Holland Focus May/June 2008

AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND bi-monthly magazine

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price (incl GST) AUS $4.95 - NZ $5.00

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vol.3 no. 3 - MAY/JUNE 2008

holland focus

John Koenders, Van Gogh’s genes

Guided by the Wind MADURODAM a small town with a big smile

Willem van Otterloo Award

frontpage photo: Consul-General Ms M. M. (Margarita) Bot and family at the opening of St Marys Dutch Festival 2008, NSW

krentenboom

CONTENTS ARTICLES______________________ 4 and 6 le�ers to the editor 7 100 years Feyenoord 12 Guided by the wind 22 Centrum Internationale Kinderontvoering 23 Peaceful reactions a�er Fitna 24 a small town with a big smile, Madurodam 32 Genes do not lie 37 Poem - “I beg your pardon” 38 Tales from the Lowlands Adelaide Writers week 40 Clog migration 41 KLM Dutch Orange Day 42 Commemorating bombing of Maassluis 44 Zuid-Limburg’s steam train worth millions 47 Hollanders were Australia’s first se�lers 49 Sydney Film Festival 50 Dutch Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop visits Australia 51 Ba�le of the Java Sea 52 The Willem van O�erloo Scholarship award 53 Foster Parents Indonesia’s Annual Cult. Day 54 Grootegast Municipal Delegation visits Tasmania 55 Brisbane ceremony regaining Dutch citizenship 57 Successful Australian Adventure

in winter

and spring photos by Trijnie Boon, Blaricum

COMMUNITY NEWS_____________

voor de culinaire liefhebber!

Radio station 3MDR on 97.1 FM hee� drie copieën weg te geven van: Bouillon – cultureel gastronomisch magazine – in boekvorm.

Het bevat een artikel over de Australische culinaire globetro�er Ann Creber, die ook een culinair programma op 3MDR hee�.

De eerste drie mensen (uit Australië) die vanaf 6 mei gedurende het Nederlandse dinsdagavondprogramma van 3MDR bellen voor een verzoeknummer krijgen het boek gratis toegestuurd.

Het telefoonnummer is 03 5968 2727 Het programma is ook via de website www.3mdr.com te beluisteren.

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39 NSW St Marys Dutch Festival 58 South Australia news REGULARS_____________________ 3 10 11 14 17 18 19 20 21 29 30 35 36 46 48 55 56

Editorial Edo - Crooke Renèe column - returning Australian Fryslân Boppe - SC Heerenveen Dutch/Flemish cinema - Darren Arnold Dutch Cuisine - gourme�en Crossword puzzle Who’s Who Marcia - ‘G’ is voor Glasblazer Taals Taaltje - een simpele stoel Claire en Moniek Pim column - two wolves and a sheep Boekbesprekingen Kiwikorrels - Frans Hertoghs Van AA tot Zwuup - Met of Zondervan Duy�enschool -Dutch language school Verbeeldingen - Frans Hertoghs

editorial

G’Day

Deafening silence on

Dirk Hartog Island words and photos Jacob van Splunter It is just like a gripping boy’s book. Upon arrival on the minuscule airfield at Denham - the base for a visit to Shark Bay and Dirk Hartog Island - I start talking to ‘Capes’, an aboriginal guide from - close by - Monkey Mia. “As a child my mother played with silver coins of the wrecked Zuytdorp. The silver coins were just lying on the beach,” Capes says. Above all, one thing is clear: Dutch history is all over the place here.

Flying with Shark Bay Air Charter it takes just half an hour from Denham to the airfield of Dirk Hartog Island.

The outlines of the 620 square kilometre island are clearly visible, with pre�y dunes, lagoons and last but not least endless outback. Kieran Wardle is already there, waiting for me in the scorching heat. In 1993 he suddenly got the management of the island thrown at him a�er his father had a heart a�ack. Together with his wife Tory he has chosen to change from sheep farming to ecotourism. On the one hand motivated by the price of wool which did not make sheep farming very profitable, on the other hand the decision was also inspired by the government; they decided to declare Dirk Hartog Island a national park. That does not leave much room for sheep or goat farming.

But if you are talking about Dirk Hartog Island, you are certainly talking about Dirk Hartog and Willem de Vlamingh. In 1616 Hartog set foot ashore Turtle Bay and le� a tin plate on the island, and a�erwards sailed further north to map the rest of the coast. In 1697 Willem de Vlamingh arrives at the same spot. He stumbles across the plate of Hartog and decides to replace this with his ‘own’ version: the first part consists of the original text, but the second part has been added by De Vlamingh.

De Vlamingh takes the original plate of Hartog along to Batavia (now Jakarta) and later to the VOC-archives in Amsterdam; it is on display in the Rijksmuseum nowadays. A�er that other European powers have explored Dirk Hartog Island. And now it is my turn to explore Turtle Bay and ‘Cape Inscription’ - as the historical spot is called.

in 1616. The space is immense and the silence deafening, the African continent must be glistening somewhere on the horizon. Here is the meeting place of almost four hundred years of history, started by the untameable entrepreneurs and discovery spirit of the Dutch. A spot where you come at a standstill.

The next two days Kieran takes me along the island. We visit the pre�y, totally deserted lagoons on the east side of the island, the rough coast in the west where the sea ba�ers the island and make the blowholes spout, with the now vacant - and in disrepair - farm buildings. And with the four wheel drive we cross through enormous dune fields. At the homestead I enjoy the hospitality of the Wardles and its particularly awesome position.

“Not a bad spot, hey?” , Kieran asks when he finds me si�ing on the beach and drops down next to me. I am not sure if I would enjoy this deafening silence over a long period of time, but indeed now it feels good. “Could we please go back to Cape Inscription before I fly back tomorrow?” , I ask. He nods in agreement. Words are no longer a necessity. I have already told him several times how beautiful the island is and what an enormous tourist potential it has, but he understands that Cape Inscription has created quite a stir with me, more so than all other highlights on the island together. And the following morning we are again at this historical spot. Two bare poles are the tangible proof, the tin plates are gone.

And again that deafening silence.

“What is wrong, you are so quiet”, I hear Kieran saying.

I am standing on the exact spot where Dirk Hartog - as the first European on the west coast of Australia - landed www.hollandfocus.com - 3

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PO Box 169, Olinda Vic 3788, Australia E: editor@hollandfocus.com

Mijn man en ik lezen met genoegen het blad Holland Focus. In het januari/februari nummer was een artikel van Frans Hertoghs: ‘Dubbel Duits’, waarin een aantal voorbeelden over het gebruik van het woord Dutch in negatieve zin.

Hoewel wij in het algemeen volledig accoord gaan met wat Frans zo vol enthousiasme neer schreef over dit onderwerp wilden we graag een opmerking maken dat het woord Dutch niet altijd in negatieve zin moet worden gezien.

Bijvoorbeeld: Dutch wife = rotwijf, zegt Frans.

Dit gezegde hee� zijn oorsprong in het voormalige Nederlands Indië, waar Dutch wife de Engelse naam is voor een rolkussen, dat algemeen gebruikt wordt (nu nog) om tussen je knieën te gebruiken in de warme tropische nachten. Het hee� dus niets denigrerends.

Een Dutch oven is een zware gietijzeren pan waarin Hollandse huisvrouwen een roast of stew koken op een fornuis, i.p.v. in de oven dat een Engelse gewoonte is.

Ook hier kunnen wij niets negatiefs in zien. Zie ook Collins Australian Dictionary.

Frans schrij�: “Het is toch geen wonder dat wij Nederlanders nauwelijks serieus genomen worden”.

Ik weet natuurlijk niet hoe serieus Frans genomen wordt in Nieuw Zeeland, maar wij wonen al 40 jaar in Australië en hebben nooit gemerkt of aangevoeld dat ons land minder serieus genomen wordt dan enig ander land. Integendeel, mijn man en ik zijn bijzonder actief in het verenigingsleven zolang wij in Australië wonen en daarvoor in andere landen waaronder Suriname.

Onze ervaring verschilt daarom nogal met die van Frans Hertoghs.

In de lange jaren van ons verenigingsleven, waarin wij ook Australiërs betrekken hebben wij nooit kunnen merken dat ons land minder serieus genomen wordt dan enig ander land. Velen van onze Australische vrienden en kennissen zijn er trots op in Nederland geweest te zijn en Nederlandse vrienden te hebben. Ik heb er dus helemaal geen moeite mee dat ik me iets labbekakkerig moet laten aanleunen.

Ik vind dat Frans een klein beetje te ver doordraa� als hij voortaan op de vraag: Are you Dutch?, gaat antwoorden met: No, I’m Nederlands.

Of het een of het ander, je praat Engels of je praat Nederlands, maar je praat geen twee talen door elkaar!

Ik kan niet zien dat wij het woord Dutch moeten veranderen, een woord dat al door de eeuwen heen door de hele wereld is geaccepteerd.

Ik ben er van overtuigd dat ik niet uit naam van alle Hollanders spreek, maar moeten we om Frans een plezier te doen gaan zingen: Nederlands vlag je bent mijn glorie, Nederlands vlag je bent mijn lust, enz. En moeten jullie dan Holland Focus veranderen in Nederland Focus?

Ik kan nog lange tijd doorgaan met het aanhalen van dergelijke voorbeelden.

Na deze ontboezeming hoop ik niet dat Frans denkt dat ik zijn artikelen niet meer wil lezen. Verre van dat, ik ben zo blij dat er zulke goede en interessante artikelen van Frans in Holland Focus staan, er zijn maar weinigen die hem kunnen evenaren, maar het bovenstaande moest me toch van het hart.

Anneke Flach, Qld

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Frans Hertoghs antwoord: Ik baseer mijn artikel voornamelijk op het boekje Total Dutch, Meer dan 1000 woorden en uitdrukkingen Dutch met Dutch vertaald, verklaard en toegelicht; Ton Spruijt; Het Taalfonds 1999. Ik beveel het iedereen van harte aan.

Natuurlijk wordt Dutch vaak in zuiver ‘neutrale’ zin gebruikt, zoals in veel scheepvaar�ermen, en zelfs ook wel in positieve zin zoals in Dutch blinds. Maar die uitdrukkingen zijn duidelijk blinds in de minderheid. De Engelsen hebben hun aartsvijanden altijd heel negatief afgeschilderd, vergelijkbaar met ons - intussen gelukkig uitstervend - gebruik van het woord mof(fen).

In het boekje staan honderden uitdrukkingen die negatief getint of ronduit beledigend zijn. Verder blijkt dat Dutch ook gewoon Duits kan betekenen, vooral in het toch niet onbelangrijke Amerika.

Vooral deze twee laatste argumenten lijken mij sterk genoeg om iedereen aan te raden het negatieve en verwarrende woord Dutch zoveel mogelijk te mijden.

missing person I am looking for Theo Weerheym, born 18 January 1944 in The Hague. Theo is (my mother) Joke Weerheym‘s brother. Their mother died a�er the birth of Theo in 1944, which resulted in the placing of the 5 siblings in orphanages and they lost sight of each other a�er a few years.

In November 1969 Theo probably migrated to Australia (migration card found in Melbourne archives). Contact the editor of Holland Focus or email ivolot@hetnet.nl Ina Kleijnjan (her maiden name) The surname could be spelled differently. Ina migrated – by boat - between 1950 and 1960 together with her mother and younger brother from Ro�erdam to Australia. Her older brother already lived in Australia. They used to live in Ro�erdam North on the Zaagmolenkade. Ina will be around 65 years old now. We would like to hear from Ina or her family.

Please send an email to j.kok11@vhello.nl in Ro�erdam, The Netherlands or contact the editor of Holland Focus Als u informatie kunt geven over gezochte personen of als u een verdacht persoon ziet neem dan zo spoedig mogelijk contact op met Crime Stoppers. Voor informatie over verschillende gezochte personen is een beloning van AU$1000 beschikbaar gesteld. U hoeft uw naam niet te noemen. De persoon die belt krijgt een codenummer toegewezen, dat gebruikt moet worden in elk contact met de politie totdat de beloning betaald is.

Bel gratis naar Crime Stoppers op 1800 333 000 of ga naar www.crimestoppers.com.au

f h 2 e t i wr

vervolg van

Geachte Heer en Mevrouw Fuijkschot Hartelijk dank voor de CD van Frans Hertoghs die ik als geschenk van u mocht ontvangen. Het is zeer op prijs gesteld!

Het toeval wil, dat ik gisteren tijdens het opruimen van een en ander wat ik heel veel jaren geleden angstvallig scheen te verzamelen, een schoolschri� tegenkwam met daarin het gedicht Mijn Taal door G.W. Lovendaal geschreven. De inhoud van het geschrevene sprak me als kind van 10 jaar niet aan op de wijze waarop dit nu op veel latere lee�ijd, en na Nederland te hebben verlaten het geval is.

Hierbij een copie van het gedicht.

Misschien kunt en wilt u er gebruik van maken voor Holland Focus.

Inmiddels ontving mijn zuster in Canada het eerste exemplaar van uw blad en is er enthousiast over. Ik breng bij deze haar complimenten over!

E. Hellingman – Tijhof Mijn Taal (G.W. Lovendaal) Ik hoor den zoeten tongval wel, de weelde van geluiden En’t teederkleurig klankenspel der talen uit het Zuiden Maar ‘k trek mijn manlijk Neerlands voor, dat gaat mij dieper dan het oor Daar proef ik ‘t wilt der zeeën uit die daavre op onzen duinen, en hoor er door, met breed geluid de Westerstorm bazuinen.

Ik voel het diep in mijn gemoed, Die taal, zij is mijn vlees en bloed.

Ik hoor door haar een adem gaan van vlijt en strijd en streven.

Ik voel er Hollands hart in slaan en Hollands ziel in leven De taal, die van mijn ras bewaart den fieren geest, den vromen aard wee, wie zijn Moedertaal vervalst, verloochend en belasterd, hij hee� zijn eigenheid onthalsd, zichzelf verlaagd tot basterd.

Een volk verdrukt, maar knecht men niet Zolang het eert, zijn taal, zijn lied 6 - www.hollandfocus.com

Hallo Freek, Erg leuk om een modern tijdschri� over Nederlanders te lezen.

Ga zo door, en het zou leuk zijn om meer te lezen over hoe de nieuwe generatie Nederlandse immigranten hier in Australië zijn terecht gekomen. Zelf ben ik hier 10 jaar geleden als backpacker vanuit het Groningse plaatsje Onstwedde gekomen en kwam een leuke ‘Aussie’ tegen. Nooit gedacht dat 2 mensen met een andere cultuur en taal het zo goed met elkaar kunnen vinden!

En helaas voor mijn familie, hun nachtmerrie werd realiteit. Al snel zat ik weer in het vliegtuig richting ‘Down Under’. Nadat we een paar jaar in de goudmijnen in WestAustralië hebben gewerkt zijn we teruggegaan naar country Victoria (the Grampians) om dichterbij mijn man zijn familie te wonen. Zeven jaar later; 2 wilde zonen, droogte en bosbranden, en de lokale goudmijn in de problemen, hoog tijd om alles te verkopen en een tijd met elkaar rondom Australië te trekken. Een jaar lang gereisd en sinds enkele weken wonen we in de Pilbara. Een geweldige mooie omgeving! Ben nog veel in mijn gedachten met Nederland bezig en probeer onze jongens zoveel mogelijk van mijn cultuur bij te brengen. Zo hebben we DVD’ss en video’s in de kast staan

van de Kameleon, Pietje Bell, Pippi Langkous, de Club van Sinterklaas, Harrie Jekkers, Herman Finkers en Bert Visscher. Vele Nederlandse kinderboeken en binnenkort BVN. Helaas willen de knuppels geen Nederlands spreken, dat doen we wel als we weer bij opa en oma op bezoek zijn is dan hun antwoord.

Misschien toch maar de wereldschool proberen.

Ok dat was dus het verhaal achter dit nieuw ‘holland focus’ lid, voor Groningers die contact zouden willen met andere Groningers mail de editor.

Brenda Murphy-Wubs Beste HF Mijn vrouw en ik waren een paar weken geleden (met al die hi�e) in Adelaide.

We gingen toen ook naar de Hollandse Winkel in Brighton.

En daar lag dat mooie magazine van jullie op de toonbank.

Gauw gekocht en wel drie keer gelezen. Het is een pracht magazine!

We hadden het meegenomen naar de Rembrandt Club in St Marys, daar zijn we lid van. Ook stonden er een paar foto’s in van vrienden.

Ik wens jullie veel succes.

Wij kijken al uit naar het volgende nummer.

Harm en Gonnie

go to our renewed website

www.hollandfocus.com

to download these colouring pictures

FEYENOORD 100 years

1965

As from 6 April 2008 the historical Ro�erdam museum The Schielandshuis has been coloured Red-White. The exhibition ‘Feyenoord 100 years’ proudly celebrates the glorious history of Zuid (southern suburb in Ro�erdam) in the Schielandshuis. The origin, the development and the successes of Feyenoord are shown in a large interactive arrangement against the background of Ro�erdam in general and the district Feijenoord in particular. Objects, photos and multimedia provide a celebration of recognition and surprise for everyone who loves Feyenoord and football. photos from private collections 1937

at the Schielandshuis www.hollandfocus.com - 7

from boy’s club to football giant In 1908, a number of boys in the district Feijenoord started a football association. The club writes football history under the name Feyenoord.

In 1936, the Kuip (tub) is built, the ultramodern Stadion Feyenoord. In 1970, Feyenoord wins the European Cup ánd the World Cup as the first Dutch football club ever. Now, 100 years old, Feyenoord a company worth millions, but still a club of the people, of the Netherlands, Ro�erdam and of Zuid. The development from boy’s club to football giant can be followed in the Schielandshuis.

Geen woorden maar daden The exhibition is faithful to the Feyenoord mo�o ‘geen woorden maar daden’ (no words but action).

Interactivity, ambiance and special

objects predominate. For instance all locations where the stadium-club played, highlights and the portraits of all 750 players who have ever played for Feyenoord 1. Also original Feyenoord objects are on display everywhere: from Cups and football shoes which scored famous goals to the shot-down seagull by keeper Eddy Treijtel.

Feyenoord feeling Also the people who have made Feyenoord big are mentioned elaborately. Players, stadium employees, drivers, architects and of course the supporters: everyone has a Feyenoord story. Because Feyenoord is not just a club and a district, it is also a sentiment. The unconditional love for the club of some supporters is expressed in incredible collections, the showpieces of these collections are on view in this exhibition.

Feyenoord in search of historical material Thousands of people have followed Feyenoord during the one hundred years the club exists. Not just in the Netherlands, but also abroad. Innumerable tales go around and - very important – pictures and other ma�ers have been collected. Historical material of enormous value for the owner.

1932

06 Apr 2008 - 19 Oct 2008

Historisch Museum Ro�erdam Schielandshuis Korte Hoogstraat 31 3011 GK Ro�erdam T: +31 10 217 67 17 www.historischmuseumro�erdam.nl Feyenoord everywhere Of course the Schielandshuis is not the only one paying a�ention to 100 years Feyenoord.

The Ro�erdam district theatre plays the show Hand in Hand. Tickets for the exhibition give discount to the show and vice-versa. Visit www.ro�erdamswijktheater.nl. for all events visit www.feyenoord100jaar.nl.

However, this applies not just to the owner, but also to Feyenoord. The material in possession of supporters can reflect the history of our club like absolutely nothing else could. Feyenoord is looking for such historical material of supporters. Of course, the material we are looking for has to be related to Feyenoord, the teams and its players, but especially the experiences of the supporters. For various - non-commercial - purposes Feyenoord would appreciate it if they could have these historically valuable collections (or parts of it) for displays and expositions.

