3395
Anita Van Altena - Oral History - Fairfield Belongings
Main
DescriptionThis interview consists of one audio recording and transcript. Anita Van Altena was interviewed on 08 August 2008 by Shirley Kingsford McLeod.
This interview is part of the Fairfield Belongings project in partnership with the NSW Migration Heritage Centre in 2008.
Interview SummaryMy name is Anna Angenita Cornelia Van Altena but I am known as Anita. I was born in The Hague, Netherlands on 16 July 1943, which was during World War II. My father was married before and had eight children from that marriage. His wife died of cancer and he had the job of raising those children by himself. Sadly it became necessary for him to place some of them into orphanages as it had all become too much for him working as well as cooking, washing and ironing for all those children.
When he was 52 he married my mother who was only 32. She was the niece of his first wife and I was to be the only child of their marriage. My mother had been very ill right from the beginning of the marriage and had already spent some time in a sanatorium. They were wonderful parents and I felt so fortunate to have had such a happy childhood. She sadly died at the age of 55.
My father worked in a large department store behind the scenes. It was little more than factory work which did not pay enough to support such a large family. I fitted into his first family quite well but as some of the children were much older I have only two brothers still living. They both live in the Netherlands and we see each other on visits.
The home I had in The Hague was in a very long street and it had a lounge room with sliding doors, a back room, a little balcony, a kitchen and a toilet. I had a small room to myself and the top floor was used by another family.
My education was in a public school which I really enjoyed and then I went to a public high school where I learnt all types of housekeeping. I liked that because all the women from my family liked handicrafts and my sister had already taught me to knit. I was 15 when I finally left school.
My first job on leaving school was in a material store called Klomp. Clogs in the Netherlands are called ‘klomp’. My boss was a very tough lady but very good to work for. It was a classy shop and as the rolls of fabric came in, the fabric had to be straightened on planks so that it lay perfectly. If it was done incorrectly the boss would unroll it and we would have to start again. After the learning period was over I was allowed to serve customers and I really loved that. We sold only patterns and fabrics, not haberdashery. The fabrics were mostly brought from Germany but some were made in the Netherlands. Fabric did not come in from Asia in those days. I worked there for five years then I went to a dress shop for three years before coming to Australia. I made all my own clothes at that time.
My husband and I were neighbours. We lived at number 205 in our street and then we moved to number 74 and when I was 10 my husband-to-be came and lived right opposite me at number 57, so we’ve known each other for 50 years.
He had been at sea in the merchant navy and travelled to many parts of the world. In year he received a letter from a friend in Singapore asking if he would like to migrate to Australia. We had been engaged for five years so decided to marry and emigrate.
We married in The Hague and it was then, as we planned to leave for Australia, that I found that my mother was terminally ill. I wanted to remain with her but she insisted that as she didn’t have long to live anyway that I should not miss the opportunity to move on. It was very brave of her and I never saw her again as she passed away six months after we arrived in Australia.
We boarded the ship at Rotterdam. We could have sailed on the ship that my husband had sailed on for so many years but he wanted to try a different one. We sailed on an Italian ship named Flavia and I thought, as we left the wharf, that I would never return to the Netherlands. I have returned for visits many times over the years but that day I really felt that I would never see my country again. I was sad but still excited at the thought of a new life in a new country.
We sailed from Rotterdam on 14 September 1964. The ship was large and although it was a passenger liner it carried migrants, mainly from Holland but also a few Germans. We called in at Bremen in Germany and then to Southampton in England. Already I was very seasick and remained so until we reached Sydney. I felt so miserable that I could not enjoy the shipboard activities.
We crossed the Atlantic Ocean and went through the Panama Canal as the Suez was closed at that time. We also stopped in the West Indies and saw my cousin who had a three-year contract in the navy there. He drove us around to see the sights. As we crossed the Pacific we also stopped at Papeete in Tahiti before finally sailing to Australia.
My first impressions of Australia were formed when we stopped in Fremantle and they were not complimentary. I thought that it was so horrible that I would gladly have turned around and returned to Holland immediately. In Holland there had been much rebuilding and there were lovely modern homes and shops. Fremantle was the opposite and I did not like what I saw. We did not land at Melbourne and Sydney did not look any better to me. We arrived in Woolloomooloo and all I can remember is a huge wire wall. We felt like monkeys in a cage. There was also much confusion over locating our luggage as they did not know if it came under ‘A’ or ‘V’. The ‘Van’ in Holland really means nothing and alphabetically it would not be considered. A passenger told me that the ship would return to Rotterdam the next day and I thought that I would gladly go with her. I did not speak English and I felt completely lost although I carried a dictionary all the time. My husband spoke some English though and actually taught it to passengers onboard the ship on the voyage out.
