What role does the VOC (or the ‘Dutch’) still play in modern society?

Help answer this question by completing an online survey.

The results will be analysed to identify potential trends and patterns in contemporary perceptions of the VOC. The survey is part of an internship project under the Australian Research Council (ARC) linkage project "Mobilising Dutch East India Company collections for new global stories" (LP210300960). The internship project is exploring the historical and societal role of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in modern-day Australia.

Originating from Brouwer's 1611 discovery of a faster route via the Roaring Forties winds, numerous VOC ships sailed along Australia's west coast, but the dangers of this route led to multiple shipwrecks. Notable ships that wrecked included Batavia (1628) and Zeewijk (1725), with some survivors awaiting rescue on the Australian coast. This project aims to investigate how VOC-era remnants are perceived by communities in Geraldton and Fremantle and how they influence daily life, focusing on both tangible artifacts and intangible memories. This project delves into sociological themes like "hauntology" and collective memory, as well as Australia’s cultural connections with Asia and Europe from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Earlier this year, the project team, led by Prof. Dr. M.R. Manders and two Leiden University students, undertook two weeks of fieldwork in Geraldton and Fremantle. Their work included in-depth interviews with local people, landscape observations, some archival research and city walks to document VOC heritage (such as signage, products and media references). These activities aimed to uncover both physical remnants, such as architectural features, and contemporary interpretations of the VOC’s legacy.

The WA Museum is a partner organisation on the ARC Linkage Project "Mobilising Dutch East India Company collections for new global stories" (LP210300960).