Do you possess old images (photos, films) or other interesting material, then they would appreciate it if you could contact them. YOU can be sure that Feyenoord will handle your data and material extremely careful. If your material will be used then – if you would like that - it will be mentioned who made the material available. For more information email: Ksenia Rolak: kro@feyenoord.nl or Ton Strooband: tst@feyenoord.nl

‘It’s All Dutch to Me’ - the website which offers you the best Dutch products available,

imported directly from Holland

holland focus

Fill your ‘shopping cart’ with all the Dutch goodies and wait for delivery at your door from Delft Blue to licorice, food and gifts it is all available on our website and more products are added regularly

If you don’t have access to the internet,

feel free to give us a ring and ask for a printed catalogue, we will be happy to send you a copy free of charge!

www.itsalldutchtome.com.au email: sales@itsalldutchtome.com.au phone: 02-4861 6670

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ANDRÉ’S VERY FIRST TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIA WITH SEVERAL HEART-WARMING AUSTRALIAN SONGS PERFORMED BY THE RADIANT AUSTRALIAN SINGER MIRUSIA. www.andrerieuaustralia.com

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Tickets also available through www.ovationchannel.com.au

ANDRÉ RIEU THE 100 MOST BEAUTIFUL MELODIES

Limited Edition 6-CD Set!

100 OF THE MOST SUBLIME MELODIES, COMPLETE WITH A READY-REFERENCE A-Z INDEX OF ALL THE SONGS.

www.andrerieu.com www.hollandfocus.com - 9

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Observations of a

returning Australian

“It’s your country” my Dutch husband tells me whenever I wonder aloud about anything lately. Though I have always called Australia home, after several years away it’s amazing how much changes – both within the country and yourself. I departed Brisbane airport on a one-way flight to London in 2001. I was young and single with just a backpack full of belongings and a head full of dreams. In late 2007 I again stood at Brisbane airport – this time with a husband, five month old daughter, three suitcases and a shipment of belongings on the way. I even held an extra passport – you may have read one of my previous articles how I gained Dutch citizenship to add to my Australian.

Now, a�er several months, we are finally se�ling in and starting to feel at home in Brisbane. Though I was born here and lived the majority of my life in Queensland, a�er nearly seven years (just under two years in the UK and almost five years in The Netherlands) I have a completely new perspective of life in Australia. Having married a Dutch man of course adds to that, and our day to day conversations are filled with a range of personal and cultural observations. Many of my husband’s sentences begin with “In The Netherlands….” and mine with “Before I went to Europe…”.

Apart from the fact there is a new prime-minister, it seems many more things have changed in Australia while I was gone. Here are just a few of my observations: Weather: We landed in early December and were expecting a long, hot summer but instead it was a relatively cool, wet one! At least this gave us time to acclimatize and we found it rather amusing that people blamed us for bringing the Dutch weather with us. I had never heard of water restrictions before I le�, so was also glad that the rain could begin to replenish the dam supplies.

House prices: This was one of the biggest shocks. I hadn’t really kept track of the property market in Australia so was amazed at the steep price increases. The value of house and land packages in many areas seems to have doubled in the last five years. I have read countless newspaper articles in the past few months about how unaffordable houses in various parts of Australia are right now, especially in Brisbane. It also seems that it’s not so much the prices of the houses, but the land itself. This seems crazy to my husband when he sees how much “spare” land we have here. I realize there are many factors at play affecting Australian house prices but do hope it is something that can be seriously addressed by the government soon as the repercussions will affect all aspects of our society.

Childcare: I had hoped to find my daughter a place in daycare for a day or two a week for her social development and also to have some time to concentrate on my study (I’m working towards a Bachelor of Business).

We have been on three waiting lists for three months now, and talking to some others mothers it seems we will probably stay on those lists for quite some

words and photos Renèe Veldman-Tentori

time yet. Many women I’ve met registered when they were pregnant and still couldn’t secure a place. I’m quite happy to care full time for our daughter, though I do wonder how it is possible for families to afford current house prices on a single income, where mothers effectively cannot work even if they wish to. That said, government family assistance benefits are quite generous here.

Groceries: I must have been quite a sight to other shoppers on my first trip to Coles a�er returning. “Four dollars for a loaf of bread!?” I wondered aloud in amazement (and many similar thoughts during every grocery trip since, simply replace the price and item!). I realize that several years away and the introduction of GST mean that prices will rise, but I have been shocked at quite how much. One welcome sight is the new ALDI stores. I shopped at ALDI in Del�, and am pleased that they also offer great value here.

These are just a few observations and perhaps sound mostly negative. There is a term ‘reverse culture shock’ and I can completely understand that now. I certainly experienced culture shock when I first moved to the United Kingdom and then The Netherlands but never really expected that when I returned to my own country. I must say there are also a lot of positives. It’s wonderful to live near my family again - they are thrilled to be able to spend time with their first grand-daughter.

We miss my husband’s family in The Netherlands, but are in touch regularly on the webcam. Brisbane also seems to have moved ahead in leaps and bounds culturally with abundant art displays, shows and activities. We have also been visiting some of the beautiful parks and gardens I used to go to as a child, such as the Mount Cootha Botanical Gardens. The Citycat is also a fabulous part of life in Brisbane – having public transport which involves being able to cruise down the river by fast catamaran on a beautiful sunny day is a wonderful way to not only get from point A to B but to take in some beautiful sights along the way.

I’m now working through accepting that Brisbane and Australia have gone through many unavoidable changes in the last few years, and many are even for the best.

Overall, Australia is a wonderful country, which I am proud to call my own. My husband has found a job he enjoys and feels welcome here. I love being able to see my family regularly and enjoy waking up to beautiful blue skies most days. We agree that the safe, friendly environment and outdoors lifestyle is great for our daughter. I’m happy to be home. www.hollandfocus.com - 11

SANJAY GUPTA

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Many people dream of making a living by just doing what they like. But only for some people those dreams will come true. One of those few is Sanjay Gupta, an Indian hot air balloon pilot who lives in Australia nowadays. Before he arrived here, he travelled around the world and even lived in the Netherlands for a while. Holland Focus met the pilot at Chateau Yering, a luxury historic house hotel in the Yarra Valley.

Sanjay was born and brought up in New Delhi (India), where he lived until 1986. In 1975, when he was fi�een his interest in hot air balloons was triggered when his

12 - www.hollandfocus.com

family got together to build the first hot air balloon in India. That was his first experience with hot air balloons.

Once Sanjay finished his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he worked for a few years in India building and flying balloons. He then moved to the United States of America for his Masters degree in science. From 1986 till 1990, he continued to fly and design balloons during his studies in the USA, where he built many experimental balloons and flew with commercial ballooning operations. He received his private pilot’s license for hot air balloons in 1990 in the UK and subsequently in The Netherlands in 1992, and back in the USA in 1995. He flew his first Dutch National Championship in the late nineties. An accomplished balloonist, Sanjay has flown at a number of Dutch and German National Championships. Sanjay lived and flew intensively as a commercial pilot in the Netherlands and Germany till 2006.

E

“I worked as a business consultant in Europe. But soon I also started to fly commercially in the Netherlands: in De Achterhoek, in the province of Limburg, and also in Flanders.”

Sanjay planned to visit Australia for the first time in 2004, to participate in the World Championships in Mildura (Victoria). “I was really looking forward to the championships. I was going to represent India. My registration form and all other formalities were already taken care of, but there was a tragedy in the family, so I couldn’t make it.” Sanjay gets a new chance later this year in the World Championships in Austria.

BALLOONING IN FINLAND: COLD BUT MARVELLOUS In 2006, Sanjay came to Australia. To be able to fly here, he had to get yet another supplementary license. Over the years, he collected a whole bunch of them: he holds a Dutch and Australian Commercial Pilot’s License (CPL) for hot air balloons, a UK and US Private Pilots License (PPL) and also has various Radio Telephony (RT) ratings. “A�er my exam, I returned to the Netherlands, because I had planned a ballooning trip to Finland with a couple of friends. We made it as far as Lapland. It was extremely cold out there, down to -31°C, but it was marvellous!”

because it will not interfere with their working day. A�er the flight, the employees return to Chateau Yering for breakfast and the rest of their program. “Ballooning is perfect: they get up early, and they have a really great start of their day. It’s good for teambuilding as well, because some will be scared. And it’s an audience participation activity: everybody is encouraged to assist with the set up and pack away of the balloon. It’s a beautiful sport.”

TARGET flYING IN AUSTRALIA There is a big difference in ballooning in Australia and Europe. In Europe, pilots take off from a fixed launch site and let the winds guide them, irrespectively of the weather conditions. Sanjay explains: “You simply take off, and you look for a decent landing spot. But here in Australia, we have a fixed landing place. Based on its location and the weather conditions we define our launch site. We call it ‘target flying’: we fly in to our landing spot. It’s a completely

W I N D A�er his ballooning trip, he toured a bit through Asia and visited some friends and family in India and Thailand.

A�er returning to Australia in 2007, Sanjay joined Global Ballooning as a commercial pilot. They organise balloon flights above Melbourne, the Yarra Valley and Mansfield.

“We have thirteen balloons in total. We are regularly flying with three of them in the city and three in the valley. We certainly do fly a lot. Depending on the bookings and the weather conditions, we are able to fly up to 72 passengers on a single day. If needed, we can ramp it up to one hundred.”

Global Ballooning works with six full time ballooning pilots, Sanjay being one of them, and if needed they hire extra pilots on a free-lance basis.

They get extra pilots in when for example a company organises a conference and wants to offer their staff an outdoor activity. Ballooning is perfect for that purpose,

different approach. You have to make use of the winds. You go up and down to find the right wind that allows you to target your landing spot. You depend a li�le bit more on your ground crew, who keeps you informed about the weather conditions. When you are flying in Europe, you just see where the winds take you.”

As a technical advisor for a large balloon manufacturer, Sanjay is also involved in the latest technical and safety developments in ballooning. Sanjay has travelled and flown balloons in many countries in the world, which gives him a broad overview of the new technical developments.

In April, Sanjay returned to Europe. “I’m heading for Greece for a couple of weeks sailing around the islands. Then I go back to Holland to fly balloons there for a couple of months, and a�erwards I’m going to the world championships in Austria.” We wish Sanjay a lot of success and hope he returns to Australia with the title.

PHILIP STRUYF www.hollandfocus.com - 13

Fryslân

The slogan ‘Fryslân Boppe! united many Frisians against the Dutch (Hollanders).

The slogan sometimes was adapted to: ‘Fryslân Boppe! Hollân yn ‘e groppe!’ meaning ‘Frisian Land above and Holland down in the ditch!’. Now it is the name of a series of articles in holland focus about a unique part of The Netherlands the province of Fryslân (Frisian Land). This is part eight.

Boppe!

words Henk-Jan de Meer photos: Jan de Meer

~ SC HEERENVEEN ~ Frisian land and soccer means Sport Club Heerenveen, means former chairman Riemer van der Velde and former coach Foppe de Haan, means the Frisian supporters which are widely praised for their good reputation, and of course coach Gertjan Verbeek and his team.

On the Easter weekend things went very well for the soccer club and the Frisians enjoyed an exciting game.

During the first half of the match the soccer team played offensively strong, but the defence was non existent. At hal�ime SC Heerenveen was behind by a score of 1-3.

Reason enough for coach Gertjan Verbeek to replace Sibon and Zuiverloon with Henrique and Svec. Clearly a good decision, because fi�een minutes a�er the break the score went up to 3-3. Opponent Roda JC didn’t know what was going on and another goal followed. The Frisians won with 4-3.

SC Heerenveen is a popular club with lots of history and nostalgia. Typical are the pompeblêden-shirts (the same design as the Frisian flag) and the Frisian anthem played and sung at the top of their voices by all supporters, before the start of each home game. The Abe Lenstra 14 - www.hollandfocus.com

stadium can host about 26,000 people and is chock-ablock each game. From all over the province and beyond people are coming to encourage their soccer team. The supporters’ legion worships the club and vice versa the supporters are very important to the Frisian soccer club.

The supporters always remain number one to former president Riemer van der Velde. In 1983 Riemer became president of a club in financial problems. The very first thing he did was to clear the club’s debts. In less than two years this businessman made the soccer club financially healthy. Then he got entrepreneurs from surrounding communities involved to build a broad supporting base and to promote the club. Friends and acquaintances do appreciate Riemer, because he always involved everyone and informed them about what was happening. They said he always spoke of ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ and created

solidarity. From supporter to volunteer, from sponsor to coach and chairman; everyone got involved. And never before has a president of a soccer club thanked his supporters for their support as o�en as Riemer did.

Apart from being a businessman Riemer is also a sports fan and has an eye for soccer talent. He was partly responsible for contracting several star players from all over the world.

One of his decisions of high importance to the future of the soccer club was: contracting Foppe de Haan as head coach of the soccer team. That decision has earned Riemer not only a good friendship, but made sure the Frisians performed much be�er on the field. Lead by Foppe the soccer team made it to the UEFA Cup in 1999 and several times into the Champions League. The club never became national champion, but did become ‘Club of the year’ in 2000. Two times Foppe de Haan was chosen ‘Coach of the year’.

Currently a fresh new wind is moving through SC Heerenveen. Riemer has stepped down as president in 2006. Foppe stopped coaching the team in 2004 and now coaches ‘Jong Oranje’, the national youth team. Gertjan Verbeek took over from Foppe but he will stop this summer. The Norwegian Trond Sollied will be the new coach of SC Heerenveen for the next two years. The team is currently third in the national ranking.

Supporters In the nineties football vandalism took severe forms.

Massive fights between groups of soccer supporters. They even arranged a place to riot. However, this had nothing to do with soccer anymore. Tributes and celebrations changed into fights with the special duty police.

Everyone was dismayed and therefore the fights were seen as a major social problem in the Netherlands.

However, the Frisians again and again amazed people throughout the Netherlands. Famous is the event in 1990 when SC Heerenveen was promoted to the Premier League. In Heerenveen the entire Frisian nation partied into the early hours, without even one single disorder or riot. Even NOS Studio Sport presenter Mart Smeets was deeply impressed. This really was a celebration by the Frisian people.

And how close the relationship between the soccer club and its supporters is became clear a year later when the soccer team had to play a relegation match in the Feyenoord Stadium ‘De Kuip’ in Ro�erdam. SC Heerenveen decided to turn it into a home game and no less than 5000 people travelled to Ro�erdam. Half of the people travelled in a 4 kilometre long row of 56 buses. Never before something like this had happened in The Netherlands and for the Ro�erdam police the most astonishing part was: they didn’t have to do anything when the group of cheerful Frisian supporters arrived.

SC Heerenveen and its supporter’s legion really got the a�ention thanks to the cup final in 1993 against Ajax.

They lost by 6-2. With other clubs this would have resulted in riots, but not the Frisians. No fights, just sporty congratulations. Fans exchanged club scarves and partied with the Ajax fans. It was the biggest party of all times and was never experienced before in the Netherlands.

Of course this sounds as if nothing ever happens with the Frisians. Nothing is further from the truth, even in Frisian land things do happen, but to a lesser extent. And certainly at SC Heerenveen nothing much happens, as they are very strict. Dissonance, choirs swearing to the opponents and/or referee, and other vandalisms will not be tolerated. Whoever causes misery, will be addressed.

Supporters Association Nieuw Noord encountered that.

This association was founded in 2001 because they found the atmosphere in the stadium too restrained. They were jealous of other clubs where supporters could support their team more active with noisy choirs. During a home game the supporters of Nieuw Noord sang too loud and unacceptable songs, which immediately resulted in a stadium ban for some of them, which had hardly ever happened.

The supporters were not happy with this decision and the rumour went that something had been planned during the next game. However, nobody knew what and the ‘hard core’ fans were closely watched by other supporters. The players and the referees ran on the field and the Frisian anthem was played before the start sign sounded. The ever-tumultuous Nieuw Noord-supporters were quiet as a mouse. Out of protest they didn’t make www.hollandfocus.com - 15

one single sound for the first five minutes of the game.

Through banners they showed their disagreement with the stadium ban for their mates and the highlight was a 6 metre wide banner that read: “Wij zijn wel lief!” (We are lovely too). For several minutes the stadium shook on its foundations as the remaining 20,000 supporters thought it was a brilliant action and showed their support with loud cheering and applause. The story goes that the

ús Abe

stadium ban for the Nieuw Noord-supporters was li�ed then, but only a�er a good chat with Riemer and the club management.

Would you like to know more about SC Heerenveen?

Go to www.hollandfocus.com for links to the website of the soccer club and the Junior Heroes lead by Heero, the mascot of SC Heerenveen.

Ús Abe (Our Abe) refers to the best ever Frisian soccer player in the Netherlands: Abe Lenstra. He was a topvoetballer “top soccer player” that everyone surprised with his many schijnbewegingen (jink passes) and abrupt actions. This month it has been 58 years since Abe, according to many people, played his most legendary game ever. On May 7 1950, SC Heerenveen played Ajax. Half an hour before the end the Frisians were behind with 1-5, but Abe Lenstra thankfully changed that. He scored the first two goals that started a complete turnaround.

Three more goals followed in which he had a major share. SC Heerenveen defeated Ajax with 6-5.

Abe played several times for the National Dutch team and scored no fewer than 33 times for Oranje. He was known as a stubborn Frisian and didn’t care much about money. Soccer clubs from all over the world asked him to play for them. They offered him loads of money.

AC Milan for example, offered him more than one hundred thousand guilders, an astonishing amount of money back in the fi�ies. What did Abe do? He said no. He even said no when AC Milan offered him a blank cheque on which he could write any amount. Abe preferred to stay in Frisian land. In Heerenveen, also known as ‘Abeveen’. Eventually Abe le� for another soccer club anyway. Sportclub Enschede… No big money, no foreign club, but Enschede.

In 1985 Abe died at the age of 64 in Heerenveen, but he will never be forgo�en. A year later the stadium was renamed a�er him and in 1994 the new stadium was also called Abe Lenstra. In 1995, a musical about Abe’s life was staged and the soccer club called a fashion line a�er him. The respect for him was proven by the fact that the international Johan Cruijff selected him for his ‘Oranje of the Century’ in 2000. It was a team of the best Dutch soccer players of the twentieth century. They would play a benefit match against a team of best foreign soccer players. Abe Lenstra was the only deceased player selected.

16 - www.hollandfocus.com

Dutch/Flemish cinema Vermist

by Darren Arnold

This issue we dip into Flemish cinema to take a look at Vermist, a big hit in its native land in the la�er part of 2007. Likened by some to a feature-length episode of smash TV series CSI, Vermist was directed by Temseborn Jan Verheyen - an interesting character in Belgian cinema who we’ll say a bit more about later on.

Vermist - or Missing way (Verheyen is applying the finishing touches as it’s known in to the show as this article is being wri�en,) so English - can never the director was presumably always aware that really be said to be there would be many more future opportunities groundbreaking, yet for these characters to be explored; knowing the it works very well as characters will live on in TV also adds a bit more a competent example weight to those CSI comparisons. of the police drama.

Anyone who’s at all interested in DutchThe title of the film language cinema should find something to like is fairly descriptive in Vermist - it’s a solid, polished and well-made of the content, really thriller. Director Verheyen has an interesting - Evi De Schrijver background: a�er organising the short-lived (Celine Laenen,) a but notable Knokke-Heist Film Festival he went girl of sixteen from a on to work in Belgian film distribution, with respectable family, has his company pu�ing out huge successes such disappeared. On the as Basic Instinct and Terminator 2. His love case are a team of five of film is obvious, and is one that he brings to police officers from Vermist, which fended off the latest offerings the missing persons from the likes of Brad Pi� and George Clooney department and each at the Belgian box office - quite a feat when of the five brings their you consider that at that time it was only being own personality and screened in Brussels and Flanders. style of police work to the investigation; the members of the group range from the bullish Nick (Kevin Janssens) to the considerably more measured Milly Lacroix (Catherine Kools.) Although there’s quite a mix of techniques on display, they all serve to propel the investigation forward as the team unearths some rather disturbing truths about some of Evi’s activities prior to her disappearance, which in turn provide some leads for THE DUTCH SHOPS the department to follow.

