As Vice Chair of the Australian–Netherlands Parliamentary Friendship Group, I was pleased to recently meet with Her Excellency Ardi Stoios Braken, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Our countries share a strong relationship built on more than 400 years of history. Today, our economic ties remain significant, with bilateral trade in goods valued at around 5.7 billion dollars.
This connection is also reflected in our community, with more than 380,000 Australians proudly claiming Dutch ancestry, making us home to one of the largest Dutch diasporas outside Europe.
Our shared history is also evident here in Queensland. During the Second World War, Camp Columbia at Wacol in Brisbane became home to the Netherlands East Indies Government-in-exile.
Today, Brisbane is also home to a vibrant Dutch community, including the Dutch Chamber of Commerce Queensland (DCCQ), Dutchlink Brisbane, the Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC), and Dutchies in Brisbane, to name just a few.
I look forward to continuing to build on this strong partnership in the future.
