Explore our story

Close-up image of clogs and jandals inside Oranjehof.

The Dutch – and their children and grandkids – have helped create a more diverse, multi-cultural nation since the 1950s and 1960s. After all, they arrived as the first big wave of non-English speaking immigrants in what was still a strongly British nation.

Back then, Dutch migrants were issued an ‘Alien Pass’ and told to become ‘New Britishers’. So we merged into mainstream society.

But least one in every 40 or so New Zealanders has some Dutch heritage. Oranjehof is the place – onze plek – where we’ve made the ‘Invisible Immigrants’ visible.

These hard-working new arrivals influenced the tastes of a nation – in the arts, dance, religion, food. Oranjehof tells those eye-opening stories in fun and interactive ways, which occasionally may also bring a tear to your eyes.

Come and visit us in Foxton. You'll be amazed at all your own connections into the stories of the ‘Invisible Immigrants’.