NOW AT 3 LOCATIONS, NATIONWIDE As enjoyable as Vermist is, there’s a feeling of the whole affair being SYDNEY : 85 MARKET STREET, SMITHFIELD, 2164, PHONE (02) 9604 0233 somewhat unfinished, and characters BRISBANE : 1150 BEAUDESERT ROAD, ACACIA RIDGE, 4100, PHONE (07)3277 4869 we expect to see and hear more of PERTH : 5/121 JAMES STREET, GUILDFORD, 6055, PHONE (08)6278 1888 remain firmly - and frustratingly - in the background. Perhaps this isn’t too surprising when you learn that a television series of Vermist is on its

“For Anything Dutch” • Delicatessen • Souvenirs • Oak Furniture

www.hollandfocus.com - 17

Dutch Cuisine

Gourmetten be your own cook Gourme�en is a social event. The gourmet set with its li�le pans is kept hot at the centre of the table, all that has to be done is to put the right ingredients in the pans or on the stone and bake and fry till ready. It offers opportunities to everyone to fry delicious dishes for themselves or other guests at the table. The possibilities are endless, go overboard in a culinary ‘tour de force’, only limited by your creativity. With a nice couple of table guests the evening will turn into an unforge�able event.

Gourme�en is very suitable for a family; children will enjoy cooking the strangest combinations.

Allow for about 250gr of a mixture of meats and fish per person.

To complete the table set up choose some nice salads, French stick, bu�er, oil, pineapple and about four different sauces (home made or ready to use). Also add bowls with onions, tomatoes, eggs and pancake mix to be fried in the pans.

Meat, fish and chicken could be marinated beforehand.

To prepare the stone (for steengrillen) sprinkle salt on it whilst it heats up and leave the salt on the stone.

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is a typical Dutch phenomenon, which probably originates in Asia. It is similar to steengrillen (stone – or tile - grilling) and the Swiss racle�e, but with racle�en cheese is the main ingredient; whereas with gourme�en meat and fish are used.

Four to eight people are seated around the dining table with the gourmet set placed at the centre of the table. Usually gourmet sets have eight small frying pans and a plate (or tile) above it.

Gourme�en has been a Christmas tradition for quite some time now in the Netherlands.

Message from our holland focus contact address in the Netherlands Several journalists who write for Holland Focus live in the Netherlands. In this new column an article from one of our journalists when he is on the road for Holland Focus will be published regularly. Writing for a magazine that is published in Australia o�en opens many doors. We can not complain about the support we get. In the Netherlands too the publication is known by more and more people. Thus an article about the commemoration of the bombing of Maassluis is placed in this edition. It turned out that the spokesperson of the working party knew of Holland Focus, because family of one of the surviving relatives of the bombing had migrated to Australia a�er the war and subscribe to HF. This shows how small the world really is. You might have a specific question for the editors in the Netherlands. Or would you like to read about a certain subject? Then do not hesitate to contact the editor of Holland Focus in Melbourne: editor@hollandfocus.com Yolanda Edens

last edition’s solution

CROSSWORD - KRUISWOORD Translate the questions into Dutch words. Some questions could be the other way around (marked N-E).

© holland focus

Horizontal: 1 wrinkle 5 two 9 paw 11 sofa 12 from 14 smoked 16 Pty Ltd (abbr) 17 jar 19 painter’s tool 20 Koot &.…

21 orphan 23 channel 24 top part of grass stalks 25 culture 27 extended window 29 Indonesian pasta 30 (N-E) kleine vrachtwagen (Austr.) 31 family member 33 toboggan 35 benefit 36 a drive 38 young plant 40 preposition 41 dislike 43 chronology 44 everyone 45 bird of prey 47 motor race in Assen (abbr) 48 vein 49 no hair 51 stiff 52 keeps bees Vertical: 1 bland 2 adverb 3 even 4 stock 5 bakes 6 gra� 7 pronoun 8 acquire 10 style 11 fine 13 gimlet 15 Spanish exclamation 16 alcoholic drink 18 suppose (two words 4,3) 20 latitude 22 flashes 24 deeds 26 person from Latvia 28 sandy 31 speech 32 heir 33 tight 34 honours 35 kind of fish 37 small 39 hangover 41 breath 42 dull 45 queen of Caria 46 aries 48 horse-sleigh 50 position of the moon (abbr) solution in next edition

www.hollandfocus.com - 19

Who’s Who? In 1547 the statesman portrayed by this statue was born as the son of a tradesman in Amersfoort.

He studied at the school (later named a�er him), before moving to The Hague to study law and to become a solicitor. He also studied in Leuven (Belgium), Padua (Italy), and Heidelberg (Germany).

A�er finishing his study he practiced law for several years.

He was well known for his enormous expertise and in 1586, at the age of 39, he became the ‘States Solicitor’.

His political influence grew, especially a�er he became the mentor of the young prince Maurits who was 20 years younger.

Maurits succeeded the famous prince William of Orange, who was killed in 1584.

The statesman and the prince complemented each other very well; the prince listened to his older mentor and mostly followed his advice.

It was in the year 1560 that the difficulties between the two started, a�er the statesman sent an army to Duinkerken to fight pirates. The prince, being an experienced soldier, thought that the risks were too high.

The prince barely won the ba�le by Nieuwpoort, but he was furious at his mentor. They dri�ed apart.

In the following years the two became political rivals and it was prince Maurits, being the high commander of the army, who finally arrested his former mentor as ‘Traitor of the State’ in 1618.

To this statesman’s surprise he was convicted for high treason and sentenced to the death penalty.

He was convinced that his political friends would protest against his conviction, but there was hardly any reaction.

So on the 13th of May 1619 he was executed by decapitation.

His last words were: “Make it short, make it short”.

These words were not meant for the executioner, but probably for his servant who wanted to say farewell.

The correct answers will go in the draw for the book: Bruha? by Eric Abbas

Who was this important statesman, who said - after clasping his walking-stick - to the people who were present at his execution:

“Men, don’t belief I am a traitor, I have acted sincere and devout like a good patriot and as that I will die”. © Chris Lampe

see advertisement on page 37

Send your answer, name and address (before 10 June 2008) to: Holland Focus, PO Box 169, Olinda Vic. 3788, Australia or email: editor@hollandfocus.com

last issue’s “Who’s Who?” The name of the (Dutch) discoverer/ inventor of typography is

Laurens Janszoon Koster The winner of this Who’s Who is:

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‘G’ IS VOOR GLASBLAZER

Some weeks ago, the words glas-in-lood came into my thoughts. Perhaps this was because in the March-April issue of holland focus De ‘Glasblaaser’ (the glassblower) was pictured and described (p 20). Glasin-lood is literally glass-inlead. In English, the term lead-light is explained as ‘a window in which small panes are fixed in leaden cames’. Cames are described as being small grooved bars. In one Dutch dictionary such windows are called leaded windows (ramen met glas in lood). Gekleurd glas is stained glass. The term beschilderd (painted) glas is also given. In the article in the earlier holland focus about the glassblower, a picture of what looks like glas-in-lood is shown although lead is not mentioned. The text simply says that ‘Diamond shaped windows…were handy…’ because ‘the breakage damage would be limited.’ In one English dictionary, there is reference to a Dutch word – loodglans, galena (dross that remains a�er melting lead; identified, perhaps erroneously with a Greek word meaning calm.)

The English meaning is given as a ‘lead glance’.

This seems a good (goed) opportunity to look at some more ‘g’ words in Dutch. Gerechten was mentioned in last issue’s article. One of its meanings is to identify different courses on a menu. Thinking of food reminds me of a few other ‘g’ words – garnalen (prawns), groenten (vegetables or greens, and griesmeel (semolina). This was a favourite with an aunt of my husband. From her I remember another ‘g’ word not food, but more to do with atmosphere it seemed – she said it with great emphasis - griezelig – gruesome or creepy, according to the dictionary. Thinking of her reminds me of yet another word – de griep. She used to come from the Netherlands for the Melbourne summer and, as we know, the temperature can drop 20 degrees in a very short time.

This o�en caught her by surprise and she caught a chill with flu-like symptoms – very miserable.

Sometimes in these articles we ponder the difference a le�er makes – groenten, as we have noted, are vegetables, but drop an ‘n’ and we have a quite unrelated word – groeten – Greetings! Vegetables are o�en called ‘greens’ in English at least – perhaps also in Dutch? It seems fairly likely, because the colour green can be groen. Over groenten gesproken (talking of vegetables), just now I have been preparing spinach (spinazie). The English word ‘frowzy’ came to mind as I sorted through it because some of the leaves were bruised or limp. In one Dutch dictionary the word goor is given – is that still in current use and is it the correct word in this example? My recollection of ‘frowsy’ is more to do with drab or unfashionable clothes.

Other Dutch words given for frowsy are vuil and slordig which from my limited experience refer more to dirt or to sloppy, uncared for sort of places or people.

According to the Macquarie Dictionary, the origin of frowsy is unknown. Its meanings include ill-smelling and musty. The spinach wasn’t as bad as that, nor it seems does goor apply here – one Dutch dictionary gives the meaning as dirty or nasty. This dictionary is an old Kramer’s, undated, but with the price shown as f 4.90 so that was some time ago, wasn’t it? (why ‘f’ represents guilder, I’ve forgo�en, but this same dictionary also gives ‘florin [Austrian]’ as a word for gulden.

In Dutch also they used to be called florins’ - it seems that is where the ‘f’’ came from – but how? (maar hoe?) To return to my less than crisp spinach, perhaps I need a be�er word to describe it! However, if it doesn’t begin with ‘g’ in Dutch, then there’s no place for it here and we’ll move on to something else. It looked bruised (gekneusd perhaps) and limp, but the la�er word is zacht, lenig, or slap. (We looked some time ago at words with the same spelling in different languages which weren’t what they seemed. The Dutch slap is one of these, as is gang which has many meanings in Dutch, none of which seems to correspond with the English meaning).

To revert to the guilder/florin idea for a moment, Giro is an important everyday word in the Netherlands. For girobank, the dictionary has a formal-sounding meaning of ‘clearing-bank’. What always struck us was that it seemed a very convenient way of transferring money as well as other uses. We sometimes felt at a disadvantage when we couldn’t give our Giro number.

To continue with everyday things, other ‘g’ colours include geel or gele (yellow) and grijs (grey) or as the dictionary says as well – grauw. Sort of related in this colour theme is geld (money) because only one le�er away is the English the word gold. In the garden we have ‘gras’ (grass). I was going to say gladioli but I find other Dutch words for this plant.

However, Gladiolenlaan comes to mind as the address of friends who used to live in the bloemenbuurt in Didam in the Netherlands. This custom of having the streets in a neighbourhood named a�er a theme – in this case flowers - can be a great help if you aren’t too sure of the way in an area you don’t know well. For instance – looking for Mozartlaan? If you come to Tsjaikovskilaan you can have some confidence that you are on the right track.

Thinking of driving (or being driven) in Europe reminds me of one of my husband’s many happy experiences there.

We’d be driving along somewhere out in the open and he’d say something like ‘het glooiende landschap’. The dictionary says ‘sloping’, but the impression more was of rolling hills, off into the distance.

I’d like to finish with een grap (a joke) to send us off smiling.

One I partly remember is to do with pronunciation and continues on page 35

www.hollandfocus.com - 21

Centrum Internationale Kinderontvoering in Nederland Kinderen zijn kwetsbaar; wanneer ouders scheiden, lijden zij. Wanneer ouders ieder een ander vaderland hebben en heimwee een rol speelt, is het extra ingewikkeld om na een scheiding de omgang tussen ouders en kinderen te regelen. Gelukkig komen vele ouders er samen uit. Soms gaat het fout, dan vertrekt een ouder met de kinderen en laat de andere ouder ontredderd achter.

Om in ieder geval de verblijfplaats van de kinderen en de omgang met de andere ouder goed te regelen, besloot een groot aantal regeringen om in de jaren tachtig van de vorige eeuw regels te ontwikkelen. Deze regels zijn vastgelegd in het Haags Kinderontvoeringsverdrag. Het verdrag wordt door landen onderling geratificeerd. Dus als een land het verdrag tekent, geldt het verdrag niet automatisch met de andere landen die partij zijn bij het verdrag.

Het Centrum Internationale Kinderontvoering (Centrum IKO) informeert en begeleidt ouders in situaties waarbij een van de ouders met de kinderen het land wil verlaten.

Het Centrum IKO biedt actuele informatie, advies en begeleiding aan ieder die in zijn persoonlijke of professionele omgeving in aanraking komt met (dreigende) internationale kinderontvoering.

Er is sprake van internationale kinderontvoering als een kind ongeoorloofd naar een ander land wordt overgebracht of daar ongeoorloofd wordt vastgehouden door een ouder.

Ongeoorloofd betekent in strijd met het gezagsrecht van het land waar het kind zijn gewone verblijfplaats had, of zonder toestemming van de andere ouder.

Bij het Centrum IKO zijn drie juristen werkzaam.

Zij kennen het Nederlandse familierecht en ook de werking van het Haags Kinderontvoeringsverdrag. De documentatieafdeling van het Centrum IKO hee� veel informatie verzameld van het recht in andere landen zodat mensen in Nederland en daarbuiten advies en begeleiding kunnen krijgen. Het Centrum IKO hee� een lijst opgesteld van gekwalificeerde en deskundige advocaten die ervaring

hebben met internationale kinderontvoering. Aan het Centrum IKO zijn eveneens vrijwilligers verbonden die door het Centrum IKO geschoold zijn en vaardigheden en kennis bezi�en die nodig zijn om mensen te begeleiden. In tegenstelling tot de juristen die voornamelijk op kantoor mensen te woord staan, gaan vrijwilligers naar ouders toe. Zij helpen om formulieren in te vullen en bieden een luisterend oor wanneer ouders daar behoe�e aan hebben.

Het Centrum IKO zoekt mensen buiten Nederland die bereid zijn om ouders te ondersteunen in gevallen van internationale kinderontvoering. Zoals vrijwilliger te zijn of als gastgezin op te treden voor ouders die vanuit Nederland hun kind willen bezoeken of aanwezig willen zijn bij een zi�ing in het buitenland. Mocht u hierin geïnteresseerd zijn dan kunt u contact opnemen met het Centrum IKO. Contact kunt u opnemen via info@kinderontvoering.org of telefonisch: + 31 (0) 88 - 800 90 00. foto medewerkers van het Centrum IKO: v.l.n.r. Katja Lammers (jurist), Els Prins (directeur), Mathijs Storm (jurist), Frouke Vernhout (jurist) en Marjolijn Vries (preventiegids)

Voorbeeld: Een Nederlands getrouwd stel is met hun zoon van 6 jaar naar Spanje verhuisd. Ze wonen nu 1 jaar in Spanje.

Moeder hee� heimwee en het huwelijk gaat niet goed. Moeder gaat met de zoon naar Nederland op vakantie. Tijdens de vakantie besluit ze om in Nederland te blijven samen met haar zoon. Moeder mag dit niet zonder de toestemming van vader doen omdat zij beiden het gezag over hun zoon hebben. Als zij met haar zoon in Nederland blij�, maakt zij zich schuldig aan internationale kinderontvoering. Komen vader en moeder er samen niet uit dan kan moeder naar de rechter in Spanje stappen om toestemming voor vertrek te krijgen. De woonplaats van hun zoon is namelijk in Spanje.

22 - www.hollandfocus.com

Peaceful reactions after Fitna For at least half a year all politicians of the Netherlands fell under the spell of the movie that politician Geert Wilders announced to make. It would become an anti-Islam movie in which he would make a direct connection between the Islam and violence. Also the movie could be hurtful for Muslims because it ridicules the Koran and the prophet Mohammed. Daily before the movie was even screened, the news was full of the possible consequences of the movie. Minister President Balkenende was talking about a crisis. Embassies were alerted and prepared for possible violence and riots. Yet the highest state of alarm wasn’t proclaimed, but the unrest and concerns were huge.

Just when everybody started to believe that there was no movie at all, that it was one of the bizarre ideas of Wilders to get media a�ention, the movie was released on the internet site www.liveleak.com. On Thursday 27 March 3 million people watched the movie within a couple of hours. Those who tried to watch the movie later in the evening just couldn’t get to it anymore. words Yolanda Edens The expected riots and violence failed to occur. It seemed that Fitna, which mostly consists of well known images of television news, was a disappointment for some people.

‘Is this it? Is this what everybody was so scared of? Just some cut and paste work with some glaring blunders?’

Like the image of rapper Salah Edin, on which Wilders placed the name ‘Mohammed B’ (B was the murderer of Theo van Gogh).

International Child Abduction Centre

The International Child Abduction Centre in the Netherlands offers up-to-date information, advice and guidance to everyone who encounters (the threat of) international child abduction, whether as part of their professional or personal lives.

Legal experts specialised in the specific area of international child abduction are working at the Centre. They will gladly advise you about the range of legal options and work with you to find a solution to your problem.

A list of countries The Netherlands have an agreement with is on www.kinderontvoering.org

What is international child abduction?

This refers to a situation where a child is illegally taken to

another country or is illegally detained there by a parent.

By ‘illegal’ we mean that it has been carried out in violation of the law of the country in which the child was ordinarily resident, or without permission from the other parent.

Advice and information General information on the website www.childabductioncenter.nl about issues relating to international child abduction. Choose from the following situations: Your child is being threatened with abduction to another country Your child has been taken to another country You are planning to return to the Netherlands, with your child, from abroad You have returned to the Netherlands, with your child, from abroad

Also the - unasked and without permission - use of images, soundtracks and the cartoon of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban.

The Muslim organisations in the Netherlands reacted calmly and said the movie was ‘just a pathetic production’. The day a�er the release of Fitna they where invited to share their opinion with the government. “The meeting went smoothly. Sound agreements have been made to work together and weaken the negative image Wilders tried to create about the Muslims”, according to a spokesperson “. We surely will go into discussion with people who support Wilders ideas”.

Also in the rest of the world violent reactions failed to occur. However, many countries condemned the movie.

Jordan and Pakistan are calling for boyco�ing Dutch products. A special website has been started for Dutch people who want to express their disapproval of the movie: www.sorryvoordefilm.nl Meanwhile Wilders has modified Fitna to prevent legal procedures. In response, the Danish cartoonist Kurst Westergaard made a drawing of Wilders. Just like the controversial cartoon Kurst drew a picture of Wilders with a bomb on is head with the text: ‘Danger, freedom of speech’.

The Public Prosecutor is investigating if or how Wilders could be prosecuted and possibly sued.

They will also look into the possibility of recovering any economic loss by Wilders’ movie.

As yet the movie seems only a storm in a teacup, but minister Balkenende remains cautious. ”We can not comprehend the long-term consequences”.

out of here!

G Bokitoproof has been voted best new Dutch (!) word

of the year 2007 in an online poll organised by the Van Dale dictionary group and language lobby Onze Taal.

The word is derived from the gorilla Bokito who escaped from his Rotterdam zoo enclosure in 2007 to savage a woman. It means ‘resistant to destructive behaviour and vandalism’ according to the poll’s website. www.hollandfocus.com - 23

A small town 24 - www.hollandfocus.com

When visiting family in the Netherlands you don’t want to just relive memories, but also go and see the changes in the country. Then the Netherlands turns out to be larger than you remember. Those who would like to get an overall picture of the Netherlands should visit the small town with the smile: the miniature town of Madurodam.

