Saturday, December 06, 2025
Genealogical Biography of Johannes Frederikus Antonius
Birth and Early Life
Johannes Frederikus Antonius “John” Nijhuis was born prematurely in May 1916 in Enschede, the Netherlands. He spent his first weeks in an incubator at the hospital, only later returning home to the family residence on the corner of Grotestraat and Ennekerdijk in Borne. He grew up with his siblings, his sister Johanna & his brother Bernhard, and experienced a childhood that combined affection, playfulness, and occasional misadventures, including incidents with the family cat and mice.
John was somewhat fearful of the dark, and his older brother often accompanied him at bedtime. Their relationship was a mixture of companionship and typical sibling mischief. When John was eleven, his mother passed away, and his sister Johanna (Jo) assumed responsibility for the household.
Education and Early Employment
Despite being academically capable, John left school at the age of thirteen. Initially, he worked alongside his father and brother in the family butcher shop, but this did not last long due to disagreements with his siblings. At age fourteen, he became an errand boy at Hulshoff grocery store in Borne, a position he held for several years. Concurrently, he pursued evening dance lessons at Rottinck in Borne.
John was known for his creative nature, enjoying reading and drawing in his spare time. Unlike his older brother, he did not serve in the military, having a personality and life path quite distinct from his siblings.
Marriage and Family Life in the Netherlands
John met Wilhelmina Maria Dik while working at the EPA grocery chain, where he had learned the trade of window dressing and department management. They married in Almelo on June 25, 1943.
The couple initially lived with Wilhelmina’s parents at Irisstraat 40. Their first daughter, Johanna Angela Maria (Joan), was born in June 1945. Following the end of World War II, 7 September 1945, they moved into an upstairs apartment in Bornsestraat 121, where their second daughter, Angela Johanna Wilhelmina Maria, was born in April 1947.
They moved again to Bornsestraat 249 on 3 March 1949. Their third child, Bernardus Wilhelmus Hendrikus (Bill), was born there in April 1949.
John and Wilhelmina briefly ran a grocery shop in Bornsestraat 240 but sold it after two years due to limited prospects.
Emigration to Australia
In November 1952, seeking better opportunities post-war, John and Wilhelmina emigrated to Australia, leaving on 11 November 1952 aboard the ms. Johan van Oldenbarneveldt, arriving in Melbourne on December 13, 1952. They initially stayed in an emigrant camp in Bonegilla. During this period, their children Angela and Bill suffered from severe whooping cough.
John spent several months apart from his family, finding temporary employment in Olinda and later a factory job in Melbourne. On 11 March 1953, the family was reunited, renting accommodation in Holmesglen Commonwealth Hostel, Melbourne, and later moving to 5 Small Road Moorabbin, Melbourne.
Life and Entrepreneurship in Australia
John continued working in various factories while experimenting with small-scale manufacturing using Daynide, producing items such as photo albums and pouffes. In 1958, the family moved to Clayton, where John definitively pursued his own business in manufacturing small goods.
By 1960, he had purchased land in Mooroolbark and built a home at 4 Cameron Road, founding “Hackelis Plastic Products.” The business expanded to include furniture items like stools and chairs, and for several years, John and Wilhelmina enjoyed prosperous and stable family life. However, the heavy workload eventually led to John suffering a nervous breakdown, and he sold the business in 1968.
Family Developments and Return to the Netherlands
During this period, eldest daughter Joan married Frank Pitt, and in November 1968, children Bill and Angela returned to the Netherlands. Angela married Benny Lubbers in 1970, causing family tension. To support his family and resolve these difficulties, John decided to return to the Netherlands in 1969, selling his home in Mooroolbark and traveling aboard the ms. Ellinis arriving in Melbourne in May 1970.
In Almelo, John rented a house on Gagelstraat 49 and worked as a janitor at Soweco. Despite the simplicity of this work compared to his business in Australia, he valued being close to extended family.
Return to Australia and Later Years
By 1972, the family decided to return to Australia due to Wilhelmina’s inability to adjust to life in the Netherlands. They departed from Rotterdam on 23 December 1972 and arrived on 23 January 1973 in Melbourne.
They resettled in Mooroolbark, initially renting, and later purchasing a property at 10 Felix Grove. John assisted his son-in-law Benny Lubbers but was forced to retire due to recurring hernia problems.
John enjoyed his remaining years in Australia, spending time with his family and grandchildren, before his sudden death on April 7, 1981, a month before his 65th birthday. The cause of death is believed to have been either a heart attack or brain hemorrhage. He is buried in Templestowe Public Cemetery, Melbourne.
Wilhelmina Maria Dik (1916–1995)
After John’s death, Wilhelmina continued to live in the Felix Grove home, later moving to a “Granny Flat” in Greenslopes Drive with her daughter Joan’s family. She visited the Netherlands several times between 1981–1990. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May 1994, she underwent surgery but passed away in February 1995 at the age of 79. She was cremated according to her wishes, and her ashes were interred on Churchill Island, overlooking the sea she loved.