We arrived in Sydney on 25 October 1964 and people whom my husband had met previously were at the wharf to meet us. From there we drove to their home at 69 Young Street Croydon. We remained there for about three weeks, then we found a rental property in Bankstown which was half a house. The husband of the people with whom we had stayed in Croydon worked at Walton’s department store in Sydney and he obtained a job for my husband in the menswear department.
We were very comfortable in the Bankstown house so we remained there for six months until the owners returned from overseas. Our first Christmas in Australia was held there in Bankstown. Christmas was very different to Holland inasmuch as it was very hot here and the food was cold. That took a bit of getting used to.
We then rented an old house in Lakemba for awhile before buying our first house at 7 Payton Street Canley Vale. We remained there for seven and a half years and our two children were born there. As the house in Canley Vale was becoming too small we later bought a house in Casula where we remained for 25 years until buying this lovely property at Denham Court.
My husband had become well established at Walton’s and I started to work as well. We had brought out some silverware, cork stoppers and charms, from near Gouda in Holland, with the intention of starting our own business. My husband would drop me off at Bankstown station in the morning on his way to work and I would catch trains and work all the suburbs calling at shops, taking orders and selling the silver. We began to import more articles such as spoons, keyrings - souvenir type of things. They really did not sell as well as expected at first and we often had trouble getting money from those who owed us. I still have two of the silver cork stoppers we brought with us to begin the business. They are of pure silver and were too pricey for the average Australian so we had to review our plans. One is in the shape of a deer and the other of a sailing ship. They are both used in our home.
I also began selling cosmetic type goods such as tweezers, atomisers and false nails and we finally started to get on our feet. The cosmetics were really the beginning of our shop Holland House. We initially rented premises on Parramatta Road Petersham to store our goods, but after a few break-ins we moved above the Police Station in Cairns Street Bass Hill. We thought that would be safer which it was and we remained there about seven years. From there we branched out into selling gift packs and then hired more premises at Lansvale and became so successful that we bought a warehouse in Market Street Smithfield. That was in the 1970s and is where Holland House was founded.
The drug companies did not always treat us right and once again we were on the back foot. It was suggested that because we had lots of space in the Smithfield warehouse that we import Dutch furniture. From there it grew. We erected a Dutch façade on the front and other changes gradually such as a small coffee shop and brought in many types of Dutch souvenirs and foods for sale. The façade is very Dutch in style and we fly the Dutch flag.
Holland House has expanded so much and we sell so many types of items. We began by importing cheese and many other Dutch goods such as Delftware and clogs and we sell dozens of varieties of liquorice and other foods. We also have foods and other items that are special to Christmas and other Dutch festivals.
Delftware was made in the 16th to 18th centuries and is known worldwide as the lovely blue and white pottery which comes from Delft in the Netherlands. My favourite piece is in the shape of a violin which I brought out when we migrated. It is a fine example of Delft and beautifully made and is a wonderful memory of my homeland. I also have a vase which is particularly fine and most important, and two lovely wall plaques. I would never part with any of these pieces as they are the best quality and are my memory of my old home.
I also brought some clogs with me when I migrated. They are made of wood, probably willow or poplar, and are hand painted in folk art style. Clogs are typical of Holland and can be bought all over the country and these are my favourites.
Our clientele at Holland House are from many nationalities and we even have small bus groups coming through. We now have a Dutch shop in Brisbane and we also send our goods to Arana in Queensland. My son has opened a similar shop in Perth. The Dutch Australian Culture Society holds language classes at the Smithfield shop and genealogy classes are held there as well.
When asked recently by a Dutch TV group if I would consider going home to live, my answer was, “No. We don’t belong there any more”.
I still have some objects from my immigration and they are an important reminder of other days in my old homeland.
The pottery drinking tumbler was produced five years after World War II ended and most school children in the Netherlands received one. It is of heavy quality and is a memory of the oppression that my country suffered at the hands of the Nazis and the way we survived it all.
The crystal and silver perfume bottle and pill box belonged to my grandmother and have been in the family for many years. I will never part with them as they are the last of my family heritage.
This interview is part of the Fairfield Belongings project in partnership with the NSW Migration Heritage Centre in 2008.