Since it opened in 1952, the intention of Madurodam hasn’t changed. It is still a priority that the smile of Madurodam will be preserved. “We show the positive side of the Netherlands” Peggy Scheepens, spokeswoman of Madurodam says. “In Madurodam you will be looking in vain for hospitals, cemeteries and prisons”.

In Madurodam many buildings were established thanks to the financial help of companies and sponsors. Daily, requests are received for new miniatures that, according to the applicant, definitely deserve a place in the miniature town. All requests are evaluated by a committee.

Important criteria: “There has to be a connection with the Netherlands and it has to fit into the ‘city scene’ of Madurodam. It must be attractive to look at.” And a practical problem: “Space has to be available.” Because just like the real Netherlands, the mini version struggles with the same problem of lack of space.

Only once - in 1996 - has it been extended.

Besides an entrance consisting of two dikes with a large lighthouse and a few new maquettes, two multifunctional rooms and an exhibition hall were added.

words and photos Yolanda Edens

with a big smile www.hollandfocus.com - 25

Madurodam is not just an exhibition and/or amusement park but also a war memorial. It originated from a combined initiative of Mrs B. Boon-van der Stap and Mr and Mrs Maduro. Mrs Boon was looking for means to get financial support for the Student Sanatorium in Laren, where students with tuberculoses had the possibility to take a cure and study at the same time. She got in touch with Mr and Mrs Maduro from Willemstad, Curacao.

They wanted to erect a monument for their son George who died as a war hero and member of the resistance in the concentration camp of Dachau in February 1945. Inspired by the English example in Beaconsfield, architect S.J. Bouma designed the Netherlands in the shape of a town and everything on scale 1:25. The theme was: the town with the smile. In 1952, Madurodam was officially opened.

The miniature town is visited by approximately 700.000 people a year from home and abroad. 70 people work here, of which half of them build and maintain the town. During the summer season an extra 35 people are employed in Madurodam.

Proportions All miniatures are being copied as factual as possible.

“Some details, that are not visible to the eye of the visitor, will be omi�ed. Like the small lines in the stained glass windows of the St. Jan.” However, real gold leaf has been used for the fountain near the Ridderzaal. “Gold paint doesn’t look anything like the real thing”. Statues like Hansje Brinkers and Bartje are part of it too.

When building the miniatures, existing drawings are used. If those are not available anymore, the location will be visited and drawings are made.

Will buildings be adjusted when a renovation occurs?

Scheepens: “When a renovation doesn’t have much influence on the face of a building, no. Luckily most changes take place within the buildings. That doesn’t worry us: we only build the outside.” Also when a colour scheme of a building changes, the miniature town version doesn’t always change.

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One exception is the soccer stadium where the Dutch team plays. On the stands are a Dutch and a French national flag. “When the Dutch team plays a European or World Championship, we keep an eye on their opponents. Then we adjust the flag and t-shirts.”

In Madurodam, a team of 35 people is constantly working on the maintenance. Not just the houses, but also the walking tracks, the technique and vegetation have to be maintained. “The vegetation merely consists of trees and bushes with small leaves and that don’t grow too big”, Scheepens explains. “To keep the proportions in relation to the miniatures, they o�en need to be pruned.”

Polyurethane In Madurodam, miniatures are on display for an average of 25 years. A�er that, they are rebuilt or have to make room for new buildings. Distinctive and characteristic objects such as the St. Jan in Den Bosch, the Binnenhof, the windmills and the airport of Schiphol will obviously

be retained.

All miniatures are created in Madurodam. The technical department is hidden in the underground catacombs of the miniature town.

In there trains are waiting to be repaired and a complicated railway network is being connected through computer systems. “The system is an exact copy of the railway network, only a small version. We also employ people who used to work for the railway company.” Even the High Speed Line (HSL) is present. His construction was probably quieter than that of his big brother’s which was subjected to quite some protests. The older miniatures have been made of wood. Edges like windowframes, that weather first, are made of teak wood.

Nowadays the synthetic material polyurethane is used.

Which is cheaper, more durable, weather resistant and more maintenance friendly than wood. Brass is used for the fences and boats. The building plans are electronically processed. A special milling machine carves out the

facades in the exact size, completely finished with the exact relief of the stones. Painting is done by hand, only the airplanes and boats are sprayed.

On a large table in the workshop employees are working on the new model of the Binnenhof. The miniatures are not anchored. “This Binnenhof weighs an estimated minimum of 125 kilograms,” a worker of the building department assures us. “You don’t take it along with you just like that.”

Traffic congestion At a few places Madurodam is even ahead of its time.

The Schiphol model was completely renovated in 2003 and an induction technique was introduced that had never been used before. The three metres long airplanes are no longer driven by a chain system but through a magnetic field, rechargeable ba�eries and mini computers. “We already use the new pier” Scheepens says. “While it still has to happen in the real world.”

That also applies for the Central Station in Utrecht.

In reality, building, renovating and rebuilding is still happening very much. In Madurodam, the relaxed miniature travellers are already waiting in the brand new departure hall and the city buses are driving through a new bus station.

And the Vinex suburbs too can be found in Madurodam.

“We really are a small version of the Netherlands. Only traffic jams are out of the question here. The cars on the freeways run along a chain system by which traffic jams are hard to imitate. In Madurodam, driving is still enjoyable. And we hope to continue doing that for a long time.”

Madurodam is open throughout the year.

More info: www.madurodam.nl

www.hollandfocus.com - 27

28 - www.hollandfocus.com

TaalsTaaltje door Frans Hertoghs

een simpele stoel exclusief voor Holland Focus!

Het wordt een nogal raar verhaal, dit keer, ik kan u misschien maar beter even waarschuwen.

Misschien zegt u tegen het eind wel teleurgesteld: “Wat die Hertoghs nou toch voor onzin uitkraamde!”

En ik vind uw reactie dan ook volstrekt acceptabel, zoals u zult zien. Want we gaan rammelen aan de grondslagen van taal, en dan komen er dingen te voorschijn die normaal diep weggestopt zitten. En dat kunnen wel eens heel belangrijke dingen zijn. Vooruit, op weg naar de grenzen van de taal.

Wirwar De wereld om ons heen is vol willekeurige signalen. Sommige ontvangen we zonder dat we ons daarvan bewust zijn, zoals temperatuur, de hoeveelheid licht, de vochtigheidsgraad en allerlei achtergrondgeluiden. Andere signalen zijn gevolgen van menselijk handelen en beva�en aanwijzingen die we kunnen plaatsen. We zien de schu�ing van onze tuin waarachter de buurvrouw hoorbare dingen doet, de straat moet nodig eens geveegd worden en er bla� een hond in de verte. En tussendoor pikken we ook signalen op die voor ons van belang zijn en waar we op kunnen, willen of moeten reageren. Zoals wanneer iemand tegen ons praat, of als je de krant leest.

Al die indrukken komen via onze zintuigen gelijktijdig en ongesorteerd bij ons binnen. Voortdurend registreren we alle signalen uit die wirwar van de ons omringende werkelijkheid. Ze worden allemaal naar onze hersenen gestuurd en daar begint het moeizame uitpluizen van het belang van al die signalen.

Ontcijfering Hoe moeizaam en fundamenteel dat proces is, zie je bij pasgeboren baby’s. Het duurt weken voor ze het gezicht van hun moeder uit de brij van ongeordende indrukken kunnen herkennen. Een knappe prestatie, waar bijvoorbeeld uw computer nog even niet aan toe is. Naarmate een kind ouder wordt leert het steeds beter om de belangrijke signalen te onderscheiden van de onbelangrijke.

En het belangrijkste hulpmiddel hierbij is taal. Een baby die zich niet lekker voelt - honger, een poepbroek,

te warm of te koud - die reageert automatisch met alarmsignalen die even effectief als ongearticuleerd zijn. Echte taal is dat nog niet. Pas wanneer er woorden aan te pas komen krijgen de indrukken een naam, een opschri�, een betekenis.

Pas dan kan er gewerkt worden aan begrip voor belang en samenhang van de verschillende indrukken. Pas dan komt er menselijke intelligentie aan te pas.

Onderschat dat proces vooral niet. Het is zó wezenlijk, dat we er volledig op vertrouwen. Zonder dat we het beseffen zijn we voortdurend bezig onze omgeving, de andere mensen, onze eigen gedachten zelfs, te ontcijferen en zin te geven. En ons enige hulpmiddel daarbij is taal.

Een simpele stoel zal dat hopelijk duidelijk kunnen maken.

Stoel Oké. Wat betekent het woord stoel? Die vraag kan iedereen beantwoorden. Een stoel is een zitmeubel, bestaande uit een zi�ing, een rugleuning en poten. Moet een stoel van hout zijn? Nee hoor, hij kan ook best van staal, van plastic, van pitriet of zelfs van baksteen zijn. En van schuimrubber, papier of scheerzeep?

En zou er ook een stoel kunnen bestaan die van lucht gemaakt was?

Nee, dat kan niet. Je moet op een stoel kunnen zi�en, anders is het geen stoel. Hoewel, is dat echt zo?

Op een poppenstoeltje kun je niet zi�en, en toch noem je dat evengoed een stoel. En als u een foto van een stoel ziet, een modern schilderij of een kindertekening, dan zegt u ook

zonder aarzelen ‘ik zie een stoel’.

Een stoel hee� meestal vier poten maar dat kunnen er ook drie zijn, of twee, of zelfs een. En bestaat er ook een stoel zonder poten? Misschien wel. Een kapo�e stoel bijvoorbeeld.

En als u nu denkt dat ik vals speel met mijn kapo�e stoel, dan vraag ik u: wanneer heet een kapo�e stoel nog steeds een stoel? Als u alleen een poot of rugleuning ziet, dan noemt u dat geen kapo�e stoel meer, maar een stuk stoel. Om iets een kapo�e stoel te kunnen noemen moet het in de geest toch nog steeds een stoel zijn.

Kortom, uw geest hee� alle mogelijke en denkbare stoelen ter wereld in het woord stoel gestopt. En dan ook echt álle stoelen, ook die we nog nooit gezien hebben of waarover we zelfs nog nooit hebben nagedacht. Hier, aan de grenzen van de taal blijkt dat iedereen toch iets anders verstaat onder het begrip stoel. Er is een punt waarop sommigen zullen vinden dat iets nog wel een stoel is, terwijl anderen er zeker van zijn dat er hier van een stoel geen sprake meer is.

En precies daar ligt de grens van taalmogelijkheden. En dus ook de beperking van de communicatie met woorden, de verbale communicatie.

Wat is kunst?

Ja, zegt u misschien, kunst. Wie ver genoeg doordenkt gaat aan alles twijfelen. Normaal gesproken is iedereen het volkomen eens over wat www.hollandfocus.com - 29

een stoel is en wat niet. Nou, dat wil ik dan misschien wel aannemen, al zou ik het interessant vinden om te horen waarom u dat zo precies weet en hoe u dat hebt kunnen controleren.

Want het ellendige is, dat een stoel wel ongeveer het simpelste ding is dat we een naam kunnen geven. Wat gebeurt er als we gaan praten over ruimere begrippen: wat vindt u bijvoorbeeld van muziek en wat niet meer?

Hoe meer ongrijpbaar het woord en het begrip hoe minder overeenstemming er bestaat over de inhoud.

Wat betekent eerlijkheid? Wat valt er allemaal onder zelfvertrouwen of stijl? Of nog erger: wat is normaal? En tenslo�e, wat betekent kunst, liefde, God? Raadsels Steeds blijkt weer dat we voor de belangrijkste begrippen in ons leven woorden gebruiken met een inhoud waar we het maar zelden over eens zijn. Wanneer ben je gierig en wanneer let je gewoon een beetje op je centen? Wanneer hou je van iemand? Wat is geloof?

Alles, alles vat je in taal, in woorden. En hoe belangrijker ze voor ons zijn, des te onzekerder zijn we over de precieze inhoud ervan. Steeds opnieuw blijkt dat je maar moet raden wat anderen met precies hetzelfde woord bedoelen. Taal is een verzameling raadsels.

Als u ooit nog denkt: ik hou van taal, wil u dan alstublie� denken aan die vierhonderdduizend kilometer hoge kapo�e stoel van ruimtestof zonder poten, rugleuning of zi�ing?

School

‘Gezellig’ One of those Dutch words that is hard to translate.

At DutchCare we have translated it into “home”.

Whether it’s in your own home through a community aged care package or one of our homes where we can provide you with 24 hour care.

With our commitment to the Eden Alternative philosophy we enable our elders to “live” life through companionship, involvement in decision making, companionship and activities.

We can also help you work through the maze of aged care services.

DutchCare

PO Box 8219 1105 Frankston-Dandenong Rd Carrum Downs Vic 3201 Call us for more information on

03-9782 6633

Visit our website www.dutchcare.com.au

Hoi Moniek!

Sorry, dat ik zo laat terug schijf, maar zoals ik zei is het nu schoolvakantie en ik was naar Warrnambool geweest. Dat ligt aan de kust, west van Melbourne. Jammer genoeg was het helemaal geen lekker weer om bij het strand te zi�en. Er was storm met windvlagen van wel 145 km/u.

Een van mijn vriendinnen wil ook een fysiotherapeut worden, maar zij wil een sport-fysiotherapeut worden, zodat ze aan bekende sportmensen kan friemelen.

Bij ons op school hoeven wij onze boeken niet te ka�en omdat wij in Australië onze boeken op school kopen of bij een boekwinkel. Aan het eind van het jaar verkoop je je boeken weer bij de tweedehands boekenverkoop die de school organiseert. Als je je boeken dan niet verkoopt krijg je ze terug en moet je ze houden of als je slim bent verkoop je ze aan een boekwinkel.

In onze pauze mogen wij jammer genoeg niet van het schoolplein af; tenzij je in jaar 12 zit, want de leraren beginnen ons dan pas een beetje te vertrouwen. Dus omdat wij tijdens lunch niet uit school mogen, zi�en we lekker in de zon te niksen en veel te eten.

We hebben dan een ‘picnic’ op het schoolplein. In de winter zi�en we in de lokalen(dat eigenlijk niet mag) of lopen we rond de school. Vaak vragen we onze oudere zussen of broers of ze wat lekkers bij de winkels verder op de weg voor ons kopen.

Mijn schooluniform in de zomer is zoals je misschien al hebt gezien in Holland Focus een jurkje. Die moeten we met wi�e kniehoge sokken aan en zwarte veterschoenen. In de winter hebben we een geruite rok met een licht blauwe blouse waar je, als je hem in de kleinste maat koopt, drie keer in past en een kriebeltrui en weer dezelfde schoenen en sokken als voor de zomer. We mogen geen armbanden of halske�ingen om, geen nagellak, geen rare kleuren in je haar en geen make-up, dat betekent niets, zelfs geen moisturizer.

Bij ons op school hebben wij geen mentor, we hebben wel een co-ordinator, die hee� iets meer verantwoordelijkheden dan een normale leraar en we hebben een ‘student welfare coordinator’ dat is een soort therapist waar je tegen kan praten als je ergens problemen mee hebt.

Wat doe jij als je pauze hebt? Wat is je favoriete vak? Waarom? Zit je de hele dag met dezelfde klas?

X Claire 30 - www.hollandfocus.com

Muziek Hoi Claire, Eigenlijk ben ik wel benieuwd welke muziek in Australië populair is bij meiden en jongens van mijn lee�ijd. Toen ik vorig jaar op vakantie was in Australië, heb ik niet zo veel muziek gehoord die hier in Nederland ook wordt gedraaid.

Er is hier heel veel soorten muziek te koop. Ook Australische artiesten zoals Kylie Minogue worden hier gedraaid. Persoonlijk vind ik die muziek niet zo leuk.

Ik luister graag naar muziek die in discotheken wordt gedraaid zoals The Partysquad, NopeisDope en andere house/clubmixen.

Elke maand ga ik naar een tienerdisco met mijn vriendinnen (tenminste, als mijn huiswerk af is). Dat is voor meiden en jongens van 12-14 jaar. Er mag niet worden gerookt en er wordt geen alcohol geschonken.

Ook is er toezicht. Er wordt bijvoorbeeld op gelet dat je niet zomaar naar buiten loopt. Het is leuk en er komen veel kinderen van mijn school. En leuke jongens!

Ik houd ook van rustige nummers uit de Top 40 zoals Gio: ‘Ik denk aan jou’ of ‘Bubbly’ van Colbie Callait.

Nederlandstalige muziek van bijvoorbeeld Frans Bauer of Jan Smit vind ik afschuwelijk! Maar er zijn ook kinderen die helemaal wegzwijmelen bij Jan Smit.

Er wordt veel naar muziek van Amerikaanse artiesten geluisterd. Een paar voorbeelden: Rihanna, Sugababes en allerlei soorten Rapmuziek.

Had ik al verteld dat ik dans? Al vanaf mijn vierde jaar. Nu drie keer in de week. Ik doe aan streetdance en jazzdance en zit in een groep die optreedt. De muziek waarop we dansen is dezelfde als waar ik graag naar luister.

En we hebben hier natuurlijk Idols. Dat is wel leuk om naar de te kijken (vooral de audities).

Maar dat ik nu echt een CD zal kopen van een winnaar….er is er nog niet een die echt populair is geworden. Jullie hebben toch ook Idols in Australië? Hoe gaat dat bij jullie? En hebben jullie ook speciale disco’s voor tieners? Hopelijk kun je in de volgende Holland Focus daar antwoord op geven, Claire.

Groetjes vanuit een koud Nederland (5 April, 5 graden!)

Moniek

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���������������������� www.hollandfocus.com - 31

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Imagine being a well-known Austrian composer. More than fifty years ago, you, together with your parents, migrated to Canada. There, over the years, you established a successful career, now being one of the leading composers. One day, you get a call from the Austrian genealogical society, advising you that research confirmed that you are related to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Would you believe that story straight away?

This is exactly what happened to John Koenders. In fact, he is not a composer, but a painter.

And he is not related to Mozart, but to Vincent van Gogh. When the authorities called him, he didn’t believe a word they were saying. But from that day, his life changed forever.

Limiting John Koender’s story to his connection to Van Gogh would not be fair. He has been a professional artist for more than forty years, not knowing anything about his famous ancestry. John was born in Bodegraven (South of Holland) in 1943. He already knew he could draw when he a�ended kindergarten where he made up stories with his brooms. His first recollection of painting dates from when he was two years old: his grandfather painted a bit, and one day he had given John a piece of paper and a brush so he could paint too. John went off the paper, onto the floorboard, and his grandfather went crook at him. That made an enormous impression: “It’s still very vivid in my mind. I loved my grandfather, and I was devastated he went off crook at me. I can still tell you where I was si�ing and what was next to me.”

When he was twelve, John won the European Scouting Art Award, making him the youngest price-winner since its inception. “I won a box of Talens paint and crayons, but I felt I cheated a bit. You had to make something associated with scouting, so kids drew tents and trees.

32 - www.hollandfocus.com

But I drew Lord Baden Powell.” In 1972, the Australian scouts approached him to do some drawings for a calendar. They were hanging in their boardroom for a long time. “But I don’t know where they are now. I hope they didn’t throw them away, because that would have been a huge mistake!” laughs John.

CHANGE OF PLANS The Koenders family migrated to Australia in the late fi�ies. Surprisingly enough, they were not supposed to come to Australia. John’s father, being a seaman on the Holland-America line, had planned to go to America via Canada. There he had a lot of contacts and had already jobs and a house lined up. But just before they were to leave, John’s father had a heart a�ack. A�er his recovery, they had to wait another three months to leave for Canada. “My father was afraid they might find out about his condition. We could get a plane out to Australia right away, so he didn’t want to take the chance and went to the emigration department to tell them he had changed his mind. So we ended up in Perth.”

