soldiers Read More »
Soon after the liberation of the southern Netherlands, on 14 September 1944, the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina decreed from London the official formation of a NEI government-in-Exile. This replaced the Netherlands East Indies Commission for Australia and New Zealand (NEICANZ) as it was established in 1942 in essence not much changed structurally and the renamed entity remained led
Netherlands East Indies Government-in-Exile in Australia (1944-1946) Read More »
(In 1942) When the Japanese overran the Netherlands East Indies, 14 officials from the NEI administration were ordered to escape to Australia. After April 1944, when the US 6th Army transferred its headquarters to Hollandia (in New Guinea), Camp Columbia was o erred to the Dutch. On 14 September 1944, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
The Dutch at Camp Columbia Wacol Read More »
Dated : Kamp Columbia 3-8-45 This digitised copy of the original booklet provides a satirical overview of the people at Camp Columbia. The author most likely uses a fictional name: Prof. Dr. K.F. Pescator. Through descriptions of flora, he portrays the various military and civilian ranks and positions of the personnel. Perhaps it was presented
Satirical publication Camp Columbia (Dutch) Read More »