Interview SummaryMy name is Anna Angenita Cornelia Van Altena but I am known as Anita. I was born in The Hague, Netherlands on 16 July 1943, which was during World War II. My father was married before and had eight children from that marriage. His wife died of cancer and he had the job of raising those children by himself. Sadly it became necessary for him to place some of them into orphanages as it had all become too much for him working as well as cooking, washing and ironing for all those children.
When he was 52 he married my mother who was only 32. She was the niece of his first wife and I was to be the only child of their marriage. My mother had been very ill right from the beginning of the marriage and had already spent some time in a sanatorium. They were wonderful parents and I felt so fortunate to have had such a happy childhood. She sadly died at the age of 55.
My father worked in a large department store behind the scenes. It was little more than factory work which did not pay enough to support such a large family. I fitted into his first family quite well but as some of the children were much older I have only two brothers still living. They both live in the Netherlands and we see each other on visits.
The home I had in The Hague was in a very long street and it had a lounge room with sliding doors, a back room, a little balcony, a kitchen and a toilet. I had a small room to myself and the top floor was used by another family.
My education was in a public school which I really enjoyed and then I went to a public high school where I learnt all types of housekeeping. I liked that because all the women from my family liked handicrafts and my sister had already taught me to knit. I was 15 when I finally left school.
My first job on leaving school was in a material store called Klomp. Clogs in the Netherlands are called ‘klomp’. My boss was a very tough lady but very good to work for. It was a classy shop and as the rolls of fabric came in, the fabric had to be straightened on planks so that it lay perfectly. If it was done incorrectly the boss would unroll it and we would have to start again. After the learning period was over I was allowed to serve customers and I really loved that. We sold only patterns and fabrics, not haberdashery. The fabrics were mostly brought from Germany but some were made in the Netherlands. Fabric did not come in from Asia in those days. I worked there for five years then I went to a dress shop for three years before coming to Australia. I made all my own clothes at that time.
My husband and I were neighbours. We lived at number 205 in our street and then we moved to number 74 and when I was 10 my husband-to-be came and lived right opposite me at number 57, so we’ve known each other for 50 years.
He had been at sea in the merchant navy and travelled to many parts of the world. In year he received a letter from a friend in Singapore asking if he would like to migrate to Australia. We had been engaged for five years so decided to marry and emigrate.
We married in The Hague and it was then, as we planned to leave for Australia, that I found that my mother was terminally ill. I wanted to remain with her but she insisted that as she didn’t have long to live anyway that I should not miss the opportunity to move on. It was very brave of her and I never saw her again as she passed away six months after we arrived in Australia.
We boarded the ship at Rotterdam. We could have sailed on the ship that my husband had sailed on for so many years but he wanted to try a different one. We sailed on an Italian ship named Flavia and I thought, as we left the wharf, that I would never return to the Netherlands. I have returned for visits many times over the years but that day I really felt that I would never see my country again. I was sad but still excited at the thought of a new life in a new country.
We sailed from Rotterdam on 14 September 1964. The ship was large and although it was a passenger liner it carried migrants, mainly from Holland but also a few Germans. We called in at Bremen in Germany and then to Southampton in England. Already I was very seasick and remained so until we reached Sydney. I felt so miserable that I could not enjoy the shipboard activities.
We crossed the Atlantic Ocean and went through the Panama Canal as the Suez was closed at that time. We also stopped in the West Indies and saw my cousin who had a three-year contract in the navy there. He drove us around to see the sights. As we crossed the Pacific we also stopped at Papeete in Tahiti before finally sailing to Australia.
My first impressions of Australia were formed when we stopped in Fremantle and they were not complimentary. I thought that it was so horrible that I would gladly have turned around and returned to Holland immediately. In Holland there had been much rebuilding and there were lovely modern homes and shops. Fremantle was the opposite and I did not like what I saw. We did not land at Melbourne and Sydney did not look any better to me. We arrived in Woolloomooloo and all I can remember is a huge wire wall. We felt like monkeys in a cage. There was also much confusion over locating our luggage as they did not know if it came under ‘A’ or ‘V’. The ‘Van’ in Holland really means nothing and alphabetically it would not be considered. A passenger told me that the ship would return to Rotterdam the next day and I thought that I would gladly go with her. I did not speak English and I felt completely lost although I carried a dictionary all the time. My husband spoke some English though and actually taught it to passengers onboard the ship on the voyage out.
