The death of Dutch migrant Dick Van Teulingen at 101 closes a chapter in Australia’s post-war migration story, shaped by those who left war-torn Europe to build new lives here.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon searching the internet when I got one of those icy stabs to the heart when you learn that someone you care about has died.

The death of Dick Van Teulingen, in a nursing home in Victoria at the age of 101 in July, marked the end of an era for the group of around 100 Dutch, including my father, who had come to Australia in 1950 on a two-year contract to dredge Port Phillip Bay.

They both came from the small town of Sliedrecht, in southern Holland, one of the dredging centres of a country which has had centuries of experience in the business.

Both my father and Dick married nurses from Williamstown Hospital and opted to stay in Australia when their contract was over. Some returned to Holland while others remained in the Williamstown area.

Theirs were some of the millions of post-war migrant stories which have shaped Australia.

Researching the history of my father’s life in wartime Holland for a book for my family, I got in contact with Dick a few years ago to talk about his life, particularly his own wartime experience from 1940 to 1945. He was 96 years old and still very articulate. He shared some experiences similar to my father’s.

It was the desire to get away from economically devastated Holland, as well as a chance for a new adventure after five years of Occupation and three years of compulsory military service, which drove both of them to seize the opportunity to come to Australia in 1950.

The group of Dutch from........

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