T

Left: John Koenders, his wife Di Koenders and daughter Emily (who are both artists too) in the Mayfield Gallery in South Gippsland, Victoria.

John studied art at the University of Western Australia.

In his spare time, he was always busy drawing. Even at school, he designed school papers and logos. “I always had a drawing pencil in my pocket. When I went to high school, rather than going into technical drawings, I did art. And the girls loved that.” In 1959, John moved to Victoria, together with his parents and his sister. A�er his studies, John worked for a shipping company and joined a big cigare�e manufacturer.

SENSATION Just a�er his son was born, John had a rather bad car accident. He had several crushed vertebrae. The doctor asked his wife Di to encourage John to paint, just to keep him on the straight path. One day, somebody from the Rotary Club approached him, asking John to make a painting for their very first exchange student. “They wanted me to paint the house where he was staying at.

It was a double fronted, brick veneer, dull, ugly house.

How on earth was I going to make this look nice? So I planted myself on the other side of the road, and covered the house up with trees. They were very happy with the painting, and so I got started. The career was long and sometimes hard, but always successful.”

L

I

professional artist.“ I told my uncle I wouldn’t mention anything before I had the paperwork in my hands, considering the Australian tall poppy syndrome.” Since the day of that phone call, John’s life changed completely. Art historians from Canberra came to look for resemblances between his work and Van Gogh’s. “That was funny. They reckoned they could see the relationship between Vincent and me in my current paintings. But I can’t see it myself! Only a few early charcoal paintings show some resemblance Below: John Koenders: “Art historians from Canberra reckoned they could see the relationship between Vincent and me in my current paintings. But I can”t see it myself!”

E

A�er a long career, John and Di were thinking of slowing down with their painting, to be able to spend some more time with their grandchildren. “I wasn’t looking for any more sensation in my life, and then all of a sudden the phone rings, and a bloke tells me that I am related to Vincent van Gogh!” John did not believe the story, and hung up. Only a�er he confirmed the details with his uncle in The Netherlands, John started to realise what had happened to him. John’s great grandfather was a nephew of Vincent Van Gogh, making him the only known living descendant of Van Gogh who is a

VINCENT

GOGH

Van Gogh’s works are perhaps better known generally than those of any other painter. His brief, turbulent and tragic life is thought to epitomize the mad genius legend. Only one of Van Gogh’s paintings was sold while he lived. The majority of the works were produced in 29 months of frenzied activity and intermittent bouts with epileptic seizures and profound despair that finally ended in suicide. In his grim struggle Vincent had one constant support, his brother Théo, to whom he wrote revealing letters detailing his conflicts and aspirations. Ten years before his death Van Gogh decided to be a painter.

His early work consists of dark greenish-brown, heavily painted studies of peasants and miners, e.g., The Potato Eaters. In 1886 he joined Théo in Paris, where he met the foremost French painters of the postimpressionist period. His painting Père Tanguy was the first complete work in his new colours. In 1888, in ill health and longing for release from Paris, he took a house at Arles. He was joined by Gauguin for a brief period fraught with tension, during which he mutilated his left ear. His paintings from this period include the series of sunflowers. During his illness he was confined first to the Arles Hospital, then to the asylum at Saint-Rémy, where he painted Starry Night. Van Gogh’s last three months were spent in Auvers, painting the eccentric Dr. Gachet, a physician and collector who watched over him. Vincent’s consciousness of his burden upon Théo increased. His work tempo was pushed to the limit. He despaired and shot himself, dying two days later in the arms of his brother. (biography adapted from infoplease.com)

VAN

www.hollandfocus.com - 33

Right: John Koenders is a direct descendant of Vincent van Gogh, and (apart from his children) the only known living descendant who is a professional artist. with early work of Vincent.”

In April, John le� for Europe for a television documentary about his connection with Van Gogh. They will be walking in the footsteps of Vincent. The NOS wants to interview him, and the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam asked him to repaint some of Van Gogh’s work in his own style for an exhibition. The city of Arles is making him guest of honour at the yearly Van Gogh festival. “It’s going to be crazy. It would be funny if they give me the key of the city, because once they threw Vincent out of town. It’s about time they set this straight.

For the moment, everybody is very nice to me.”

A WORLD NAME John was not particularly interested in Van Gogh before he found out he was related to him. In fact he only liked some of his work. “If they had rung me up and told me I was related to another painter, I would have been just as happy. But to say Van Gogh, allemachtig, that’s a world name.” According to John, there’s always a lot of sensationalism about Van Gogh, and the man has never been shown what he really was. The more he reads about Vincent, the more John feels Van Gogh is being misquoted and misrepresented in many books. “It’s probably a square peg in a round hole, but he was an artist.”

John has mixed feelings about the fact that he discovered his connection to Van Gogh only recently. In one way, he is glad that he had already established such a long and successful career. “I sold a lot more paintings during my life than Vincent did in his days. But on the other hand, I could ask God if he couldn’t have let me know about this association forty years ago? Then I wouldn’t have had to work so hard!”

John and Di Koenders work in the Mayfield Gallery in Arawata, South Gippsland.

The gallery is open from 10am till 5pm daily, including public holidays. A beautiful book of his (and one of Di’s) work has been compiled and is available at Mayfield Gallery or through their website: http://www.artistsaustralia.com.au P����� S�����

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Top: John Koenders: “I will be guest of honour at the yearly Van Gogh festival in Arles. It would be funny if they give me the key of the city, because once they threw Vincent out of town. It’s about time they set this straight.

For the moment, everybody is very nice to me.

34 - www.hollandfocus.com

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Pim

Two wolves and a sheep

The date of 1 April usually produces two associations for the Dutch.

Extremes they are. One is cheerful, because 1 April is traditionally a day for jokes, although, to be truthful, there seem to be less and less jokes. Perhaps that has something to do with the other picture that appears on 1 April: the date on which the annual tax declaration has to be at the tax office.

The Tax Office has been using the same slogan for a few years now: “We can’t make it more pleasant, only easier”. And that is very true. The Tax Office doesn’t know any 1 April Fool’s jokes. They don’t know any jokes at all. But filling in the tax declaration form has indeed become a lot easier.

Every year I pushed that annoying job infinitely away from me, but it has become a piece of cake, actually.

Nowadays you can fill in your declaration electronically through internet. A�er having organised all papers and stacked them in front of me, it turns out that the chore only takes about an hour. And in contrast to the Tax Office, you yourself can try to make it much more pleasant.

By, for example, finding as many legitimate deductions as possible; every year a thick guide helps me with this. Thus your diligent labour will be rewarded and you earn at least something too.

The question is whether a large number of Dutch well-to-do-people will think this too this year. This

fine as a bonus.

I read another tax tale in the Saturday edition of my regional daily paper. “Tax is the�”, headlined the newspaper above the article. It concerned the ‘The Hague Lawyers College’, which through loopholes in the law recommends companies to have much more tax advantages.

In itself this is no news, because there are many consultancies that do the same. However, I found it remarkable as this office is managed

by Toine Manders, who as a lawyer helped young men avoid military conscription in the nineties. He still has his rebellious tricks, because Manders - according to the article – is principally against paying tax.

“The government robs the civilians”, Manders says in this article. When the journalist states that a tax levy is nevertheless a democratically taken decision, Manders answer: “Democracy does not mean that there is no case of injustice.

Democracy is nothing else then two wolves and a sheep who together will vote about what to have for dinner tonight”.

A�er a moment of reflection on that ‘judgment’ I again placed the new tax guide on my lap. I still have six days to go.

1 april, kikker in je bil!

spring the Belgian justice treated the Dutch Tax Office on a CD-ROM on their Luxembourg bank account.

And not just the account number, but also the value in euro in that bank account. As long as we can remember Luxembourg has had an absolute banking secrecy, but apparently an insider finished this. The Dutch judge, where a victim instituted legal proceedings against unlawfully received evidence, has judged that the tax service is allowed to use the information. “We can’t make it more pleasant”, the people at the Tax Office will have thought. Now the deceived rich - and now I grin from ear to ear - can pay overdue tax over their Luxembourg credit balance of years and will also get a considerable

Pim Feijen

Marcia, from page 21 involves the words Talbot (the make of car) and kapot (broken). I have no recollection of a ‘g’ joke so will say ‘Genoeg!’ (Enough!) and end on a partly personal note. In response to the question on p 48 of holland focus for March-April: ‘Welke familienaam komt in Nederland het meest voor?’, the name de Groot (another ‘g’ word when we follow the Dutch custom for alphabetical listing as in the phone book) comes 10th. Other de Groot’s come to mind. Recently I came across a mention of de beroemde (the famous) Hugo de Groot and his clever escape with the help of his wife, from Slot Loevestein in 1618 (in a bookcase!). I’m si�ing here looking at an aerial photo of the castle and cannot see whether the windows are glas-in-lood.

Wat denken jullie? What do you think?

Tot de volgende keer.

photo: Hugo de Groot, by Yolanda Edens

Marcia de Groot www.hollandfocus.com - 35

boekbespreking Grote reizen met kleine kinderen is verschenen bij KIT Publishers. Het is geschreven door Femmie Goudswaard en Monique van Orden. Het is een praktische gids voor iedereen die met kinderen tot 12 jaar een verre reis gaat maken.

Steeds meer ouders met jonge kinderen wagen de sprong om samen een verre reis te maken. Maar hoe bereid je je daarop het beste voor? Kunnen kinderen zo zo’n reis wel aan? Hoe kom je erachter of het financieel wel uit komt? Welke organisaties zijn behulpzaam bij onderwijs op afstand? En welke verzekeringen passen het best bij je wensen?

Deze gids gee� op deze en andere vragen een passend antwoord en vormt daarmee een stevig vertrekpunt voor een onvergetelijk avontuur me de kind(eren).

Auteurs Femmie Goudswaard en Monique van Orden reisden allebei met hun gezin de wereld over en zijn bij uitstek ervaringsdeskundigen. Monique maakte een grote Azië-reis met haar twee kinderen en Femmie zeilde in drie jaar de wereld rond. Grote reizen met kleine kinderen is een geheel herziene editie van het eerder verschenen gelijknamige boek bij Uitgeverij Kosmos.

Boekgegevens ISBN 978 90 6832 477 8, Paperback, 212 pagina’s, Prijs € 13,95 Alle KIT-publicaties zijn verkrijgbaar in de Nederlandse boekhandel of via internet.

Kinderboek Schapen tellen haalde de lijst van de Best Verzorgde Boeken uit 2007.

Fotograaf Hans van der Meer werd bij een groot publiek bekend door Hollandse velden.

Een fotoboek over de onderste regionen van het amateurvoetbal met een tekst van Jan Mulder. Daarna breidde hij zijn werkgebied uit naar Europa en dat leidde in 2006 tot een tentoonstelling in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen en het boek: Europese velden. Landschap van het amateurvoetbal.

In Schapen tellen staan geen voetbalvelden maar schapen centraal. Deze dieren hebben de neiging om op een kluitje te gaan staan en dat vergemakkelijkt het tellen niet. Dat ondervond Hans van der Meer toen hij op de boerderij van een bevriende boer paste en dagelijks moest nagaan of alle 39 schapen nog wel in de wei stonden. Hij telde er dan weer 42, dan weer 36. In Schapen tellen staat op iedere foto een groep schapen: voor kinderen een uitdaging om goed te kijken en het juiste aantal schapen te tellen.

NRC Handelsblad: ‘Het zijn foto’s die telkens een beetje op elkaar lijken maar die nergens hetzelfde zijn. Misschien daarom dat ze uitnodigen tot tellen.’

Gegevens: lee�ijd vanaf 4 jaar gebonden € 12,50, 64 blz. 21 x 21 cm vormgeving Steef Lie�ing ISBN 978 90 468 0206 9

Hauroko, het geluid van de wind vertelt het verhaal van Frank Brightwater, als tiener veroordeeld voor de moord op zijn broer Jack, tijdens een weekend samen met Jack en diens vriendin in een bach aan Wellingtons ruige South Coast. Op proefverlof, na twaalf jaar gevangenis, is Frank vastbesloten zijn onschuld te bewijzen, maar wat er twaalf jaar geleden is gebeurd, is ook voor Frank een raadsel.

Frank zoekt zijn weg door het mijnenveld van de Nieuw-Zeelandse georganiseerde misdaad, verzeild in de illegale internationale handel in kunst, komt in aanraking met Black Power en Mongrel Mob Gangs en wordt voortdurend geplaagd door een corrupt politieapparaat en de spoken uit zijn eigen verleden.

Geholpen door de Montenegrijnse kunsthandelaar Dušan Marianović weet Frank beetje bij beetje de waarheid te ontrafelen, meer dan wat zijn broer Jack is aangedaan en Frank moet alles op alles ze�en om zijn achtervolgers voor te blijven. Het verhaal speelt zich grotendeels in de hoofdstad Wellington af, met passages in de Top of the South Island en de Wairarapa.

Een fictief verhaal, dat parallel loopt aan de gebeurtenissen die de Nieuw-Zeelandse politie de laatste jaren in opspraak bracht; de Louise-Nicholaszaak, de rechtszaken tegen –voormalige- politiebeambten en de publieke verontwaardiging over de vrijspraak van Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards.

Hauroko, het geluid van de wind is Daan Kolthoffs tweede roman. Eerder verscheen Sals lot (voor geinteresseerden in Australie en Nieuw-Zeeland alleen verkrijgbaar via internet: www.lulu.com/content/614432) en schreef Daan opiniestukken voor diverse media en achtergrondinformatie voor de Nederlandse Immigratiedienst IND. Daan woont samen met zijn vrouw Megan en drie dochters tussen de heuvels van Wellington, Nieuw-Zeeland.

Voorheen werkte Daan jarenlang in de medische noodhulp voor Artsen Zonder Grenzen en als zelfstandig consultant op het gebied van ‘Ethics in the Public Service’, beiden dankbare bronnen om als schrijver uit te pu�en.

36- www.hollandfocus.com

BRUHA?

Een nieuwe roman van Eric Abbas In 2001 schreef Eric Abbas (1939, was leraar op de Antillen) zijn eerste boek: A le�er to the Indies (ISBN 1844260917). De Nederlandse bewerking van deze goed ontvangen autobiografische roman kwam twee jaar later uit onder de titel Een brief naar Indië (ISBN 9054291699).

Bruha? / Eric Abbas Assen: Servo, cop. 2007, 220 P, 21 cm.

ISBN: 9789057860690, prijs: € 16,95

Bruha? zijn tweede roman gaat over Bas Tjalsma, een leraar Engels, a�omstig uit Nederland, die met zijn gezin naar het (fictieve) Caraïbische eiland Dorado vertrekt om daar les te geven. Het gezin maakt gruwelijke dingen mee. Ook op school zijn er problemen, met name tussen de overzeese (makamba’s) en de autochtone leraren. Een makamba is een buitenlander, le�erlijk binnendringer. Uiteindelijk blijkt de plaatselijke heks, Isabel Hernandes, achter veel ellende te zi�en (het “bruha” is een inheemse vorm van hekserij). Ze wordt hiertoe aangezet door haar criminele neef uit Bogota.

Bruha? een psychologische roman, die de laatkoloniale sfeer onder expats aardig weergee�. ook bij internetboekhandels te bestellen

“I beg your pardon” “G‘day mate, I’m Bill Door I haven’t seen you in this outback pub before.”

“Good a�ernoon Mr Door, my name is Henk van der Zands I am the school teacher who arrived yesterday from the Netherlands.”

“Don’t call me Mr Door for goodness sake I’m more than happy if you call me mate.”

by Jack Mevissen drawing Edo Fuijkschot

“Sit down mate and let’s have a few I already had some, how many I haven’t got a clue.

For a crust I work as a bricky but this arvo I took a sicky.”

“Mr Door, I beg your pardon Sir, I do not understand Is it me or the language of this land?”

“You want to meet me Misses Lee If we’re lucky she might have cooked us some tea.

Before we go I’ve to fill me old ute with some juice otherwise we’ll have to walk and come up with a good excuse.”

“Mr Door, Mr Door, I told you before I am not a bore But if you continue like this, I am out of the door.”

“Misses, I have a visitor for tea I hope you have some tucker for him and me.

He can’t follow our lingo, he says he hasn’t got a bloody clue.

So I’m going to teach the poor bugger a thing or two.”

“I am very pleased to meet you Mrs Door I hope you speak a different language than Bill did before.”

“You two buggers are a bit late I was just thinking of locking the bloody gate.

Anyway, I cooked us some spuds, snags and colli and we can wash it down with a stubby.”

“I don’t understand a word Mrs Door, is it you or is it me I suppose I be�er invest in an Australian dictionary.”

“Henk, I don’t know about you but I have a full belly and no room for the ice cream and jelly.

So…let’s sit down and have a few and work out what I can do for you.

You don’t need a school, lessons or a dictionary mate what you need is a personal lingo teacher, so let’s set a date”

“I will meet ye every arvo at the bar and in no time you will be a lingo star.

Soon you no longer have to say ’I don’t understand’ You will soon know the lingo of this land.

Of course there will be no charge or fee As long as you keep the drinks up to me.”

www.hollandfocus.com - 37

Tales from the Lowlands

words Johan de Rooy photos Peter Oudendijk February and March were busy months in Adelaide. First we had the Clipsal 500 street race, followed by Womadelaide and the Fringe events. Sandwiched in between was Adelaide Writers Week.

The la�er was founded in 1960 during the Adelaide Festival of Arts.

Apart from Australian writers Adelaide also hosts authors from all over the world. Since 1988 Dutch writers have a�ended Writers Week; about a dozen so far.

The Dirk Hartog Foundation in the Netherlands has been instrumental in the issue of an anthology of short stories and fragments from novels by 11 of these writers in the English language.

The book, edited by Joed Elich and Malou Nozeman, is solely for Australian consumption as a momentum of 20 years Dutch/Australian literary contacts. It is distributed for free with support of the Netherlands Embassy in Canberra. The book was launched on March 5th in the Adelaide Town hall.

The circulation numbered some 2500 copies.

A goodly number of the Dutch Community was present to hear a word of welcome from the Lord Mayor Michael Photos clockwise from le� top: Dr Michael Henningsen, Ambassador to the Netherlands Mr. Niek van Zutphen, Moses Isagawa, Lord Mayor Michael Harbison, Margaret Day (Director of Warrina Homes Dutch Aged Care nursing home); Ambassador Niek van Zutphen, Ros Drew (CEO of Warrina Homes), Willem Ouwens (Hon Consul of SA); Niek van Zutphen, Moses Isagawa (writer from the Netherlands), Willem Ouwens

38 - www.hollandfocus.com

Harbison. The ambassador of the Netherlands Mr. Niek van Zutphen was the next speaker. He explained the aims of the Dirk Hartog Foundation and commemorated the close ties Australia had, and has, with the Netherlands.

He introduced us to the Dutch/ Ugandan author Moses Isegawa who was present and kept busy signing the book for which he wrote the first story.

Holland Focus had an interview with Moses a�er.

We speak to a Ugandan writer who represents Dutch authors at the Adelaide Writers Week. How come?

Well, yes, but I also represent Ugandan writers. I am the proud holder of a Dutch passport, next to my Ugandan citizenship.

How did this come about?

I was born in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala. At secondary school my English teacher encouraged me to write. Since my teenage years I wanted to be a writer, travel and see the world. In 1990 I was lucky to receive a tourist visa for the Netherlands.

And you started writing there?

