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Shortlist announced for the Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award 2017

Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture

Department of Tourism and Culture, Director Northern Territory Library Patrick Gregory today announced the shortlist for the 2017 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award.

“The 2017 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award recognises the most significant contribution to Northern Territory history published in 2016,” Mr Gregory said.

“The Northern Territory Library received a total of 15 entries for the 2017 Award; more than double the number of entries from 2015 and two more than last year.”

The four shortlisted books vying for the Award are:

    • Remember Me Kindly: A History of the Holtze Family in the Northern Territory, by Deborah Bisa

    • Masters and Servants: Cultures of Empire in the Tropics, by Claire Lowrie

    • Alice Springs: From Singing Wire to Iconic Outback Town, by Stuart Traynor

    • A Handful of Sand: The Gurindji Struggle, After the Walk-Off, by Charlie Ward

The panel of expert judges said there was an exceptionally strong field of entries this year.

“From beautifully-presented pictorial works to detailed academic texts, there
was a wide range of works which examined political, personal and military history in many regions of the Northern Territory,” the panel said.

“It is heartening to see such high quality books being produced about the Northern Territory; a place of rich history and stories, many still untold.”

The 15 entries included:

    • Remember Me Kindly: A History of the Holtze Family in the Northern Territory – Deborah Bisa

    • Direct Hit: The Bombing of Darwin Post Office – Brett Bowden

    • You’re Not Alone… 30 years of AIDS Councils in the Northern Territory – Panos Couros  

    • Fighting Spirit: A History of Christianity at Warruwi, Goulburn Island – William W. Emilsen

    • Trouble: On Trial in Central Australia – Kieran Finnane

    • Centralian Tourism: The Early Years – James Goulding

    • Dear family: Letters from Arnhem Land 1962-1966 – Beth Graham

    • Jones Store, Newcastle Waters, Northern Territory: A Social History of an Outback Store – Peter Jones

    • Masters and Servants: Cultures of Empire in the Tropics – Claire Lowrie

    • Environment, Race, and Nationhood in Australia: Revisiting the Empty North – Russel McGregor

    • Blood and Sand : Alyawarra and Cattlemen in the Sandover River Country – Alan Powell

    • Crocs in the Cabinet: Northern Territory Politics – an instruction manual on how NOT to run a government – Ben Smee and Christopher A Walsh

    • Turning 40: The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory 1974-2014 – Dean Jaensch AO and Robyn Smith

    • Alice Springs: From Singing Wire to Iconic Outback Town – Stuart Traynor

    • A Handful of Sand: The Gurindji Struggle, After the Walk-Off – Charlie Ward

The Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award has been administered by the Northern Territory Library since its creation in 2004.

The winner of the 2017 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award will be announced on Wednesday 28 June.

For more information and to view past winners visit nt.gov.au/history-book-award

Media contact – Patrick Gregory, Director, Northern Territory Library - 8922 0720