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Do you have a dream...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:21:43 +1300

Do you have an inspiring dream for the Netherlands? Here is your chance to share this dream with the rest of the Dutch people in the Netherlands and overseas. Your dream could become a source of inspiration for the new King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. In due course a selection panel will select the 50 most inspiring dreams for the Netherlands and combine them in a book to be published in September and to be presented to the Royal Couple on the 5th of September 2013. So, share your dream for the country as an inspiration for us all!. Click here for further details deeljouwdroom

We are also happy for you to share your ideas on line with us so that we can perhaps put a submission together with a New Zealand flavour. Suggest away...

Te Hono ki Aotearoa - Documentary

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:53:28 +1300

For those of you who missed the documentary when it showed in cinemas and on television, Te Hono is now on DVD and available for purchase at the bargain price of $25. For more information read the flyer but for purchase, contact executive.director@netherlandsfoundation.org.nz

It is a fascinating story which creates a showcase of Maori culture in the Netherlands and which has formed the basis of an ongoing association between the Leiden University rowing club and the Waitangi day celebrations. Rowers from the Nordt club now join the New Zealand Waka crews every February 6th to strut their paddling style.

What would Tasman have thought?

Tasman’s Voyage to New Zealand: Setting the Record Straight

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:38:26 +1300

For decades school textbooks stated that Captain James Cook was the first European to ‘discover’ New Zealand in 1769. Not only is this incorrect, it overshadows a key part of our history.

Almost 130 years before the British sailor and his vessel the Endeavour anchored up in Endeavour Bay (now Poverty Bay) near Gisborne, an employee of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) achieved something that seems to have been forgotten by many people.

Abel Janszoon Tasman, commander of the Heemskerck and the Zeehaen was on a commercial expedition for the VOC. Although it has been widely believed he was tasked with discovering the unknown ‘South Land’, some historians have suggested he was employed to find new sea routes to South America.

According to Tasman’s log, days after having skirted around the southern and eastern land that would later bear his name, Tasmania, he caught sight on December 13, 1642 of “a large land, uplifted high … southeast from us about 15 miles, made our course … direct for it”. This turned out to be the mountainous west coast of the South Island off a promontory now known as Perpendicular Point.

Four days later, about two kilometres off Whanganui Inlet ,Tasman observed “in various places smoke rise where fire was made by the inhabitants”. It has been argued the smoke was being used to signal waka (Maori canoes).

The following day, on December 18, the ships rounded Farewell Spit, at the top of the South Island, and arrived in what is now Whariwharangi Bay and dropped anchor. No first-hand Maori reports of what happened next are known to exist, but Dutch journals state that two waka full of Maori left shore to inspect the ships first hand.

Michael King suggests in his book The Penguin History of New Zealand that a cultural misunderstanding led to the first contact between Maori and European turning violent. Dutch trumpeters responded to calls (possibly a haka) and sounds made by the Maori pukaea (long wooden trumpets), little realising that instead of establishing a line of communication they had inadvertently accepted a challenge to fight.The following morning the Zeehaen’s cockboat was rammed by a waka, with four crewmen thrown overboard. Three of them died while the other one was taken ashore by the Maori. His fate remains unknown.

Tasman followed established orders not to engage in warfare with local peoples and made ready to set sail. Presumably feeling they could finish the job, 11 more waka headed towards the vessels, but when the first one got close to the Zeehaen, the crew fired the cannons at it, killing at least one man at which point the waka pulled back and allowed the Dutch ships to depart.

Out of “Moordenaers Baaij”, as Tasman named it (now Golden Bay), they sailed up the west coast of the North Island trying to find somewhere safe enough to risk a landing, reaching Cape Maria Van Diemen, the westernmost point of the North Island (named after the wife of Anthony van Diemen, Governor-General of the VOC) on January 4, 1643. In need of fresh water, they investigated Great Island in the Three Kings group (55 Kilometres north west of Cape Reinga) but were put off by the rocky shore and a group of imposing-looking inhabitants who threw stones from the cliff-tops.They continued looking for a landing site until January 6, at which point Tasman abandoned the search and sailed north, where he was welcomed as the first European to set eyes on a number of Tongan and Fijian islands.