Not immediately, no. First I had to learn the language and try to find a job to keep me in food and lodging. It took me 8 years before my first novel was published. It sold very well and is translated in quite a few languages.

How do you rate the Adelaide Writers Week?

Great!! I was impressed by our audiences who stayed with us in the 38 degrees heat outside the tent. It was even ho�er inside.

Are you going back to the Netherlands a�er this?

No, I am going back to Uganda again; for inspiration and renewal.

Any ideas yet for a new book?

Not yet. You know, I am now 54 years old and in Uganda I am “een ouwe bok” (old goat). Did you know that 70% of all Ugandans are younger than 30 years? But I will try and we will see what happens.

Mr Isegawa, thank you!

Graag gedaan (my pleasure).

Mr Isegawa’s books: Abessijnse Kronieken - Abyssinian Chronicles, characterised as a ‘family and a community history, the story of African traditions and morals, a kaleidoscope of fantasies, fantastic stories and dreams’.

Slangenkuil - Snake Pit, set during Idi Amin’s dictatorship.

Met voorbedachte daden - Premeditated Deeds Wie niet horen wil - Who does not listen.

NSW

An anthology of Dutch literature entitled ‘Tales from the Lowlands’, the book that was handed out during the Adelaide Writers Festival.

o py t st o c e fir e onto the name v a h We e away at can r giv son th e othe ook per of th f this b oneters o wri email your answer to editor@hollandfocus.com or mail to PO Box 169, Olinda Vic 3788, Australia

St Marys Dutch Festival

Het Festival was een groot succes. Jong en oud hee� genoten van de atmosfeer, het eten en het prachtige weer.

De show was uitgebreid tot buiten de hekken met demonstraties en springkastelen. Dus de bezoekers genoten al voordat ze een kaartje kochten.

De Dutch-Australian Genealogy Group was een doorslaand succes. Steeds meer mensen willen weten waar hun ‘prehistorische’ familie woonde.

Peter Plowman kon alles over de emigrantenschepen vertellen. Al zijn boeken waren tentoongesteld. Hij zal op 14 juni weer in de Rembrandt Club spreken over al die schepen van voorheen en waar ze nu zijn.

De forel werd weer ter plaatse gerookt en het kon niet vlug genoeg gaan. De kroketjes gingen erin als koek. En niet te vergeten: de oliebollen en poffertjes. Overal werden records gebroken.

De Australische ‘Shooting Association’ was er met hun mobiele schietbaan. Iedereen mocht voor niks schieten.

Zo brengen ze de boodschap over, dat schieten niet gevaarlijk hoe� te zijn. De muziek was weer geweldig. Op zaterdagavond werd aan Phil Crawshaw gevraagd of hij een uur langer kon spelen want de bezoekers wilden ‘nog lange niet naar huis!’

De lokale kranten hebben deze keer meer dan voorheen aandacht aan het St Marys Dutch Festival besteed.

Meer en meer bezoekers hoorde je zeggen: “Wow! Nooit geweten dat hier zo’n ‘Gezellig Plekje’ is”.

Alle leden die tijdens het Festival aanwezig waren, plus alle vrijwilligers, kregen als presentje een pen met erop gedrukt: www.rembrandtdutchclub.com “Keep In Touch”.

De eerste zaterdag na het Festival hielden we de ‘VolunteersThank-You dinner night’. Een gratis etentje voor al die harde werkers. Het resultaat van iedere groep werd genoemd en het aplaus werd na iedere aankondiging luider.

Een paar groepen werden niet genoemd omdat ze een gratis a�ractie waren, dus ook de meisjes die de face painting deden. Maar ze kwamen er niet zomaar vanaf.

Ze werden naar voren gehaald en moesten elkaars gezicht beschilderen. Terwijl ze dat deden werd de voorzi�er erbij gehaald en zijn gezicht werd door Rosemary beschilderd.

Hij werd veranderd in een kruising tussen Marcel Marseau en een clown van Circe de Soleil (zie foto links onder).

Rosemary hee� vele talenten en zong ook een paar liedjes waar iedereen stil van werd.

Ook werd er een tombola gehouden zonder dat men de tickets hoefde te kopen. Er werd lijndansles gegeven. Dat was uiteindelijk meer gelach dan dat er gedanst werd.

Omdat de Rembrandt Club dit jaar het 30 jarig bestaan viert was er een gigantische taart. Adry Klymy mocht de taart aansnijden. Zij is er vanaf het prille begin bij geweest en was tijdens dit Festival weer een vrijwilliger. Dat verdient een pluim!

De rommelmarkt werd dit jaar niet tijdens het Festival gehouden. Twee weken eerder hadden we een grote rommelmarkt, waarvan de overgebleven artikelen naar verschillende instanties gingen.

De lokale Life Line en Op-Shop hebben weer nieuwe vooraad, en voor de Club was het een geweldige dag.

Onze dank gaat ook naar de vele sponsors van het Festival, o.a. Holland Focus. De vele prijswinnaars zijn allemaal in hun sas. Al deze geschenken maakte dit Festival tot een geweldig feest.

‘Het is weer voorbij voor een jaar’, wordt er gezucht. Met volop nieuwe ideeën kunnen we aan het volgend Festival gaan werken.

Mia Joosten

www.hollandfocus.com - 39

Clog migration

Being the contact address in the Netherlands for Holland Focus I was informed by the commi�ee of Dutch Orange Day Melbourne of the plans for this year: have clogs painted and signed by well-known Dutch and Australians and then sold by auction. The proseeds of this auction will go to a good course: the Royal Children’s “Business for Live” Foundation in Melbourne.

That seemed a piece of cake. But BNers (Bekende Nederlanders = well-known Dutch) are not too keen on painting clogs, not even artists. Most of the requests were ignored or rejected. This did not work at all.

I, as a dancing member of the folk dance group the Pierewaaiers, have ‘participated’ before in Dutch Orange Day, in 2006 to be precise. Then we (for us in the middle of the night) have participated in the record a�empt of the clog dancing via a satellite connection. That was fantastic. Therefore the idea for this year was also ‘thrown out to the group’ at the Pierewaaiers. Of course as a folk dance group we have a so� spot for clogs: we dance on- and talk about them. Almost instantly the idea arose that the Pierewaaiers would paint the clogs. To offer them a�erwards to BNers with the request to sign them.

Because that does not cost much effort and time. And that

seemed to work.

Instead of a practice evening an evening of clog painting was planned. And to avoid the high costs of sending clogs and paint from Australia to have them returned again, a clog maker in the Netherlands was approached and the intention explained to him. He immediately offered about 20 clogs for free.

Angela Groothuizen, cabaret performer Herman Finkers, Anky van Grunsven, singer Jody Bernal and cyclist Leontien van Moorsel have signed a clog by now and some added a personal message and a signed photo.

Angela Groothuizen did even add her newest CD, signed too of course.

Perhaps a somewhat low result from the BNers. But do realise that each clog is a unique collector’s item, soon to be auctioned (clogs are on display on Dutch Orange Day where bidding starts and continues on eBay). A�er all, they are the first clog migrants from the Netherlands that will celebrate Koninginnedag on the other side of the world this year.

Warm greeting from a - still cold - Nederland, Yolanda Edens More signed and painted clogs by: Trent Cochin (footballer),Clare Bowditch, Jess McAvoy (singer), Trevor Marmalade, John So (mayor of Melbourne), Mike Larkan (weatherman), Queenie v/d Zandt, Georgie Parker (actress) and Todd Sweeney (actor). These clogs were donated by ‘The Clog Barn’, Coffs Harbour (NSW).

40 - www.hollandfocus.com

2008 KLM Dutch Orange Day Celebrating Dutch Culture The 30th of April is Koninginnedag in the Netherlands.

Traditionally celebrating the birthday of the late Queen Juliana, Koninginnedag has evolved to a national day of festivities for Dutch people. All over the country, it is an occasion for street parties, free concerts and many, o�en traditional, activities for young and old. It’s the one day of the year that the Dutch show their national pride and many dress up in orange (except during the World or European Cup Soccer, when the Netherlands turn orange for up to a month). Therefore, it is no wonder that for Dutch people living abroad Koninginnedag always is that special day to remember their heritage.

In Victoria, with so many people from Dutch descent, KLM Dutch Orange Day is the opportunity to celebrate Dutch culture. With this day named a�er the national colour and the date deliberately chosen to coincide with Koninginnedag, it is a major event showcasing ‘everything Dutch’ to the broader public.

This year will mark the fourth edition of KLM Dutch Orange Day. Over the years the day has become a major event for the Dutch community in Victoria. The day will be showcasing how Dutch people have successfully integrated in Australian society, with a full program of performers with a Dutch background. The day will be hosted by Trevor Marmalade from the Footy Show and comedian Queenie van de Zandt who is also part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, with performances by Jess McAvoy - one of Australia’s young emerging singer/ songwriters (interview in last issue) and the well-known children’s entertainer Mister Whiskers and his dog Smiggy.

Dutch culture and traditions will be on show in many different ways. Folk dance group De Tukkers will perform traditional Dutch folk dances, wearing traditional Dutch costumes. The group was formed in Melbourne in 1974 with the aim to retain and perform this Dutch folklore in Australia and some of these dances date back 200 years. The cra� of making wooden clogs will be shown and you can join in the traditional Dutch game of ‘sjoelen’. And no Dutch event would be complete without Dutch foods for everyone to try and enjoy.

Children will play an important role in the KLM Dutch Orange Day celebrations. They will be part of the opening ceremony, singing both the Australian and Dutch anthems. The Elwood Dutch playgroup, a very active group of parents with a focus on maintaining the Dutch language for their children, will be offering cra� activities such as making paper tulips, painting ‘del� blue’ tiles and face painting. In addition, there will be a balloon race, clog golf, orange fairy floss, and much more…

The mayor fundraising event is the auction of two return economy airfare tickets to Amsterdam, generously sponsored by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Silent bidding has already started through the website (www.dutchorangeday.com) and will continue during the day. The name of the winner will be announced around 4 pm. Proceeds of this auction go to DutchCare Ltd, a provider of aged care services.

As part of the Dutch community’s commitment to Australian society, there will be another fundraising event – the Celebrity Clog Auction. See article on page 40.

KLM Dutch Orange Day will be held on Sunday 27 April 2008 at Queensbridge Square in Melbourne. And just like Koninginnedag in the Netherlands, it will once again be a wonderful street party with free performances, lots of activities and Dutch food and beer.

Details when: Sunday 27 April 2008 time: 11am – 5pm where: Queensbridge Square, Melbourne more info: www.dutchorangeday.com

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photo © Roger van der Kraan

Commemorating bombing of Maassluis On 18 March 2008 the bombardment that was carried out 65 years ago

by RAAF bombers with an Australian crew has been commemorated with the revealing of 19 memorial stones in Maassluis. The ceremony was attended by deputy ambassador of Australia Lloyd Brodrick and

by Colonel J P C Heal RM on behalf of the British Defence Attaché. Later that night the commemoration concluded with a walk along the route that forms the border of the area which was devastated as a result of the attack.

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The 19 stones have been put in the pavement at the Monument for the commemoration of the bombing of Maassluis on 18 March 1943. The names of the victims who died during the bombardment have been engraved on 18 of the stones. The 19th stone honours the victims who died as a result of their injuries later on. The stones have been revealed amid great interest of surviving relatives of the victims.

Most of them still remember clearly the incidents on that fatal day. As the now 74 year old Henk Zomer explains: “It was approximately half past three when we heard and saw the arriving of many planes. Followed by a whistling sound and explosions. All around us bombs had struck. It happened just as my friend and I were walking on

the Schansbrug. We fled into a house on the corner of the Marnixkade/ Geerkade of which the door was open.” A high-explosive bomb fell just in front of the ‘hiding house’.

That did not explode; however, all windows sha�ered. Henk starts to panic and jumps through one of the windows and, still panicking, runs home, in the Marelstraat. “The picture at arrival has been branded on my memory. The church, our house, everything was burning profusely.” Henk’s mother, li�le brother and sister perish. Their names have been perpetuated on three memorial stones revealed by the visibly emotional Henk. “It has dominated my entire life.”

Also two of the three children of Johan Jacobus Smoor are present at the commemoration. They reveal a stone with the name of their father, who was a hairdresser in Maassluis.

Brother Gijs, who died in 1998, has wri�en down his memories of when he was a 6-year old lad. His memories have been published in the booklet ‘Maassluizers in de Tweede Wereldoorlog’ (Maassluizers in the Second World War) which was composed for the occasion of the establishment of the monument.

“I vividly remember the house in the Wagenstraat. A slanting rod was a�ached to the shop door, which was also our front door. We had lunch on that 18th of March, a Thursday it was. It was going to be a busy a�ernoon for my father.

Nevertheless, he insisted that my

The bombardment on 18 March 1943 was carried out by the 464e squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The crew mainly existed of Australians. Early in the a�ernoon 12 Ventura’s fly in the direction of Maassluis. Above the North Sea they get protection of two squadrons Spitfires, fighters of the (British) Royal Air Force (RAF). Along the way a violent air ba�le takes place with fighters of the (German) Lu�waffe. Both parties claim to have dealt each other losses. It is certain that of the Ventura’s none were lost. At twenty-five minutes to four the planes reach their target- the Witol refinery - and drop their deadly cargo from 3,500 meters altitude.

The actual target is hardly damaged; the bombardment has fatal consequences on a large part of the city centre of Maassluis and its inhabitants.

Many Maassluizers know for sure: the bombs were meant for the German Navy vessels in the outer harbour of Maassluis; some remember German minesweepers. Both assumptions are not correct. During the war fishing boats, claimed by the Kriegsmarine, were about the only vessels in the harbour. These ships had been thoroughly armed with the anti-aircra� missiles Flug- or Flieger Abwehr Kanone (FLAK) and took, as ‘Begleitungsschiffe’, the convoys from Ro�erdam to outside the piers at Hoek van Holland to return a�erwards to Maassluis. The FLAKs were also used for the shooting of allied planes which used the Nieuwe Waterweg as a directive on their way to Germany.

Others consider the bombardment a mistake: they aimed incorrectly; sometimes it has been said that the bombs were simply dumped.

And some even blame the actual missing of the targets to the inexperience of the (youthful) crew: because the weather was right, cloudless sky, but fairly hazy. mother should go to Naaldwijk, where her mother lived. ‘I will be alright. Your never know what tomorrow will bring.’ I was allowed to come to Naaldwijk, my li�le sister le� to play at a girlfriend’s place. We kissed Dad and le�.” That was the last time Gijs would see his father.

At their return to Maassluis it turned out that the entire Wagenstraat

had disappeared. The 21 year old hairdresser’s assistant Kees Kloppenburg was also one of the victims.

Yolanda Edens Note: The planning and all activities around the commemoration have been prepared by the working party ‘Werkgroep 18 March 1943’. Particularly Mrs Gerry Hanneman from the working party has been busy searching for the surviving relatives, collecting memories and stories and supplying information, also for this article.

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Zuid-Limburg’s steam train

“A little madness helps a lot when you work here”.

This pithy slogan for easier working on this railroad if you are mad about trains was expressed by a volunteer worker of the ZLSM. This abbreviation stands for: “Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij”. Quite a mouthful, but it covers what this organisation takes care of very well.

They are the manager and caretaker of the so-called “Miljoenenlijntje” in the southern part of Limburg, a province of The Netherlands, landlocked between the German Eifel region and the Belgian Ardennes. words and photos Jan Weijdt The ‘Miljoenenlijntje’ is a railroad track between a number of cities and villages in Limburg. It even crosses the border into Germany. Along the track are places like Valkenburg, Schin op Geul, Gulpen, Wi�em, Simpelveld, Spekholzerheide, Kerkrade, Chevremont, Eygelshoven, Landgraaf, Heerlen, Voerendaal, Klimmen. And as mentioned before, a small jump into Germany to a li�le village called Vetschau and passes the city of Bocholz.

And in the meantime touring through the most beautiful landscape of Limburg, it offers a constant changing of hills and medieval villages. This railroad infrastructure originates from the years that Limburg – as a result of its coalmines - became the main engine of the Dutch economy. the track Why was this Miljoenenlijn-project ever started? What was the motive behind it? To answer these questions, we have to go back to 1853. In that year the Dutch Railroad Company, called “Nederlandse Spoorwegen”, officially opened a track between the cities of Maastricht and Aachen (Germany). That track still is the oldest frontiercrossing-railroad-section in the Netherlands. Shortly

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before the year 1900, it was extended by adding the section Schaesberg – Kerkrade - Simpelveld. This section was responsible for the name “Miljoenenlijntje”. The name implies that the construction of this section turned out to be very expensive. The auxiliary constructions were essential, because of the rather hilly area, many tunnels, bridges etc. problems with mining Because of the very intensive underground mining in the area, the railway engineers had to solve many problems.

There was a constant danger of caving in. Also the differences in height between hilltops and lower areas had to be levelled out. For example at one spot, known as the Anstellerbeek, they had to bring the track up to over 30 meters. This had never been done before in Holland.

All in all, this caused the total price-tag to go up to more than 12 million Dutch guilders to cover a distance of less than 12 kilometres, being 1 million guilders per kilometre. Hence the name “Miljoenenlijn” (million- line).

During the decades between 1950 and 1980, the Dutch government in The Hague thought it absolutely necessary to conduct a retrenchment policy and to cut heavily

worth millions in various budgets. And so, the Miljoenenlijn, that had never really been profitable, became one of the victims that would have had to close its Limburg track. In 1988 the decision was taken to discontinue the line. foresight Some devotees of this railroad track, who saw that the closure of this track was inevitable, founded the “ZuidLimburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij” on the 24th of March 1988. The main purpose of the “South Limburg Steam Train Company” was to preserve the beautiful railway track and to exploit a steam train-service for tourists, executed with historical railway-material”. By 1992 the section between the cities of Maastricht and Aachen also seized operation. The old and trusted diesel train made its last stop at the station in Simpelveld. The idea behind all activities of the ZLSM is, to prevent the demolition of the tracks, because that would mean a heavy loss for the area in terms of the unique flora, fauna and culture.

Back to the ZLSM Tourists can travel between the stations of Schin op Geul and Kerkrade on a track of nearly 16 kilometres. And between Simpelveld and Vetschau, just over the German border, a distance of nearly 6 kilometres. This by itself is already a good reason for visiting the Miljoenenlijn. But it is also a good starting point to do some walking and other outdoor activities.

The railway station in Simpelveld has become the centre of all ZLSM activities. The building has a striking architecture and a beautifully decorated antique waiting room - annex restaurant. Next door is a small railway museum. A lot of well conserved railway equipment is on show in the station’s garden. Amongst which is a perfectly restored turning-bridge for locomotives, an old water supply tower and last but not least the totally overhauled signalling-system of yard and station. It’s an absolute highlight in railway history to find these materials in one spot and in perfect condition. permits and volunteers From 1988 to 1994 the ZLSM did put a lot of effort in acquiring all permits and funds from the official government authorities to make sure that the organisation would be professional. Ahead of that a lot of volunteers had already worked “their bu�s off” to restore and recondition the available machinery and infrastructure. Making an official deal with the Nederlandse Spoorwegen cleared the way to ensure a trustworthy future for the ZLSM. The work of ZLSM was regarded as an essential backup for the tourist industry of Zuid-Limburg, by the authorities. On the 8th of September 1995, the re-born Miljoenenlijn was officially opened by a member of the Royal Family, Mr. Pieter van Vollenhove.

Admiration for the work of all those ZSLM volunteers is what you really get by being their guest when you

make one of the train trips. You have to start at the unquestionably splendid waiting room (see above picture) of Simpelveld station. When buying a ticket at the counter, you may decide whether it’s going to be a steam loc from around 1920 or a small diesel train from the 50s.

