Our Exhibitions
The Dutch Connection will feature 3 Permanent Exhibitions, which will tell our most important stories. But there will be much more. To make regular visitors come back and attract new visitors to the Centre we’ll also organise an ongoing series of Temporary Exhibitions. Check out our Exhibition Policy for more information.

Permanent Exhibitions – Education and Understanding
1. A Long Common History: Record and illustrate our presence

• Individuals: Abel Tasman / Early arrivals in the 19th century. For example Julius Vogel as Prime Minister, Jewish leaders, Petrus van der Velden: to teach landscape painting, and the Van Asch family: education for the deaf (famous today for bungy jumping)
• Organised migration waves: Pre-WW II Carpenters / Post-WW II NZ + NL collaboration. The Backgrounds to organised migration in the 1950s and 1960s, the NZ Alien Passes and ‘Make them Britishers’ approach, the huge NL propaganda and support machine
• Modern arrivals: Equipped with mobiles that roam the globe and internet connections, well-educated

2.The Dutch Influence: Celebrate our contribution in sports, arts, farming, business and science

• Individuals like Yvonne Willering and Kees Meeuws, artists like Ans Westra, and individual business ‘icons’ such as Vogel’s bread and Lockwood homes, T&T clothing and Rembrandt suits, Verkerk deli or Van Camp chocolate
• Our impact on a changing NZ society: Dairy industry and Fonterra, Family businesses, Food and Hospitality business, Horticulture, Building industry, Social Values (police, work ethics, family values, tolerance)

3. The Meeting of Two Cultures: Illustrate the intangible - Through oral history, videos, photos, interactive media, exhibits

• Culture shock and culture clashes in the 1950s and 1960s. Integration. Life as 2nd class citizens. Problems encountered
  
• Government attitudes: Policies, Institutional discrimination, Individual attitudes, Kiwi hospitality, Discrimination, Xenophobia
  
• Identity loss: ‘Heimwee’, Isolation, Cultural and psychological consequences for 2nd and 3rd generation Dutch Kiwis
  
• Intercultural melting pot: Getting used to each other, Intermarriage, Freedom from social control, adapting and flourishing