Danes in Australia
  • Home
    • About "Danes in Australia" >
      • The people behind
    • Useful links
    • Contact
  • History
    • Danish migration to Australia >
      • Gold, Gold, Gold
      • The World Wars >
        • Danes who fought in World War I
        • Danes who fought in World War II
      • Post-War Immigration
    • Poowong East
    • Schleswig Holstein >
      • The Hahndorf settlers
  • Biographies
    • Individuals >
      • Ambassadors and Consuls >
        • Erik Jensen
      • Architecture and Art >
        • Lene Kuhl Jakobsen
        • Jørn Utzon
        • Lone White
      • Dairy Industry >
        • Emil Christensen
        • Poul John (PJ) Holdenson
      • Danish Cultural Institutions >
        • Ole Abildgaard
        • Andy Jensen
        • Peter Madvig
      • Early Settlers >
        • Jorgen Jorgensen
        • Jens Lyng
        • Mads Mikkelsen Madsen
      • Education >
        • Martin Peter Hansen
        • Grethe Hjort
        • Elin Johnston
        • Julia Watkin
      • Media >
        • Zanne Mallett
      • Military >
        • J C Jensen
        • Jens Edvard Valdemar Karl Ingvarson (new)
      • Politics >
        • Jens Hansen Lundager (new)
      • Royalty >
        • Mary Donaldson
      • Schleswig-Holstein Danes >
        • Claus Grønn
        • Baron Ferdinand von Mueller
    • Families >
      • Bjelke-Petersen
      • Knox
      • Refshauge
      • Sjoquist
      • Tange
  • Companies
    • Corporations >
      • Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR)
      • Dan Ships (J. Lauritsen)
    • Entrepreneurs
  • Cultural Institutions
    • The Danish Church
    • Danish and Scandinavian Clubs >
      • Danish Club Melbourne
      • Danish Club Sydney
      • Heimdal
      • Scandinavian Association of South Australia
      • Scandinavian Association of Western Australia
    • Danish School Down Under (DSDU)
    • Sydney Opera House

"Danes in australia" - the idea behind


More than 20 years ago, a group of Danes in Melbourne came up with the idea to create a centre with information on the history of Danes in Australia. The focus was to pull together the biographies of Danes who have made Australia their home. Both from the early pioneers back in the days of the gold rush up until today. 

Erik Jensen, the former Danish Consul General in Victoria, and Lyn Johnson, married to a fourth-generation Dane, have been  instrumental in keeping these ideas alive over the past many years. 

from idea to reality

Now with the backing of the Dannebrog Foundation, the project has come to life again. Although only a small proportion of the overall Australian population has Danish ancestry, there are so many stories to tell. 
  • Of individuals who have settled and started a new life in Australia. 
  • Of families with multiple generations who are still keeping a connection to their Danish past. 
  • Of cultural institutions which continue to gather Danes across Australia. 
  • Of companies founded by Danes.
This website is dedicated to sharing these extraordinary stories.  

Please help us by sending us your story, whether it's you or a relative. We also invite managers of Danish companies to send us their story, about their company activities and history. 

get in touch with us

Back to top

contact us