These diesels look like city busses, but act like trains.

They were mainly used in big cities in Germany. But the steam locs and their wagons are the main a�ractions.

They enter the station with lots of thunder and gigantic white steam clouds. They leave again with a new load of enthusiastic tourists and their children. To gain speed in a, for their size, unprecedented graceful manner.

Dutch Clocks in Oz • Zaanse, Sallanders, Schippertjes, Frisian Tail Clocks • and a variety of other clocks from Holland located in Clayfield Qld. 4011 visit by appointment only ring Rob Schmidt on 0432 832 800 www.dutchclocksinoz.com.au www.hollandfocus.com - 45

KIWIKORRELS Frans Hertoghs

Help, een eimmigrant!

Waarom gaat een mens migreren?

Omdat hij hoopt er beter van te worden. Misschien voelt hij zich in zijn eigen land niet veilig meer. Wellicht kan hij er geen droog brood meer verdienen. Of zijn toekomst ziet er weinig rooskleurig uit. Migranten zijn hoopvolle vluchtelingen. Wie ergens woont ziet twee verschillende soorten. Wie naar het buitenland verhuist is een emigrant, wie vanuit het buitenland binnenkomt is een immigrant. Wie migreert is allebei.

Emigranten Nieuw-Zeeland onderscheidt twee totaal verschillende soorten. Veel kiwi’s verlaten hun land. Meestal om economische redenen. Wie in dit land een tertiaire studie wil doen moet zich diep in de schulden steken. Nu is dat niet zo heel erg, als de verdiensten na het afstuderen hoog genoeg zijn om na een paar jaar een eigen huis te kunnen kopen.

Maar daar loopt het fout. Nieuw-Zeeland is een prachtig land maar de meeste salarissen zijn schamel.

Vergeleken met de meeste andere landen. En heus niet alleen in derdewereldlanden. Nee, onze vertrouwde buurman Australië en godfather Good Old Engeland betalen onze hoog opgeleide dokters en specialisten, economen, wetenschappers, advocaten, topsporters, hoge ambtenaren en directeuren tientallen procenten meer.

En dus lekt Nieuw-Zeeland. Veel van de best opgeleide mensen emigreren naar het buitenland. Vaak om nooit meer voorgoed terug te keren. Jammer voor de prima opleiding die het land ze gegeven hee� en die nu anderen ten goede komt. Anderen die er meer voor betalen.

aangebracht. Maar dat is niet het geval. Immigranten hebben het hier niet gemakkelijk. In een rapport dat begin april dit jaar is uitgebracht staat zwart op wit dat vrijwel alle immigranten zich hier gediscrimineerd voelen. Onderzoekers Campbell en Mingsheng Li hebben ontdekt dat slechts een enkeling er in geslaagd is om werk te vinden op zijn eigen niveau. De overgrote meerderheid moest genoegen nemen met werkeloosheid of ongeschoold werk. En de oorzaak? Racisme, die leidt tot schokkende discriminatie.

Alle immigranten noemden als oorzaken hun buitenlandse kwalificaties, huidskleur, accent, taalvaardigheid, vooroordelen en een totaal gebrek aan begrip voor andere culturen. Waren het dan misschien slechtgeschoolde mensen? Nou, niet direct.

Ze waren allemaal universitair geschoold. Het ging om accountants, directeuren, diplomaten, economen, juristen, journalisten, psychologen en docenten.

De conclusie van het rapport luidde dan ook dat het belang en de waarde van hooggeschoolde immigranten in Nieuw-Zeeland niet wordt herkend en gewaardeerd.

Immigranten Elk vacuüm stree� naar vulling. En zo komt er uit allerlei landen een stroom op gang van hoog opgeleide immigranten voor wie de levensomstandigheden en vooral de salarissen in Nieuw-Zeeland wel degelijk een verbetering zijn vergeleken met de omstandigheden in hun eigen land. De gaten worden opgevuld door hoog opgeleide mensen, bijvoorbeeld uit India en China, Afrika en de Pacific. Onze nieuwe huisarts heet Nadim Khan.

Een aardige man, die uitstekend Engels spreekt met het accent van een fakir. En ik hoop voor hem oprecht dat hij minstens hetzelfde salaris incasseert dat onze oude huisarts naar Australië deed vertrekken.

Maar getalsmatig komen er toch meer mensen binnen dan er weggaan. Vorig jaar was er een overschot van ongeveer tienduizend mensen. Niks aan de hand toch?

Hoe kan dat nou?

Nieuw-Zeelanders staan bekend als aardige vriendelijke mensen. En dat zijn ze ook. Maar omdat ze zo afgelegen wonen sluiten ze zich gemakkelijk af van de rest van de wereld. Ze horen nooit vreemde talen of accenten. Ze weten heel weinig van de wereld. Vijfentachtig procent van hun nieuws komt uit eigen land. Van de vij�ien overgebleven procenten komt weer 85% uit enkele andere Engelssprekende landen. De rest van de wereld komt alleen maar zeer kort in het nieuws bij rampen of oorlogen. Er is aanzienlijk meer belangstelling voor nationale sporten dan voor wat er gebeurt met de rest van de wereld. Die verhoudingen gelden evenzeer voor televisie als kranten.

In wezen zijn kiwi’s in zichzelf gekeerd. En hoe aardig ze ook overkomen, wie er niet bij hoort, die zal er ook nooit bij horen. Na vij�ig jaar immigratie ben je nog steeds een vreemdeling. E- en immigranten, ze moeten er niet veel van hebben.

Help, een eimmigrant!

Discriminatie Nou, dat valt nog te bezien. Natuurlijk is bijna elke kiwi zelf een immigrant of minstens een afstammeling van een immigrant. Je zou dus denken dat ze positief staan tegenover het verse bloed dat in het land wordt

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visit www.hollandfocus.com for the English translation of this article

Hollanders were Australia’s first settlers When I was a boy in Haarlem, I was told that the Hollanders had discovered Australia, a place where the Papuans lived. They had a head of black curly hair, much like some of today’s teenage hairstyles. However, when I arrived in WA in 1954 I found that no one knew about this important piece of information.

The English, on the other hand, credited James Cook with the discovery of Australia and so a myth was born around his arrival. The English were very good at tailoring history to fit in with their imperial dogma.

In 2006, the Australian Government at last acknowledged the Duy�en’s landing at Cape York Peninsula in 1606, the first Europeans on Australian soil, as being significant in our history. This was largely due to the efforts of the “Australia on the Map 1606 – 2006”, an organisation set up to mark 400 years of Australian Maritime history.

Because of the sailing route from Cape Town to Batavia (Jakarta) hundreds of ships, many from the Dutch East Indies Company, sailed past or landed on the west coast of Australia or New Holland as it was then called. The natives had occasional encounters with the Hollanders.

Four ships are known to have shipwrecked on the West Australian coast. Some 200 – 300 people survived and were forced to make the best of what they had in a cruel environment. Because it was winter, their chances of survival were greater than if the temperatures had been in the forties as they o�en are in the summer.

The WA Maritime Shipwreck Museum in Fremantle houses many artefacts from these wrecks with the Batavia stern as its main a�raction.

This, however, leaves the question about what happened to these several hundred survivors wide open.

Early English explorers recorded the discoveries of traces of early European habitation in the new Swan River Colony in their journals. These findings were subsequently ignored. They were not collated to provide a complete and cohesive picture, as would have been the case if these ships had belonged to the English East India Company.

There were reports about natives with European (Dutch) features such as blond hair and blue eyes but no serious research into the cohabitation of survivors with the local population has ever been undertaken. Rupert Gerritsen was the only author who made a concerted effort with his book “and their Ghosts may be heard”. photo right: William Mallard and the Duy�en

A recent announcement in the press (March 2008) about a DNA Project involving the testing of Aboriginal descendants in the region of the Zuytdorp wreck site may provide evidence of a Dutch-Aboriginal link that the Nanda People, native to that area, lay claim to.

John Mallard , a Nanda, who is at Curtin University in Perth lecturing in Aboriginal Studies, went to Amsterdam some years back because he wanted to “experience the land of his ancestors”.

Members of the VOC Historical Society will become part of the excitement when it is finally established that the Hollanders were here, and lived here, well before the English established their colonies here. This will rewrite the history books! Furthermore it will show that within the West Australian Indigenous population Dutch blood flows.

The Society has a huge website at: h�p://www.voc.iinet. net.au containing all you might want to know about the VOC in Australia 170 years before Captain Cook! You are invited to become a member for $25 a year.

Each member receives a quarterly newsle�er called the ‘New Holland Update’. It will keep you informed about ma�ers pertaining to the VOC in Australia.

Just send us your details and email address, with a cheque to: The VOC Historical Society Inc., 6/7 Braewood Court, Nollamara WA 6061 The first 5 new members will receive a FREE copy of “The Gilt Dragon Incident” by Harry Turner. It is well worth having. See a review of this book at h�p://www. voc.iinet.net.au/VD incident.html DID YOU KNOW that Jeronimus Corneliszoon also came from Haarlem?

Who was he? Only the most infamous mutineer/ murderer the world has had the misfortune to produce!

He was responsible for the systematic torture, rape and murder of 125 shipwreck survivors from the VOC ship Batavia that wrecked on the Abrolhos Islands off the Coast of Geraldton in 1629.

Actually, he was born in Leeuwarden but set up an Apothecary business in the Groote Houtstraat in Haarlem.

From there, a�er much turmoil, he joined the VOC. Read all about the Batavia on the Society’s website.

Thomas Vanderveldt

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Van Aa tot Zwuup De meeste Nederlandse familienamen zijn afgeleid van de (voor)naam van een vader of voorvader.

Dat kunnen afleidingen van algemeen bekende voornamen zijn zoals Frederiks, Maartensen of O�o. Maar soms zijn familienamen afgeleid van voornamen die al eeuwen geleden in onbruik geraakt zijn, zoals Lubbers (van Lubbert) Brands (Brand), Frings (Severinus), Helmers (Helmer) of Walravens (Walram). Meer informatie vindt u daarover in de vorige aflevering van Holland Focus.

Met of Zondervan

door Frans Hertoghs

der Veen Van KleefVanVan Keulen Van Kampen Van Pallandt Van ‘t Zand Adresnamen Een andere manier om een familienaam te maken is de verwijzing naar de plaats waar iemand woonde of vandaan kwam. Welke Jan bedoelt u? Die van de beek, of van de molen of van de heuvel? Nee, die Van Kampen gekomen is, of Van Keulen of Van Kleef.

De eerste is een algemene herkomstnaam, ook wel adresnaam genoemd. Je kon ermee aangeven op welk “adres” iemand woonde. Handig toen er nog geen straatnamen of huisnummers waren. Zo heb je Van den Berg, Van den Akker, Van den Elzen, Van den Hout, Van de Kerkhof, Van der Smissen (smidse) en nog veel meer.

Van der Veen, Van ‘t Zand, Van der Kleij en V(an d)er Geest bijvoorbeeld verwijzen naar bodemgesteldheid. Van der Sloot, Van Vliet, Van der Lei, Van der Poel en Van de Water duiden op, ja u raadt het al: water. Zo’n Van-der naam werd trouwens vaak samengetrokken tot Ver-. Op die manier komen we aan namen als Vermeer, Vereijken, Verdonk en Verkuilen. Al deze namen verwijzen natuurlijk niet naar een en dezelfde plaats of gesteldheid.

Overal is wel een bos, een molen of een stuk zandgrond. In zulke namen zit natuurlijk niet zoveel informatie over het verleden van die familie.

Zulke adresnamen kunnen ook voorkomen zonder enig voorzetsel, als dan niet met de naamvormende -s: Bos, Veld, Broeks. Of met een ander voorzetsel Op ten Berg, Ter Huurne (hoornvormig land). En zulke namen worden ook wel gevormd met een achtervoegsel als -man(s): Akkerman(s), Eikman(s) of Moerman(s).

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Boerderij- en herbergnamen In het (noord)oosten van Nederland werden veel families vernoemd naar de boerderij waar ze woonden. Namen als Veldhuis, Olthuys en Nijenhuis en Eshuis. Vaker zijn het van oude voornamen afgeleide namen op -in(c)k of -ing, zoals Horstink (Horst), Stemerdink (Steinmar) of Sikking (Sicco). Vaak was zo’n boerderij ongesplitst en dan moest er vaak bij gezegd worden over welk huis het precies ging. Zo komen we aan extra aanduidingen als Groot of Klein - ook wel Lutje of Lutke - Oud of Nieuw (Nij-). Dat levert soms de prachtigste namen op als Grote Ganseij en Klein Ganseij (ganzenwater), Lutje Schipholt en zelfs Oude Nije Wheme en Olde Olthof. Als dát nog niet oud is!

In dezelfde hoek zijn familienamen die afgeleid zijn van huizen of herbergen, veelal naar de naam of het uithangbord. Zo’n naam kan bijvoorbeeld zijn Van de Wereld of Fortuin, naar een herberg De Wereld, of naar De Fortuin. Ook namen als Spiegel en Nagtglas kunnen in die groep thuishoren.

Herkomstnamen Dat is natuurlijk anders als er een bestaande en bekende plaatsnaam wordt genoemd. Dan mag je toch wel aannemen dat de voorouders van die naamdragers ooit in die stad of streek hebben gewoond. Leuk om te weten, maar dat zegt natuurlijk toch nog niet zo heel veel als je niet weet wannéér je familie dan verhuisd is. En daar zegt de naam jammer genoeg niets over. Als je familie

bijvoorbeeld Van Gent heet en je gaat terug tot de eerste naamdrager in Amsterdam, die misschien Wouter heet, dan vind je in Amsterdam geen voorouders meer. Dan moet je gaan zoeken in Gent. Maar dáár heet die eerste Wouter natuurlijk niet Van Gent. En daar gaan veel stamboomonderzoeken uiteindelijk de mist der historie in.

Van Agt, Vanderbilt, Van Dalen en Van Leersum verwijzen allemaal naar bestaande plaatsen in Nederland.

En zulke specifieke herkomstnamen blijven natuurlijk niet beperkt tot Nederland. Namen als Van Antwerpen (BE), Van Benthem (DU), Van Gogh (DU) en Kantelberg (Canterbury, EN) zijn daar mooie voorbeelden van.

En dan zien we meteen dat sommige herkomstnamen gevormd worden met van en andere niet. Naast elkaar komen bijvoorbeeld voor (Van) Aalst, (Van) Eindhoven, (Van) Ardenne en (Van) Zwolle.

Van adel?

En met die laatste naam landen we midden in een prangende vraag van veel mensen: een Nederlandse familienaam die met van begint duidt die op een adellijke a�omst? Die vraag is zo gek nog niet, want in Duitsland, is von inderdaad min of meer voorbehouden aan de adel, en dan met name de landadel. En in Nederland tref je bij veel adellijke families ook Van-namen aan: Van Nispen, Van Pallandt en Van Nassau. Is dat nou in Nederland ook een adellijke aanduiding?

Sorry, maar ik moet hier misschien toch een aantal mensen teleurstellen. Bij adresnamen is er natuurlijk al helemaal geen aanduiding van adellijke afstamming. Maar ook

specifieke herkomstnamen verwijzen in Nederland echt niet speciaal naar adel. Anders zouden er wel erg veel edelen in Brabant wonen, want daar zijn de van-namen erg talrijk. Het is gewoon een kwestie van naamgeving en met adel hee� dat niets van doen. In sommige streken van Nederland werd de herkomstnaam gevormd met van en in andere streken zonder van. Zo vind je (Van der) Sloot, (Van) Boekel en (Van) Eik. Bijnamen Er is nog een type herkomstnaam dat technisch eigenlijk een bijnaam is. Zo’n naam is bijvoorbeeld De Vlamink of Den Hollander. Dan wordt de herkomst dus eigenlijk verstopt in een soort bijnaam. Zo vinden we De Beijer naast Van Beijeren, Polak (de Pool) naast Van Polen en Spanjaard naast Van Spanje.

Er is een enorme variëteit aan namen en naamvormen die aangeven waar iemand woonde of waar zijn familie vandaan kwam. De van-namen waren vroeger zo wijdverbreid dat het woord van zelfs gebruikt werd als een aanduiding van de familienaam: “wat is je van?” En zo komen we tenslo�e aan de prachtige familienaam naam Zondervan, gegeven aan een vondeling: van onbekende a�omst.

Op de website www.familienaam.nl kun je de geografische spreiding van familienamen in Nederland nagaan (zie kaartje vorige pagina).

Sydney Film Festival 2008 the 2008 program includes Where is Winky’s Horse?: the sequel to last year’s Audience Award winner ‘Winky’s Horse’ which delighted kids at the SFF

This enchanting sequel to the highly praised ‘Winky’s Horse’ reunites us with young Winky Wong, a Chinese girl who moved to the Netherlands and is passionate about horses.

Winky’s favourite horse is Amerigo, she grooms him dutifully. Winky’s parents have decided that Winky can start riding lessons. And also: Winky is ge�ing a new brother or sister! But her excitement is short-lived when she is told she is too small to ride Amerigo and must practise on the pony NafNaf. Meanwhile, it seems that everyone cares more about her future sibling and she starts to feel lonely. Amerigo is her only comfort. One day Winky breaks the rules and takes Amerigo for a ride. Unfortunately something happens and Amerigo escapes. Will she find her beloved Amerigo again and can she admit her mistake?

Sydney Film Festival runs 4–22 June 2008

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DUTCH DEFENCE MINISTER EIMERT VAN MIDDELKOOP visits Australia The Dutch Minister for Defence Eimert van Middelkoop visited Australia to meet with the Australian Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministers and Dutch war veterans. He also visited the Wide Bay Military Training Area in Queensland, where he met with Australian and Dutch soldiers undertaking predeployment training for Afghanistan.

of cooperation with NGO’s and local governments.

On Tuesday morning 11 March, Minister Van Middelkoop had talks with his Australian counterpart, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, on the DutchAustralian military co-operation in Afghanistan.

Discussion issues included the training of Afghan military and police and Dutch and Australian aid provisions to Uruzgan province.

The second day of his trip involved a visit to the Wide Bay Military Training Area, Queensland. This is where Australian soldiers undertake training in preparation for their deployment to southern Afghanistan as part of a Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) in Uruzgan Province.

The visit provided the Minister with an opportunity to meet with a small group of Dutch soldiers in Australia for the training activity. Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel are currently contributing to the RTF, working closely with Dutch forces to deliver reconstruction and community-based projects, e.g. schools, hospitals and bridges. They also support the Afghan government with projects to give the population a safer and more stable future. The soldiers currently training in Wide Bay are preparing for Australia’s fourth RTF deployment to Afghanistan.

The Dutch and Australian provide trade training to the

Later that a�ernoon, Mr Van Middelkoop met with Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith.

Besides strengthening the already close ties between the two countries, the visit provided an opportunity to discuss military co-operation prior to NATO summit in Bucharest (in April). In Bucharest, NATO leaders discussed new strategies for strengthening international co-ordination, training the Afghan National Army (ANA), combating drugs and the comprehensive approach

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Following his discussion with Minister Fitzgibbon, Mr Van Middelkoop a�ended a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial, where he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. At a subsequent reception, he met with Dutch war veterans now living in Australia.

local population and mechanical engineering training to the Afghan National Army (ANA). This type of assistance is designed to benefit the people of Uruzgan Province well into the future and form the building blocks of a stable and prosperous community.

The Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General David Hurley, Commander of the 1st Division, Major General Richard Wilson and Head Australian Defence StaffLondon, AIRCDRE Steven Martin, accompanied the Dutch party during their visit.