It was a VOC employee who later named the line of coast drawn by Tasman’s expedition Nieuw Zeeland, named after the “Chamber of Zeeland” in the VOC( Nieuw Holland, after the Chamber of Holland, already existed). By the late 18^thcentury, this changed in the English language to New Zeeland, then New Zeland and, finally, New Zealand.

Although there is no doubt Tasman was the first European to visit New Zealand, historians have argued as to whether he or his crew actually set foot on shore. Grahame Anderson makes his feelings clear in his book The Merchant of the Zeehaen when he states that Tasman “failed to set foot on New Zealand soil”.

In an article in The New Zealand Herald in 2010, Dr Ian Barber agreed Tasman never made it to shore and suggested the Maori attacked the Dutch explorers because they felt an area of kumara (a type of sweet potato) cultivation was being threatened by the ships anchored nearby.“People would have been concerned for the impact these of visitors on their crops,” said Dr Barber. “Food, and the storage of food, was associated with community well-being as well as chiefly mana, power and politics. Everyone in the community had a vested interested.” He goes on to state: “The most important thing is that they [Tasman’s crew] were not even allowed to land.”

It has also been suggested by historian John Mitchell that the conflict occurred because the Maori feared the Dutch vessels might awaken a dreadful monster which lived in a nearby cave, or that the ships had breached a sacred ban imposed on the waters.

However, historian Rüdiger Mack has suggested that part of Tasman’s crew did in fact make it to shore on December 18, 1642. His theory is based on an engraving, showing a Dutch rowing boat on the shoreline, that was copied from Abel Tasman’s original log book drawing (probably lost – but a number of 17^th and early 18^th century copies are in circulation).

Ultimately, we may never know whether any Dutch sailors made it to shore or not, although it is certain this key moment in NZ history will continue to be debated for many years to come.

What do you think? And could our country’s history have been different if Tasman’s men and the local Maori had established friendly relations back in 1642?

No longer Koninginnedag

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:34:18 +1300

A change at the top of the monarchy means that the Dutch Community will be celebrating a King instead of a Queen this year. We have some information about how it will be recognised and that there is a change of date, but please let us know how and where you plan to celebrate Koningdag this year.

A Good Start towards Dutch Collaboration?

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:37:49 +1300

The recent press release (copied below) by the chairmen of the respective trusts working towards establishing a museum in Foxton is heartening and reflects the spirit of cooperation envisioned by Theo Muller in his Blog, "Creating Community". He wonder what we could achieve if we were somehow to work together, share resources, share talent, think as one. A Museum is a good start, but we also need to keep contemporary links with the Netherlands to be a truly a Dutch community within the wider New Zealand community, not an historic Dutch community.

De Molen puts Wind in the Sails of Te Awahou – Nieuwe Stroom

A permanent national home in Foxton for the culture and heritage of the Dutch community in New Zealand is the joint vision of Michael Feyen, Chairman of De Molen Trust and Ben Vanderkolk, Chairman of Te Awahou – Nieuwe Stroom Trust (TANS).

Their recent conversation, about greater collaboration between the two Trusts, occurred as TANS is set to present a radically refined plan to the Horowhenua District Council for the redevelopment of the former Mitre 10 building in Foxton, next to the 17th century replica Dutch windmill.

The TANS concept involves a raft of activities that is offered to the public, tourists, visitors and the local community – in a coordinated way. It is acknowledged that de Molen is doing this already, but currently on its own. Through better planning and joint activities, both De Molen and TANS will benefit from increased patronage and visitors to the planned Dutch museum centre, the Maori Arts and Crafts Gallery, a library and community service centre, an I-Site visitor information centre and a kiosk for river activities – which can all be housed by TANS within the existing Mitre 10 building.

The authentic, working Dutch windmill is a key component of the project. With some 30,000 visitors annually, it is a landmark and a destination of considerable interest – now being augmented by the Dutch Market on State Highway 1 and plans for a Dutch bakery and an authentic Dutch café.

“We now have more comfort that we can protect De Molen and work with TANS to make a shared vision for Foxton a reality,” said Mr Feyen. Mr Vanderkolk confirmed that de Molen Trust believes that the refined plan for TANS is sustainable and it can be done because it much less ambitious and less complicated than earlier versions presented to Council.

