
Our History
Significant Points
- Erasmus Established: 14 Sept 1965, Founding President: Dick van der Noordaa, followed one year later by Jan Voordijk. Membership $10 pp.
- 1972 Jonas Kreveld becomes president (note that part of this time Ursula Hoff, then Deputy Director of the NGV, was a member of the committee).
- 1990 Jan Stracke becomes president.
- Feb 1992: the Erasmus Foundation is Incorporated.
- March 1997- 2000: Thea Winoto becomes president.
- Closure Dutch Consulate in Melbourne end 1999.
- From 2000, successive presidents were: Jan Bylstra (2 years), Loes Westerbeek (3 years), Isabelle Roosenburg (2 years), David Runia (1 year), Nico Spelbrink (2 years), iet Fuijkschot ( 1 year), Henk van Leeuwen (2 years) and Keith Reitsema (2 years). Jan Bylstra (from 2015).
- On 8 Nov 2015 it was voted to cancel our Incorporation and change our legal status to become a sub-group of the Dutch Club Abel Tasman. Our mission and character will be retained but the new structure simplifies the management of the society. The change was finalised in March 2016.
- On 1 February 2024 the then current committee was dissolved as no new committee members could be found. A caretaker will attend to any issues till August 2025.
Venues:
In the early years there were talks and films in the National Mutual Theatrette and sometimes in the Shell Theatrette. This was initially followed by meetings in the Celtic Club, then the Danish Club from 1985 – 1999, the Royal Brighton Yacht Club from 1999 – 2006 and other venues after that, including Queen’s College and lately the Dutch Club Abel Tasman.
Speakers
We have had many distinguished speakers. Most prominent were:
Authors: Harry Muelisch, Dick Bruna, Adriaan van Dis, Tim Krabbé, Jan Brokken, F Springer and various others, such as 6 authors as part of the Sixth International Feminist Book Fair.
Politicians: Don Chip, Barry Jones and Lindsay Thompson, Al Grassby and our member Johan Scheffer.
Ambassadors: Annemieke Ruigrok (the Netherlands), Patrick Renault (Belgium) and Erica Schouten (the Netherlands).
Famous: Max Euwe (Dutch world chess champion), Prof Martin Veltman (received Nobel Prize for Physics in 1999), Prof Henk van Os (Director Rijksmuseum 1989-1996). Howard Florey (penicillin) and Prof Carl Wood (In vitro fertilisation).
Exhibitions
- Second Landing at the NGV Nov 1993 - Jan 1994.
- Rembrandt Connection Nov/Dec 1997 in the Malthouse.
- Bonegilla Exhibition "Where Waters Meet"- at the "Old Treasury Building" April/May1996
and - "The Other Dutch", exhibition with the "Tempo Doeloe Society" in the Immigration Museum May-July 2000.
Films
- Various feature films at the ACMI Cinemas and other venues (for examples see past activities).
Cabaret
- Freek de Jonge in 1994, organised together with the Dutch Consulate and the Dutch Club Abel Tasman.
Book
- Published: “Bonegilla: where waters meet- The Dutch Migrant Experience in Australia” 1997 (contact author for information).