The Dutch embassy placed an open le�er - relating to this visit - by Minister Eimert van Middelkoop on the website: www.netherlands.org.au Photo le�: Taking time for an official portrait before the Australia-Dutch Ministerial talks are Minister for Defence, the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon, his Dutch counterpart, the Hon Eimert van Middelkoop, with (L-R) Secretary of Defence, Mr Nick Warner, Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston and His Excellency, Niek van Zutphen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Australia.

Photo top: by Corporal Neil Ruskin, The Dutch Minister for Defence, Eimert van Middelkoop, in the commander’s turret of a Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle receives a briefing from the vehicle’s Crew Commander Corporal Craig Batchelor.

Battle of the Java Sea

Annually the Ba�le of the Java Sea is commemorated by the ‘Vereniging Oud Personeel van de Koninklijke Marine’ (V.O.M.) in the monument garden at the Dutch club N.A.Q. at Richlands.

This saddening, but also pleasant commemoration and wreath laying ceremony was held on 27 February 2008.

It has been 66 years since the largest ba�le of modern history of the Dutch Navy took place.

The Ba�le of the Java Sea commenced on 27 February 1942 following an a�empt by an Allied Cruiser Task Force to disrupt a planned sea-borne invasion of Java by the Japanese, who were aiming for the Dutch East Indies and its oil wells.

The Allied Force, led by Dutch Commander Rear Admiral Karel Doorman, went into the ba�le with HMAS Perth and four Dutch, British and American cruisers as well as nine destroyers, pi�ing themselves against a superior Japanese force of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, 14 destroyers and substantial air support.

Jan Stuurman, president of the V.O.M., Rudy van Wijk, president of the federation and Rens Breur, president of the N.A.Q conducted the service.

Consul for the Netherlands in Queensland, Captain Kasper Kuiper, knight in the order of Oranje Nassau, held a speech for the Dutch community. They all remembered the Navy people who bravely fought and lost their lives by defending the then Dutch East Indies. Also the many families that lost loved ones to an overwhelming supremacy were included in the commemoration.

Many people of several organisations of the Dutch community were present to honour the service and sacrifice of the Dutch servicemen. Wreaths and flowers have been laid before a one minute silence.

A�er the service a light meal was served with delicious small meatballs. All things considered; it was a pleasant meeting.

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The Willem van Otterloo Scholarship award

On 4 March 2008, Mr. Mark Pollard, acting head of VCA music welcomed the about 35 members of the Erasmus Foundation and Marco van Pagee, head of orchestral studies, explained in short the background of the award, followed by a performance of the winner of this year’s award: the saxophonist Joshua Hyde. Joshua performed a number of items and was accompanied on the piano by Emilie Auger.

A�er which he formally received his award from Prof.

David Runia, acting president of the Erasmus Foundation (see photo above).

Joshua Hyde, the young saxophonist has just completed his Bachelor of Music Performance degree at the VCA. Joshua has already won a number of awards and scholarships and has extensive playing experience, including performances with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria. Joshua recently performed a live broadcast recital on 3MBS, Live at the Convent.

He intends to use the Willem van O�erloo scholarship money toward an extended course of study in France, also using other scholarship money and his own savings. His ambition is to complete the demanding two-year course leading to the prestigious “Medaille d’Or” qualification.

In January 2008 Joshua was a semi-finalist at the 2nd International Jean-Marie Londeix Saxophone Competition and the Willem van O�erloo Memorial Fund award will contribute to the costs of a�ending the competition in France.

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In all, four excellent applicants were carefully considered, but the adjudication panel felt that Joshua’s musical competence, the quality of his playing and the thoroughness of his plans for further study had that li�le something extra, and consequently decided to award him the scholarship.

Willem van Otterloo Dutch conductor Willem van O�erloo was Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from 1967 to 1973 and of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 1978. He tragically lost his life in a road accident in 1978. To perpetuate his memory and continue his work of encouraging young orchestral musicians, the Willem van O�erloo Scholarship was founded.

The Scholarship is awarded to students of orchestral musical instruments graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts. The prize is to be used by the winning student to undertake specialised programmes of further study with distinguished teachers overseas - preferably, but not necessarily, in The Netherlands.

The Award is made by the organising commi�ee of the Willem van O�erloo Scholarship Fund, on the advice of the Dean of the School of Music at the VCA. Judging criteria include artistic merit, quality of the plan for using the prize money, and likely success in completing the proposed course of study.

The amount and frequency of the award are determined by available funds. At present, the amount of the scholarship is $5000, awarded once every two years. The fund is under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency, the Ambassador of The Netherlands, and is supported by the Erasmus Foundation Netherlands Australian Cultural Society. The Organising Commi�ee includes the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Victoria, the Dean of the VCA’s School of Music, the President of the Erasmus Foundation, and the General Manager of the Melbourne Symphony.

Foster Parents Indonesia’s Annual Cultural Day

FOSTER PARENTS INDONESIA INC. Supports Indonesian orphanages, Sponsorships, Self-help projects

PLEASE GIVE IT YOUR SUPPORT

By becoming a sponsor for $ 20 p.m.

By becoming a member for $ 15 p.a.

By giving a donation $........

FOSTER PARENTS INDONESIA INC. PO Box 502, Drouin, Vic. 3818

ph/fax:03 5625 2417 or 03 5629 2351

In Drouin (Vic) on Sunday 2 March 2008, Foster Parents held its annual cultural day to collect money for their projects in Indonesia. The day was a�ended by more than 200 people who came to have lunch, listen to Indonesian music and watch Indonesian girls perform their traditional dances.

It was officially opened by the Mayor of Baw Baw, Cr. Dick van Leeuwen, and the Indonesian Consul-General for Victoria and Tasmania, Mr. Budiarman Bahar, praised the FPI for their work in Indonesia.

Foster Parents can look back on a very profitable day as they collected $9,200, which will be taken to Indonesia by members of Foster Parents who pay their own fare.

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Grootegast Municipal Delegation visits Tasmania The Consul for the Netherlands in Tasmania Mr George Huizing and Mrs Nova Huizing were delighted to host a special delegation from the “Municipality of Grootegast”.

Nowadays, Lutjegast, the birthplace of famous explorer and navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman is part of this municipality.

The delegation visited Tasmania to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Kingborough municipality. The visit has been particularly positive in developing the “Sister City” relationship between Grootegast and Kingborough.

The mayor, Kor Dijkstra accompanied by ten councillors represented Grootegast.

Mr Kor Dijkstra and the Consul Mr George Huizing visited important historical sites on the Tasman Peninsula, including Abel Tasman’s anchorage and his crew’s landing places. The mayor and the Consul also visited the Rivulet where Tasman’s crew foraged for food and collected fresh water.

At the reception in Hobart commemorative badges were presented to the delegation by Mr Geoffrey Wood, President of The Australia/Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.

photo right: le� to right is Kor Dijkstra (mayor), Geoffrey Wood (President Australian/Netherlands Chamber of Commerce), George Huizing (Consul) and Albert Buruma, the Director of the Abel Tasman Museum holding the Pewter Glass presented by the consul Mr. George Huizing to the museum.

Visit to Abel Tasman’s Anchorage and the actual inlet where they found fresh water in the rivulet. This site has only just been discovered and mayor Dijkstra is the first official from the Netherlands to see it. from le� to right: Ben Van Dijken (Netherlands Chamber of Commerce), George Huizing and mayor Dijkstra.

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The Consul Mr George Huizing presented a special sculptured pewter goblet featuring Abel Tasman’s two ships. This goblet is to be exhibited at Abel Tasman’s birthplace museum at Lutjegast in the Netherlands.

A�er the week’s visit in Tasmania the Grootegast delegation travelled to New Zealand.

Brisbane ceremony regaining Dutch citizenship Between 2003 and 2005 it was made possible to submit a declaration for ‘oud-Nederlanders’ (people who have had the Dutch nationality before) or Australians with a Dutch parent to recover their Dutch nationality. During that period many people came to the consulate in Brisbane to make use of this option. It was a costly and difficult procedure.

On Thursday 14 February 2008 Consul-General Drs. M.M. Bot and Consul Capt. K. Kuiper welcomed 9 happy people accompanied by their partners or family at the Queensland Club in Brisbane in honour of the Ceremony to regain Dutch citizenship. A�er the opening speech of the Consul-General the certificates with proof of Dutch nationality were handed to them personally. Most of the invited guest had travelled many a kilometre to be able to a�end this ceremony. They were emotional and honoured that they recovered their Dutch nationality. Many people had lost hope already. It was a pleasant meeting and a number of the new citizens applied for a Dutch passport immediately.

Dutch School for language and culture in South East Queensland Children living in South East Queensland now have the chance to a�end lessons in Dutch language and culture, run by qualified Dutch teachers. An enthusiastic board of six Dutch women (who currently live in Brisbane) have worked hard over the last year to establish the school, which is subsidized by Stichting NOB in The Netherlands (Foundation for Dutch Education Abroad). The very first lesson will be offered on April 27th 2008 in conjunction with Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day) celebrations at the Dutch Club in Richlands, Brisbane. Lessons will then be offered from 3.30pm to 6.00pm on a Tuesday at the Bardon Scout Clubhouse and a Wednesday at the library of the Canon Hill State School. The programme is based upon lessons from the Dutch primary school curriculum and all three teachers have several years experience of teaching in The Netherlands as well as holding Australian Blue Card and Education Queensland registrations.

Children aged four to fourteen years old who live in South Each Queensland can be registered now. Due to the NOB subsidy, the cost to parents will be only around $7.00 per hour. There are also plans to consider expanding the school to other suburbs (such as Redcliffe) once minimum numbers are reached, so please do register your interest even if the above locations are not convenient for your family.

Future editions of Holland Focus will feature regular updates on the school and contact details are below: Website: h�p://www.geocities.com/dutchschoolbrisbane/ Email: dutchschoolbrisbane@yahoo.com.au Renèe Veldman-Tentori Teachers: Anne Marije Frank-van Westervelt Sandberg, Rebekka van Kampen and Jeanet de Zwart

www.hollandfocus.com - 55

Vertoond in 100 Verbeeldingen van Ambachten, Konsten, Hanteeringen en Bedryven; met Versen (1694)

Translated and edited by Frans Hertoghs

Jan en Kaspar Luiken: Het Menselyk Bedryf:

De Vorst

Heers over de rebellen Die ‘t Hartenrijk ontstellen.

The Ruler

Rules all rebels And Heart Realms troubles

ere is portrayed a real Ruler, an absolute Monarch, a Sovereign. The quite young prince in this etch is accordingly dressed gloriously. He wears a crown similar to the Danish Crown created a few years earlier, in 1670. Both are finished with a Roman Catholic cross - not too obvious for a pious protestant like Luyken. The Roman tunic is trimmed with delicate lacework and the flamboyant robe - complete with train - gives this king drive and air. The legs, clad with shiny, probably silk stockings and kneelength so� leather boots are visible under his tunic.

His le� hand rests on his hip in an elegant gesture, which makes him look even broader. In his right hand he holds something that looks like a long officer’s rod. He points to something and gives an order to his equerry. The contemporarily dressed and long haired equerry, holding his hat in his hand, literally ogles his master. He has been careful not to step on the train.

Behind him is a smaller and lower ranked servant, with matching long hair and his hat in his hand too.

In the background we discern helmeted soldiers with lances and shields. On the right hand side behind the Ruler, nearly merged into the shadow of the pillar is an armed bodyguard with a barbarian looking headgear and a short beard. And in the background on the right, under and on top of the arches mounted knights and lancers are to be seen. To the le�, on the foreground is a cloth draped over a pedestal and the background is full of richly decorated triumphal arches. Evidently here is a young Sovereign, ruling the defeated rebels, one of whom seen in the background might be steered to his execution. The contrast with the almost strict simplicity of the other trades and cra�s could hardly be more explicitly visualized.

H

e zien hier afgebeeld een echte Heerscher, in de tijd van Luyken een “oppermachtig gebieder, absoluut vorst”. De nog jonge heerser op deze prent is dan ook een luisterrijk gekleed persoon met een kroon die lijkt op de nog maar pas in 1670 gemaakte Deense kroon. Ook die werd bekroond door een Rooms kruis, en dat is voor een vrome protestant als Luyken nog niet eens zo heel vanzelfsprekend. De romeinse tunica is afgezet met fijn kantwerk en de zwierige mantel met sleep - gee� de figuur vaart en allure. Onder de tuniek zijn de benen te zien, bekleed met glimmende, waarschijnlijk zijden kousen en zachtleren knielaarzen.

Zijn linkerhand staat met een schilderachtig gebaar in zijn zij, waardoor hij er nog breder uitziet. In zijn rechterhand hee� hij een soort lange officiersstok.

Hij wijst iets aan en gee� zijn hoveling een bevel. De eigentijds geklede en langharige hoveling met de hoed in de hand ziet zijn vorst le�erlijk naar de ogen. Hij hee� goed uitgekeken of hij niet op de sleep staat.

Achter hem staat een kleinere en lager geplaatste bediende, ook met lang haar en de hoed in de hand. Op de achtergrond zien we gehelmde soldaten met lansen en schilden. Rechts achter de vorst, bijna opgaand in schaduw van de pilaar, staat een gewapende lijfwacht met een barbaars uitziend hoofddeksel en een korte baard. En op de achtergrond, onder en op de bogen, zien we ruiters te paard en lansiers. Links op de voorgrond zien we een sokkel met draperieën en de achtergrond word gevormd door rijk versierde erebogen. Kortom, hier heerst de jonge vorst over de verslagen rebellen, waarvan er misschien een door de ruiter op de achtergrond naar de terechtstelling gevoerd wordt. Het contrast met de haast strenge eenvoud van de andere ambachten kon nauwelijks duidelijker zichtbaar zijn.

Were a poor man during his life Raised to state of Royal Highness They’d shout him out as Lucky Dog; And yet this shrinks to nothingness Compared to the Fortune for whom Devotes his life to Uprightness.

W

Werd een gewone man bij leven Tot koninklijke staat verheven, Men riep hem tot een bofkont uit; Toch zijn ‘t maar ijdele fantomen: Denk aan wat ieder toe zal komen Die deugdzaamheid in ‘t harte sluit.

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for sale:

successful Australian adventure

About three hours drive from Melbourne, in the heart of the Rutherglen wine district, is Gooramadda.

Here Jos and Kathy Weemaes manage a successful, extensive olive orchard on 8 hectares with tasting room, factory and their very own shop. This is all for sale, including their house. Because of a booming success. “We get so many requests for our products that we shall have to expand. But we don’t want to manage a large company. We happily leave that to others”, explains Jos Weemaes. “And… I prefer to sell Gooramadda Olives to Dutchies.” words Yolanda Edens In 1981 Jos Weemaes migrated to Australia. At first he was employed as technical engineer in the food industry and a�er a while he started to look for a new adventure. He found this a�er purchasing a block of waste land in Gooramadda. This wine region is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia. “As it is right in the centre of a wine region it seemed logical to produce wine as well”, Jos says. “When we were in Adelaide in a similar area, we discovered that olives were in high demand. They fit in very well within a wine region, but there are far less companies that choose olives.”

Therefore, olives it was. “We bought an English recipe book: ‘How to prepare table olives’. However, they tasted horrible!” chuckles Jos. “Later we understood why: no olives are grown in the United Kingdom. Therefore the recipe book did not refer to fresh olives. And fresh olives are inedible.

Jos and Kathy examined several process methods, collected the necessary know-how, planted the trees, built the factory and acquired a press. “In the meantime we found out that a press produces be�er quality oil than a modern centrifuge”, explains Jos. “Also we have consciously made the choice for certain olive varieties which are suitable for table olives and olive oil. Hence we now produce both table olives and olive oil.”

Table olives and the olive oil of Gooramadda Olives are amongst the most requested, are the best of Australia and have been rewarded with several prestigious prizes.

“The demand for our products is very high: we get orders from all corners of the country and also from overseas.” For Jos and Kathy now is the right time to sell the company to someone who can develop this even further.

Dutch blood Jos biggest wish is that Gooramadda Olives remains in ‘Dutch hands’. “It is my child; I have built it from the ground up. Although I have been living in Australia for 26 years and am not homesick for the Netherlands, Dutch blood is still flowing through my veins. That bit of nostalgia, that feeling I want to preserve for the company”, says Jos. “We are not in a hurry to sell.

I am not looking for the highest bidder, but searching for someone who has the same passion and drive as I have.

Compare it to looking for a nanny for your children. You will not leave them with just anyone.”

The Dutchman Jos is looking for, does not have to be a new immigrant. “Perhaps there are Dutch who have been in Australia for a while now and, just like I at the time, are ready for a new challenge.

Jos and Kathy will start a new adventure. They will move to Tasmania to start ‘something’ in the tourism industry.

“We don’t have a set plan as yet. I am not a person who outlines and regulates everything beforehand. I will see what happens. That is the a�raction of starting new adventures.”

Interested parties can contact Holland Focus by phone: +61 (0)3 9751 2795 or email: editor@hollandfocus.com

www.hollandfocus.com - 57

South Australia DUTCH AGED CARE NAASA Work on the new extension at Rembrandt Court is on track. 22 New rooms are being built and the management hopes they can be occupied by July/ August this year. A kiosk selling Dutch produce and groceries will be added too.

The new office on the grounds of the D.S.W.C. in Salisbury is ready for business; with this NAASA hopes to enlarge their profile in the northern suburbs.

The “Uit en Thuis” programme has proved to be a great success. Apart from the sessions in the D.S.W.C. and Rembrandt Court the management is looking into the possibility of starting a similar programme in the north eastern suburbs of Adelaide.

NAASA members are urged to check their membership renewal and new members are most welcome. For only $10 per year you can join a progressive group of people working for the welfare of Elderly people of Dutch/Flemish background.

Ring 8377-2322 for more information.

NESWA Our veterans, families and friends will be at the Dutch monument on Sunday May 4th to remember the fallen in WW2.

You’ll find the monument on the grounds of the D.S.W.C., 21 Greenfields Drive, Salisbury (off Salisbury Highway).

The service starts at 11am, a�erwards coffee/tea in the clubrooms.

KLOMPENDANSERS The Greenfield Klompendansers have had a busy two months. And their popularity is still growing.

E.g. on the 20th of March they had three shows in three different locations. On the 24th of May they will perform in Mount Gambier at a concert promoted by the Adelaide Folkloric Society.

WANT TO JOIN? Ring Mr.P. Mulders on 8254-9121.

Johan de Rooy

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ABN 40 118 310 900 editor and publisher iet Fuijkschot editor@hollandfocus.com contributors to this issue: Darren Arnold, Claire, Yolanda Edens, Pim Feijen, Edo Fuijkschot, Marcia de Groot, Frans Hertoghs, Mia Joosten, Roger van der Kraan, Herman Koopman, Chris Lampe, Henk-Jan de Meer, Jan de Meer, Moniek, Peter Oudendijk, Johan de Rooy, Jacob van Splunter, Philip Struyf, Tom Vanderveldt, Renèe VeldmanTentori, Jan Weijdt

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Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State . . . . . . .

City: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (AU / NZ) Postcode: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Phone: (. . . . .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Email: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Credit card number: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Name on card: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expiry date: . . . . / . . . . .

Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Send this form to: PO Box 169, Olinda, Vic, 3788, Australia or fax to: +61 3 9751 2795

you and KLM can make a world of difference

As we travel around this beautiful world we would like to make sure we keep it that way. We think and plan for the future to try and stay one step ahead. KLM invests constantly in reducing CO2 emissions further. With your help we can make even more of a difference. To find out how easy, effective and inexpensive it is to compensate for your personal CO2 emissions on every flight you make, visit www.klm.com.au and use KLM’s CO2ZERO service.