The Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture’s Northern Territory Library has revealed the shortlist for this year’s Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award.

Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture Senior Director of NT Library and Archives, Patrick Gregory, said the Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award recognises the most significant historical book about the Northern Territory published in the previous calendar year.

“We are always amazed by the breadth, quality and diversity of the entries, and this year is no exception, with a large number of exceptionally high quality publications submitted,” Mr Gregory said.

The expert judging panel of historians and academics were impressed by this year’s submissions.

“The submissions for 2019 varied widely, from academic to pictorial works, military history to Institutional contributions and poetry; we were engaged and absorbed in the historical works presented and appreciated the range of writing styles”  the panel said.

The shortlisted books are:

• Found in Translation: Many meanings on a North Australian Mission by Laura Rademaker
• Northern Dreams: The Politics of Northern Development in Australia by Lyndon Megarrity
• Teaching "proper" drinking? Clubs and pubs in Indigenous Australia by Maggie Brady
  

The 16 entries were:

• A Legendary Partnership: Yolŋu, Bäpa Sheppy and ŋäṉḏi Ella by Gwenda Baker
• Darwin 1869: The Second Northern Territory Expedition by Derek Pugh
• Escape Cliffs: the First Northern territory Expedition 1864-66 by Derek Pugh
• Forgotten Country: A Short History of Central Australia by Alan Powell
• Found in Translation: Many meanings on a North Australian Mission by Laura Rademaker
• Kuwarddewardde, The Stone Country by David Hancock
• Mandatory Reading: Lawyers and Life in the Northern Territory by Peter and Sheila Forrest
• Northern Dreams: The Politics of Northern Development in Australia by Lyndon Megarrity
• Olive Pink by Gillian Ward
• Teaching "proper" drinking? Clubs and pubs in Indigenous Australia by Maggie Brady
• The Right Amount of Crazy by John and Alison Lamont
• Together: The Country Women's Association in the Northern Territory by Peter and Sheila Forrest
• 'Two excellent girls': Cissy and Clara McLeod, the Northern Territory 'half-caste' foster daughters of Captain and Mrs Mugg by Steven Farram
• Walking with camels - the story of Bertha Strehlow by Leni Shilton
• Who Killed Lollylegs by Barry Ridding
• Worth Fighting For - Territorian Indigenous Military Service from the Great War to Vietnam by Norman Cramp
  

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 2019 Chief Minister’s Northern Territory History Book Award will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday 2 July at Northern Territory Library in Parliament House.

For more information, visit: https://ntl.nt.gov.au/chief-ministers-northern-territory-history-book-award

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