No place like 'home' : experiences of the Netherlands East Indies as real, virtual and politically contested reality by Indisch Dutch and Indisch Dutch Australians

This paper is about perceptions of 'home', place, identity and belonging as they are perceived by Dutch Refugees from the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) banished from their homeland by political conflict (The Indonesian Revolution 1945-1949). All have a connection to Australia. The NEI Dutch Australians adults interviewed chose to re-migrate to Australia after repatriation to NL preferring to live in a warmer climate closer to their country of origin. Their experiences are juxtaposed to NEI Dutch who were children evacuated to Australia in 1945 for rehabilitation from internment and the revolution before being repatriated to the NL where they stayed.