She was 21 years old and newly married when she boarded the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt on October 7, 1955. Riet Zuman (92) says she has sometimes regretted her emigration to Australia, because her children had to grow up without family. After one of her children died in a collision, she spoke with her husband about returning to the Netherlands. But that did not happen: "we had changed". Nevertheless, the Netherlands will always be in her heart.
This interview is in Dutch.
The Johan van Oldenbarnevelt was a well-known Dutch migrant ship. In the 50s and 60s of the last century, more than a hundred thousand people made the big crossing to Australia with this ship. In our series 'The JvO: Migrant Stories', Dutch Australians reminisce about their time on 'de Johan'.
Did you also travel to Australia on the 'Johan van Oldenbarnevelt', and do you have a special story you would like to share with the community? Contact us by email and mention JvO in the subject line.
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