The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC)
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) was founded in 1983 to provide a central organisation ‘to preserve the rich Dutch history in Australia. It has developed as a research and resource centre for study on the contributions the Dutch have made to Australia. To cater for this need a reference library was built up and an archive developed.
Over 380,000 Australians self-identified as having Dutch ancestry. The Centre has also hosted a variety of activities including lectures and a number of symposia and exhibitions about Dutch maritime, migration, military and merchant history in Australia.
In 2020 the DACC embarked on a digitalisation programme and by 2024 had close to 1,000 articles on its website, with some 7000 digitised photographs and documents.
While first generation Dutch Australians have largely chosen to assimilate into Australian society generally, their grandchildren are rediscovering their Dutch connections and the website has become the major one stop hub for Dutch-Australian information.
Many Dutch clubs have donated their records to the DACC, while older Dutch immigrants are recognising the importance of continuity and preserving their history by donating some of their family material. As some other clubs, charities and organisations disappear with the aging of the Dutch community, DACC’s role as a cultural heritage hub is thrown into relief, raising questions as to its future viability without an injection of considerable resources to support it.
Over 380,000 Australians self-identified as having Dutch ancestry. The Centre has also hosted a variety of activities including lectures and a number of symposia and exhibitions about Dutch maritime, migration, military and merchant history in Australia.
In 2020 the DACC embarked on a digitalisation programme and by 2024 had close to 1,000 articles on its website, with some 7000 digitised photographs and documents.
While first generation Dutch Australians have largely chosen to assimilate into Australian society generally, their grandchildren are rediscovering their Dutch connections and the website has become the major one stop hub for Dutch-Australian information.
Many Dutch clubs have donated their records to the DACC, while older Dutch immigrants are recognising the importance of continuity and preserving their history by donating some of their family material. As some other clubs, charities and organisations disappear with the aging of the Dutch community, DACC’s role as a cultural heritage hub is thrown into relief, raising questions as to its future viability without an injection of considerable resources to support it.
The Video below is a presentation by Dr Nonja Peters about the Dutch-Australian Connection with a view to preserving the rich history of the 400+ years of Dutch history in Australia.
Adjunct Prof. Nonja Peters is an anthropologist, historian, museum curator and public speaker. A Dutch Australian, she has a special interest in Dutch maritime, military, migration and mercantile connections with Australia and the South East Asian and Pacific Regions since 1600. Her interests also include the transnational movement of people (forced and voluntary), ethnicity, class, gender, discrimination, sense of place, identity and belonging, as well as immigrant entrepreneurship and the digital preservation of immigrants’ cultural heritage. Affiliated with Edith Cowan University and Curtin University, Nonja works internationally with academics, heritage organisations and local communities. Her principal research aim is to bridge the gap between academia and the public, which she achieves by transforming her fine-grained research results into ‘high impact’ text and audio-visuals to educate in museum exhibitions, documentary films, ethnic events and YouTube interview series. Nonja is author of 10 books, 25 museum exhibitions, 25 book chapters, 30 journal articles, plus catalogues and entries in scholarly reference books and encyclopedia, and is currently writing a book on immigrant entrepreneurs in Western Australia (Italians, Greeks, Dutch and Vietnamese), to be published in 2024.
South Australian Migration Museum
Discover the history of South Australia through the stories of people and communities (Free Entry). The Migration Museum works towards the preservation, understanding and enjoyment of South Australia’s diverse cultures. It is a place to discover the many identities of the people of South Australia through the stories of individuals and communities.
