New Zealand Kolff family celebrate 50 years of residency
On 14th December 1950 the family of Kees (Cornelis) Kolff landed on the Wellington Harbour from Sydney in the unusual
way by means of a Sunderland Flying Boat of the Australian airline
TEAL. The family group consisted of Kees's wife Tora and their five
sons between the ages of 4½ and 14 as well as their 11 month
old daughter. Kees himself had come half a year earlier to find
work and accommodation. He was already 48 years old.
It was the last stage of a long journey from Holland
which they had left on 25th October. They had sailed on the Sibajak
from Rotterdam via the Suez Canal, Colombo, and Perth to Syndey.
Here the family were required to stay 2 weeks longer than originally
planned because the daughter had got the German measles and they
were not permitted to continue to New Zealand until she was non-contagious.
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Kees was born in 1902 in South Africa where his father
practised medicine, but at the age of 6 the family returned to Holland.
As a young adult he lived in Indonesia until the world depression
struck in the early 30's. He returned to Holland where he met his
wife-to-be. In 1934 he married Tora Gerretsen back in Indonesia
where he lived the following 5 years. He was on leave in Holland
when the war broke out and was unable to return. Having returned
to Indonesia alone after the war was over, he quickly discovered
that the political situation was far to unstable and dangerous to
live there with the 5 sons he was now the father of. Work was difficult
to find in Holland, especially with his working skills and experience.
The plan to emigrate to New Zealand was taken in 1949.
Life was not easy in New Zealand , but the freedom
from overcrowded Holland and the beautiful scenery and pleasant
climate outweighed the sometimes tough daily conditions the family
lived under. Furthermore New Zealand had well developed health and
education systems being of considerable benefit to the family.
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