OzCloggie

But, we survived. Bonegilla was such a shock - to us. ( I have read other reactions. More positive ones.)

We migrated, from the Netherlands, in April, 1956. Arrived at our destination, Fremantle, in May and discovered that there would not be any work for my father, or mother, or our friends for quite some time.
The information on which my parents based their decision to migrate was very scant.
We had a nice visit with the family in Applecross who had been our contacts in Australia but, we got back, on board the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and tried the east coast.

On 14 May, 1956, we left the ship in Port Philip Bay and a steam train took us into the blackness of night and Bonegilla Migrant Centre, on the NSW - Victoria border. It was Empire Night! Along the track I saw bonfires and my first impression of Australia (After a brief walk through the centre of Perth a few days earlier) was that we had arrived on the American prairies that I had read about, in Gouda, and that the indians were all around us.
I wish I'd written a book about Bonegilla.

Dirk and Marijke Eysbertse HAVE written such a book, namely: Where the Waters Meet. It is available for purchase.


Email me.

Am I the new Rembrandt? (Actually, of course not but it is fun entering the competition.)


More information....here!

(Yes. My original name was: Joop Mul.)

Like all Dutch people, I grew up seeing Rembrandt reproductions everywhere.

I was born in Gouda, the Netherlands. My parents and I came to Sydney in 1956 and, like many Dutch-Australian houses, our lounge-room, typically Dutch, features two Rembrandt prints. A young girl and a man in a helmet.

This competition is inspiring me to represent my roots and this first self-portrait is of me, in front of the entrance to the town hall, in Gouda.

Inspired by Rembrandt I am enjoying the use of the thick oil paint and my favourite warm colours, the burnt umber and sienna, alizarin crimson and yellow ochre and, particularly, the chance to 'spotlight' my face, in the 'glow' of the light, from above the door of the town hall.

Het stadhuis van Gouda blijft toch altijd ons symbool van herkomst.

Grandma Moses is said to have done it, i.e., make a career out of painting, later in life. I am determined to do that too, after retirement from thirty-seven very satisfying years of teaching, from a Dutch-Australian perspective.

On my first visit back to the Netherlands, in the winter of 1971, I joined the crowds to view the Nightwatch, in Amsterdam. Like most Dutch-born people in other lands, of course I have searched out the Rembrandt paintings, when visiting art galleries. He represents 'us', in paintings of such different shapes and sizes.

On my wall is a poster, with a picture on it, of two old men disputing, painted by Rembrandt, circa 1628. It is my favourite because my Australian-born daughter, gave me that print, after a visit to the National Art Gallery of Victoria. Where there was an exhibition, featuring Rembrandt, "A genius and his impact", in 1997.

This was an acknowledgement to me of her heritage and our shared love of art.

As well, Rembrandt's painting of the young girl has been looking back on us, from above the t.v., for so many years!

Like the man in the helmet, in the opposite corner, she's like part of the family.