Both Trusts will consider urgently the appointment of cross-trustees to ensure that clear communication and full disclosure occurs more effectively. Moreover, both Chairmen are convinced that this initiative is capable of strengthening the support for the project by the local and national Dutch community, and will build an asset that brings pride and employment opportunities to the Foxton community.

Together with another settlor of the TANS Trust, the Dutch Connection Museum Trust, the parties to the discussion over the weekend see key elements of a Dutch village in a Dutch landscape – with a wide river and plenty of Friesian cows in the paddocks – emerging in Foxton, centered on de Molen.

Creating Community

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:14:08 +1300

I have been involved in the NetherlaNZ Foundation for a couple of years and the Trustees made me Chairman about a year ago. It’s been a full-on year and I have met more Dutch immigrants or second or third generation descendants of Dutch immigrants in that year than in all those years since I came to New Zealand in the 70’s. There are Dutchies everywhere and there isn’t one living soul in New Zealand who doesn’t know somebody of Dutch origin – surely no more than two degrees of separation! But what has taken me by surprise is the number of clubs, committees, incorporated societies, formal and informal groups of Dutch immigrants and their descendants and most of these groups have similar goals and objectives; bringing the Dutch community together socially or culturally by organising events, activities and projects, some of them with a local accent and others of a regional or even national nature. It is absolutely fantastic that there are so many motivated people wanting to be involved in these projects and make themselves available, roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. I take my hat off to those involved in the very successful Molen Project in Foxton. What an asset, not only for Foxton, but for the whole of New Zealand. The Dutch Connexion, another group of enthusiastic Dutch immigrants with a dream of ambitious proportions, wants to build a Dutch museum, “Ons Museum and Cultureel Centrum”. The drivers behind that project devote all their spare time to realising their dream. I salute you.

Over the last 20 years, the NetherlaNZ Foundation has also realised several major projects; I mention the recent travelling Anne Frank Exhibition and the annual World Press Photo Exhibition as examples of cultural events with links back to The Netherlands.

While I don’t wish to trivialise the enormous successes achieved by individual groups and organisations as clearly demonstrated above, I keep thinking about what we as Dutch immigrants and their descendants could achieve if we were somehow to work together, share resources, share talent, think as one.

I would be really interested in hearing what your thoughts are and invite you to post your response to the above. I personally think this would be a very useful debate.

Welcome from the Chairman

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 09:04:05 +1300

Welcome/welkom to our new website. On behalf of the New Zealand Netherlands Foundation Inc, or NetherlaNZ Foundation for short, I would like to invite you to take the opportunity to browse through the site which is packed with really interesting information about Dutchies living in New Zealand, their stories, events, news items and useful links to associated websites. We consider our website a “living document” – we will add to it all the time. If you wish to share relevant stories or information, please make sure to contact us and we will take care of it.

Wishing you a merry Christmas; prettige kerstdagen en een fijne vakantie.

Reacquire your Dutch citizenship

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:56:51 +1300

Did you know that, until 1 April 2013, former Dutch citizens can re-acquire Dutch nationality when living abroad. Several conditions have to be met but if you think this may apply to you or is something you would like to do please contact us for a copy of the Newsletter or see your local Embassy or Consulate for more information.

Welcome to our new website

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:56:36 +1200

Welcome to the new website for the New Zealand-Netherlands Foundation. This site is devoted to fostering the links that bind New Zealand and the Netherlands. The Dutch assimilate very well when they join a new culture and there are estimated to be between 130,000 to 200,000 people with a Dutch heritage in New Zealand. We want YOU!

The Foundation was established in 1990 and has been run on a voluntary basis for over 20 years to promote links between the Netherlands and New Zealand, to encourage the Dutch in New Zealand to keep their heritage alive through cultural and educational exchanges, and to celebrate the contribution the Dutch have made and continue to make to New Zealand's economic and social fabric. To stay relevant we need to connect with those of you who want to know about your heritage and in this social networking day and age, it couldn't be easier.

We want to be in touch with those who have lost their "Dutch Connection" and who want to explore and experience their Dutch heritage. We have created a Facebook page and made a LinkedIn Group and we hope that this site will also become the repository for your stories, or your children's stories or your grandchildren's stories of the Oma and Opa and what they did to fit in or stand out in New Zealand.