Bonegilla - Where Waters Meet - Migrant Exhibition
In 1996 Dirk and Marijke Eysbertse proposed to convene an exhibition to commemorate the Dutch migrant experiences in Australia. EF supported this and we provided financial and other support, including assistance by Thea Winoto, Monique van der Weert and Stef van de Wildekamp. A variety of memorabilia were collected including material from the National Archives in Rotterdam and the Albury Regional Museum.
Major sponsors were the Prins Bernhard Fund (see request letter in Dutch), the Netherlands Emigration Fund, Sydney Myer Fund, the Dutch Consulate in Melbourne, OCE Australia, Ilford Australia, Jardine Australia and New Zealand Insurance. The total budget was about $20,000. A Philips TV was also raffled at the first opening.
The first exhibition was from April 9 – May 18, 1997 in the Old Treasury Building (see letter), Spring Street Melbourne. Sir Arvi Parbo opened the exhibition (see his speech). The exhibition was very successful (see summary by convenors).
1997 was the year of the 50th Anniversary of the Bonegilla Migrant Experience. Initially the Albury Regional Museum, followed up by the Festival’s organisers, requested us (via the Consul) to stage our exhibition in Bonegilla, with assistance from them, as part of the festival. The exhibition was moved to the Latchford Barrickes in Bonegilla and opened by the Dutch Vice Minister for Social Affairs and Employment, Mr Frank De Grave on 26 September 1997. The opening reception showed a “who is who” in the Dutch community both from Melbourne as from the region as well as other representatives. The exhibition ran from 26 September to 5 October 1997.
After the second successful staging of the exhibition, the Adelaide Migration Museum also requested to have the exhibition. The opening by Roel Bouwman, Acting Consul General, occurred on 11 December 1998. It was mostly financed by the Adelaide Migration Museum and the Consulate met the shortfall. It ran till the end of March 1998.
The next stage was a move to the Netherlands. This was already requested by the Director of the Volksbuurtmuseum in The Hague in 1998. The museum financed the transport from Adelaide. It opened in late 2000. It was part of a special 6 months long exposition on all aspects of migration. Afterwards it travelled in 2001 to the Ferdinand Doml-Nieuwenhuizen Museum in Heerenveen.
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