Berend Oosterveen
| First name | Berend |
|---|---|
| Last name | Oosterveen |
| Country of Origin | Holland |
| Date of Birth | 1/10/2021 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1954 |
| Submitted by | Jan Oosterveen |
Story
Berend and Aaltje Oosterveen (nee Sieders) were both born in Hoogeveen in the northern Province of Drente, Holland. Berend worked in various jobs; at a bakery, repairing bicycles and stoves and in coal mines, while Aalie had paid domestic work. The Second World War devastated Holland and with Germany on its border was quickly occupied. The struggle for survival was great but fortunately their families had farms and grew vegetables. Berend and Aalie were married at a civil ceremony on 16th December 1944. They had four sons born whilst living in Hoogeveen: Arend Albert 1946, Jan 1948, Roelof 1949 and Harm 1951. They had settled into a new brick government unit.
Post war there were job shortages. Much propaganda encouraged migration to Australia. Two of Aalie’s brothers, Jan and Henry Sieders, had already migrated to Australia and were working for a sawmill at Dorrigo. With the promise of a job for Berend and the prospects of doing well for themselves the decision was made to emigrate to Australia.
Now Aalie was pregnant and in fear and trepidation about leaving her homeland. It was decided that the family should travel by KLM, so as to arrival before the baby was due. They set out from Schippol airport in late October 1954, arriving in Sydney on the 6th November 1954, to be met by Jan and Lammie Sieders and to begin a long train journey to Raleigh. Here they were bundled into a taxi for the winding trip up the Dorrigo Mountains to Megan.
On arrival Aalie was completely exhausted and over-wrought. She feared never seeing her family again. Berend started work immediately at Ward\’s Sawmill and the family was settled into a tiny timber cottage with timber windows propped open with sticks, a living room, two bedrooms, store room, verandah and out house, no electricity but kerosene lamps and refrigerator. Their furniture, bedding etc arrived by ship several months later. Albert Henry was born on the 1st January 1955. The village of Megan was picturesque and the life style idyllic and after the initial shock subsided the family settled in well. The boys started school immediately and were speaking English in no time. Berend and Aalie learnt very gradually.
They wanted the boys to have job opportunities so a few years later they move to Awaba, near Newcastle, where Berend and a Dutch friend, Henk de Jonge, built fibro house whilst working full time at the BHP. A daughter Elizabeth Anne was born on 2nd December 1965. Berend also worked at the Sulphide works. He succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 55. Life was a struggle, but his goals were achieved and Aalie made several trips home to Hoogeveen.