We arrived in Sydney on 25 October 1964 and people whom my husband had met previously were at the wharf to meet us. From there we drove to their home at 69 Young Street Croydon. We remained there for about three weeks, then we found a rental property in Bankstown which was half a house. The husband of the people with whom we had stayed in Croydon worked at Walton’s department store in Sydney and he obtained a job for my husband in the menswear department.
We were very comfortable in the Bankstown house so we remained there for six months until the owners returned from overseas. Our first Christmas in Australia was held there in Bankstown. Christmas was very different to Holland inasmuch as it was very hot here and the food was cold. That took a bit of getting used to.
We then rented an old house in Lakemba for awhile before buying our first house at 7 Payton Street Canley Vale. We remained there for seven and a half years and our two children were born there. As the house in Canley Vale was becoming too small we later bought a house in Casula where we remained for 25 years until buying this lovely property at Denham Court.
My husband had become well established at Walton’s and I started to work as well. We had brought out some silverware, cork stoppers and charms, from near Gouda in Holland, with the intention of starting our own business. My husband would drop me off at Bankstown station in the morning on his way to work and I would catch trains and work all the suburbs calling at shops, taking orders and selling the silver. We began to import more articles such as spoons, keyrings - souvenir type of things. They really did not sell as well as expected at first and we often had trouble getting money from those who owed us. I still have two of the silver cork stoppers we brought with us to begin the business. They are of pure silver and were too pricey for the average Australian so we had to review our plans. One is in the shape of a deer and the other of a sailing ship. They are both used in our home.
I also began selling cosmetic type goods such as tweezers, atomisers and false nails and we finally started to get on our feet. The cosmetics were really the beginning of our shop Holland House. We initially rented premises on Parramatta Road Petersham to store our goods, but after a few break-ins we moved above the Police Station in Cairns Street Bass Hill. We thought that would be safer which it was and we remained there about seven years. From there we branched out into selling gift packs and then hired more premises at Lansvale and became so successful that we bought a warehouse in Market Street Smithfield. That was in the 1970s and is where Holland House was founded.
The drug companies did not always treat us right and once again we were on the back foot. It was suggested that because we had lots of space in the Smithfield warehouse that we import Dutch furniture. From there it grew. We erected a Dutch façade on the front and other changes gradually such as a small coffee shop and brought in many types of Dutch souvenirs and foods for sale. The façade is very Dutch in style and we fly the Dutch flag.
Holland House has expanded so much and we sell so many types of items. We began by importing cheese and many other Dutch goods such as Delftware and clogs and we sell dozens of varieties of liquorice and other foods. We also have foods and other items that are special to Christmas and other Dutch festivals.
Delftware was made in the 16th to 18th centuries and is known worldwide as the lovely blue and white pottery which comes from Delft in the Netherlands. My favourite piece is in the shape of a violin which I brought out when we migrated. It is a fine example of Delft and beautifully made and is a wonderful memory of my homeland. I also have a vase which is particularly fine and most important, and two lovely wall plaques. I would never part with any of these pieces as they are the best quality and are my memory of my old home.
I also brought some clogs with me when I migrated. They are made of wood, probably willow or poplar, and are hand painted in folk art style. Clogs are typical of Holland and can be bought all over the country and these are my favourites.
Our clientele at Holland House are from many nationalities and we even have small bus groups coming through. We now have a Dutch shop in Brisbane and we also send our goods to Arana in Queensland. My son has opened a similar shop in Perth. The Dutch Australian Culture Society holds language classes at the Smithfield shop and genealogy classes are held there as well.
When asked recently by a Dutch TV group if I would consider going home to live, my answer was, “No. We don’t belong there any more”.
I still have some objects from my immigration and they are an important reminder of other days in my old homeland.
The pottery drinking tumbler was produced five years after World War II ended and most school children in the Netherlands received one. It is of heavy quality and is a memory of the oppression that my country suffered at the hands of the Nazis and the way we survived it all.
The crystal and silver perfume bottle and pill box belonged to my grandmother and have been in the family for many years. I will never part with them as they are the last of my family heritage.
Transcript
Details
IntervieweeAnita Van AltenaInterviewerShirley Kingsford McLeodDate of interview08/08/2008DurationTotal interview 01:05:11Transcripts availableYesRightsFairfield City Council Access ConditionsAccess open for research, written permission required for personal copies and public use
Connections
Oral History ProjectAll Oral HistoriesExhibitionFairfield Belongings - 2008
Anita Van Altena - Oral History - Fairfield Belongings. Fairfield City Heritage Collection, accessed 15/04/2026, https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/3395