The National Archives of Australia (NAA) has added five video portraits of Dutch immigrants to Australia to its website as part of a shared cultural project with the Dutch Archives (Nationaal Archief).
The portraits use archival records to illustrate the immigrants’ migration journey, and are available on the National Archives’ website Destination: Australia.
The vieos feature first-generation Dutch migrants, Sherry Wright, Gerard van Wezel, Petronella Wensing and Cess Huig, and second-generation migrant, Stephanie Brantz (pictured).
According to the NAA, reflections on migrating to Australia, the ever-present emotional ties to the Netherlands and the role of the Archives in preserving their immigration records are common themes raised by the interviewees.
The NAA commissioned the videos as part of the Dutch-Australian Shared Cultural Heritage Project.
Following its success, the NAA has joined with the National Film and Sound Archives to extend the project work into a second stage.
Director-General of the NAA, David Fricker said the project had shown the significant value of the National Archives and its collection.
“These immigration records represent the start of a journey in a new country to build a life, a family, and a community for so many,” Mr Fricker said.
“Under this shared histories project, we plan to undertake further research to unlock our paper and AV collections, to digitise material, and to develop new and interesting ways to share our collections for access and use by anyone, anywhere, at any time. “
The five Dutch Australia Shared Cultural Heritage videos can be accessed (with sound) at the NAA’s Destination: Australia website at this PS News link.
