Show students the map of the race destinations, which also features the list of the original 64 entrants.

The London to Melbourne air race featured a wide range of aircraft. Have students research:

• Who were the final 20 entrants in the race?
• What aircraft did they fly in?
• What were the features of these planes?
• Using Google Maps, locate each of the five compulsory stops, as well as the handicap destinations.

Students can then choose one plane to examine in detail. As a class, they can then discuss the features of each, and the reasons why one plane might be more successful in the race than another.

Show students the Dutch commemorative game, created after the race to celebrate the Uiver’s success:

In groups, have students use the London to Melbourne air race as the inspiration to design their own board game. They should create a map, using the compulsory destinations, and devise profiles for the competitors in 1934. They should create a list of rules, and reasons for progress (or going backwards) in the game, such as weather conditions, or other unforeseeable events. Having built their designed games, they can then play the board games in groups.

In July 2014, 80 years after the Uiver’s impromptu visit to Albury, the Netherlands and Australia were united in the wake of an air disaster that saw a renewed demonstration of the same mateship and compassion shown in Albury in October 1934. When passenger flight MH 17 was shot down by a missile over Ukraine, Dutch and Australian authorities led an investigation into the causes for the tragedy, united by the desire to hold accountable those responsible.

Have students research and examine the Dutch–Australian relationship in the aftermath of this event, and the combined effort of both countries to ensure accurate and responsible analysis of the disaster. In researching these events, have them answer the following questions:

• What do the Netherlands and Australia have in common with regards to this tragedy?
• What was the nature of the Netherlands–Australia relationship prior to this event? What events had led to this relationship status?
• What has each country contributed to the investigation, in the wake of the MH 17 disaster?

• The chronological events leading up to Dutch migration to Australia
• The conditions in the Netherlands after WWII and the reason for these conditions
• Australian and Dutch government agreements that promoted migration
• The requirements that Dutch migrants needed to meet in order to migrate to Australia
• The locations where Dutch groups were housed temporarily
• The professions that Dutch people entered into after arrival
• The riot at Bonegilla in July 1952

Have students watch this short animation about life at Bonegilla, produced by 3Hands Studios:

Although this film does not feature Dutch migrants, it offers two perspectives of ‘displaced person’ migrants (those received from 1947) on their experiences at Bonegilla, which would have been similar for Dutch people in that same centre as ‘assisted migrants’ (those received from 1951).

Students should use this as inspiration to write a letter from the perspective of a Dutch migrant, either a child or an adult, living at Bonegilla. In their response, they should consider the skills and experience of that individual prior to arriving in Australia, their expectations of Australian life, any disappointments suffered and their aspirations.

Having left the government provided accommodation centres, many migrants assimilated quickly into Australian life, starting their own businesses or contributing to established industries and companies. They had children of their own, starting a new generation of Australians with Dutch ancestry. Share with students, stories of the notable Dutch migrants featured above, giving a brief account of their life in Australia.

Students should research one or more Dutch migrants (or the migrant heritage of a first generation Australian with Dutch ancestry) and the contribution they have made to Australian life. This person need not be famous, and students should be encouraged to discover people of Dutch origin in their own community, or those less well known. You may consider approaching a local Dutch community group, and have students write interview questions and make contact, if appropriate. They should present their findings in a suitable format for sharing with the rest of the class, which might include a video presentation, should students be able to interview people in person. In forming a list of interview questions, or, in structuring their research, they should consider:

• The age that the migrant was on arrival
• Whether they spent time in a migrant accommodation centre
• The life they left behind
• Their prior skill set
• Their chosen profession
• Their initial impression of life in Australia
• How they went about finding or creating work for themselves
• Their chosen location for settlement and why
• Whether they celebrate their Dutch heritage
• The contribution they have made in Australia.