Selling images from both sides: Visual and textual representation of migration and negotiation of identities of Dutch migrants from 1945 until 1965

The purpose of this thesis is to show how Dutch migrants were framed to emigrate to Australia by the governments of Australia and the Netherlands via utilizing visuals and texts, and how Dutch migrants constructed themselves as the prefect migrants in the dominant assimilationist Australian discourse. It will try to show how migrants negotiated the dominant discourse of migration, and how they configured Dutch and Australian ‘ambivalent’ or ‘hyphenated’ identities. Dutch immigrants were the most desirable migrants in Australia after the Second World War as migration was highly selective. Since migrants’ experience rely solely on published works of Jupp, Bosma, Tavan etc., this thesis would like to research the impact of immigration on individuals, by takin g into account biographic narratives of some Dutch migrants in Australia, documenting their settlement experiences and their perspectives on themselves, and their place in Australian society.