The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre

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Chester Hill, NSW
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre

The DACC aims to collect, preserve, promote and disseminate Dutch Australian culture, history and heritage. The archives can be visited by appointment.

The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) was established in 1983 and formed as a company limited by guarantee in 1984. The Centre was formed to establish a central organization with the following two main aims:
1. To preserve the rich history of Dutch contact with, and immigration to Australia;
2. To set up a resource facility for anyone wanting information regarding the Netherlands, its peo

ple and their traditions. Current Board Members are listed on our website: https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/about/

Initially the DACC was housed in an Annex of the Abel Tasman Village, a retirement centre in Chester Hill. In 2006 the DACC moved to ‘t Winkeltje, Holland House, Smithfield (Sydney). In 2020 the DACC and all its archives moved back to the Abel Tasman Village in Chester Hill. The DACC was involved in the formation of Dutch Link, an organisation set up by representatives of Dutch multinational companies to accommodate business and social interests of all people with a Dutch background, migrants and expatriates. We find that younger Dutch Australians, and Dutch expatriates, are often not very aware of the important work involved in preserving Dutch Australian heritage. The history of post-WWII immigrants is a large chunk of our work but there is much more to Dutch Australian heritage than that. The magnificent 'Mapping Australia' exhibition in the National Library of Australia made that clear. About half of the old maps displayed there were of Dutch 17th century origin, the products of VOC cartographers and seafarers who circumnavigated the Australian continent and mapped most of it. The history of the WWII itself is also reflected in the role of the Dutch as the “Fourth Ally” and in important tales of those who came as refugees in 1942 from the Dutch East Indies. And it is the story of several important individual contributions prior to WWII such as the Broken Hill Pty Ltd General Manager and pioneer Guillaume Delprat. Another example is the music shop operator Paling who started his business on the Victorian Gold Fields in the mid-1850s. The Dutch contribution to the history of this continent is both unique and significant. This is often not realised widely in the Netherlands. However, unless we display it ourselves it may well be lost.

18/06/2026

The outback town Emerald in Queensland has its very own Van Gogh! At 25m tall, it's the world's biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting 🌻🌻

📸 Photo by Paul Budde.

17/06/2026

It's World Cup time! 🧡 Find a watch party near you:

SATURDAY 20 JUNE: Australia 🇦🇺 vs USA 🇺🇸
⚽ 4am at Abel Tasman Dutch Club, 60 Rosstown Rd, Carnegie VIC.

SUNDAY 21 JUNE: Netherlands 🇳🇱 vs Sweden 🇸🇪
⚽ 2am at Abel Tasman Dutch Club, 60 Rosstown Rd, Carnegie VIC.
⚽ 2am at Dutch Pantry Klemzig, 72 O.G Road, Klemzig, SA
⚽ 3am at City Tattersalls Club (The Castlereagh), 199 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW
⚽ 3am at Neerlandia Dutch Club, 1 Grattan Crescent, French's Forest NSW

FRIDAY 26 JUNE: Netherlands 🇳🇱 vs Tunisia 🇹🇳
⚽ 8.30am at Dutch Pantry Klemzig, 72 O.G Road, Klemzig, SA
⚽ 9am at Neerlandia Dutch Club, 1 Grattan Crescent, French's Forest NSW
⚽ 8.30am at Dutch Club NAQ, 123 Pinelands Rd, Richlands QLD
⚽ 9am at City Tattersalls Club (The Castlereagh), 199 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW
⚽ 5am at Abel Tasman Dutch Club, 60 Rosstown Rd, Carnegie VIC.

Is your watch party not mentioned? Share event details in the comments ⬇

16/06/2026

In honour of the Men's World Cup currently underway, check out the long history of Dutch football/soccer clubs in Australia, researched by Adam Muyt ⚽️

🖥 https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/news/clogball-remembering-the-dutch-football-clubs-of-australia/

Dutch migrants established teams in every capital city and several regional areas across Australia in the 1950s and early 1960s. At least twenty sides formed in this period with a specifically Dutch identity, with suggestions that the actual number may have been more than twenty five.

15/06/2026

Have you been to the new exhibition about Dutch migrants in Victoria's Yarra Ranges? The exhibition is open at Monbulk until 30 June, then it travels to Lilydale (VIC).

Photos from the exhibition opening in May courtesy of Paul Rubens Holland Festival Australia.

11/06/2026

🚛 You’ve probably seen their vans driving around, but did you know that removalist company Two Men and a Truck was founded by a Dutchman? Richard Kuipers started the business after coming to Australia as a backpacker.

💻 https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/archive/dutch-australian-history/dutch-migration/video-1st-generation-story-richard-kuipers-part-1-9-12-2015/

10/06/2026

Who are you supporting in the World Cup, the CommBank Socceroos or the ? 🇦🇺 🇳🇱 ⚽

UPCOMING WATCH PARTIES:
- Monday 15 June, 5.30am, Netherlands v Japan, hosted by The Dutch Pantry Klemzig (SA). To book, message the Pantry on Facebook or call (08) 8261 1095.
- Monday 15 June, 6am, Netherlands v Japan, hosted by Dutch Club Abel Tasman (VIC). Book via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/dutch-club-melbourne-107140905931?utm_id=97758_v0_s02_e225_tv2_tp2_a1demo09b7dysj

📸 Image from Vecteezy.

09/06/2026

How did countries engage with each other without embassies? In the 19th century practical cooperation between South Australia and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) was driven by telecommunication, with a telegraph line connecting Banyuwangi (Java) to Port Darwin and Adelaide.

🖥 https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/archive/dutch-australian-history/military-political-history/before-embassies-how-batavia-helped-connect-australia-to-the-world/

08/06/2026

🌟 There's still time to watch Dutch-language films HEYSEL 85 and JULIAN at the Sydney Film Festival this week!

🎬 JULIAN is screening on Wednesday 10 June, 6.30pm at Ritz Cinemas Randwick
🎥 HEYSEL 85 is screening on Sunday 13 June, 7.15pm at Ritz Cinemas Randwick

Tickets and festival info: www.sff.org.au

07/06/2026

👑 48 years ago, Prince Claus of the Netherlands planted a tree in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens as part of the 1978 Dutch royal tour of Australia. The tree is still there today - find it in the Australian Drylands section near the Domain Road Gate 🌳

🖥 Read about the 1978 royal tour: https://dutchaustralianculturalcentre.com.au/news/royal-tour-australia-1978/

📸 Photos by DACC, 2026.

04/06/2026

🎥 The Sydney Film Festival is now on in Sydney! Catch JULIAN, one of the Festival's Dutch-language films, at Dendy Newtown tomorrow at 2pm.

Can't make it? JULIAN is also showing on Wednesday 10 June at Ritz Cinemas, Randwick.

Tickets and film info: www.sff.org.au/program/event/julian/

Address

Abel Tasman Village, 222 Waldron Road
Chester Hill, NSW
2162

Website

http://www.dacc.net.au/

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