Harry Giese AM MBE, 1913-2000 (H.C. Giese, Harry Christian Giese)

The modern Northern Territory: 1950s to self-government

The Northern Territory Chronicle

'1959

January 26

Darwin constituted a city by Status of Darwin Ordinance 1959

Crown Lands Ordinance 1931-1959 is amended to impose a limit of 5000 sq. miles on holdings of pastoral leases (50-year leases)

Northern Territory Housing Commission is established under Housing Ordinance

April

Northern Territory (Administration) Act is amended to make Northern Territory Legislative Council more representative and to give local members more control. House to number 17 of which 8 are to be elected (comes into operation 4 January 1960)

April 29

Northern Territory Representation Act amended to give certain voting rights to NT representatives

August

Social service benefits are made available for Aboriginals on the same basis as other members of the community

CSIRO establishes Coastal Plains research station at Middle Point

Committee to enquire into prospects of agriculture in NT is established under the chairmanship of Professor H.C. Forster

September 24

Consolidation and extension of Petermann, Haasts Bluff, and South West Aboriginal Reserves gazetted

Report of Joint Committee on Constitutional Review released

October 1

Commencement of Wards Employment Ordinance 1953 '

From Helen J. Wilson, The Northern Territory Chronicle, History Unit, Department of the Chief Minister,1982; second edition with Elizabeth Estbergs, Northern Territory University Planning Authority, 1984

See https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1810858

See also Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Northern Territory of Australia Annual Report for Year 1969-70 at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3247084247/view

Click View Finding Aid, then click further on blue cover at top of list

Click on headings below to move to different sections:

Self –government in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory movers and shakers
What the historical actors said
Northern Territory, past, present and future

Government of the Northern Territory

Alistair Heatley, A City Grows: A History of the Darwin City Council, 1957-1984, NARU/ANU, 1986

at https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/660396

Alistair Heatley, The Government of the Northern Territory, University of Queensland Press, 1979

at https://morgansrarebooks.com/products/the-government-of-the-northern-territory-by-alistair-heatley

P.F. Donovan, At the Other End of Australia: The Commonwealth and the Northern Territory 1911-1978, University of Queensland Press, 1984

at https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/2431958

'The 1950s and 1960s were a period of continued growth and expansion for the Northern Territory. The Commonwealth allocated considerable resources to the Territory knowing that it would ultimately be rewarded in its endeavours. There was a guaranteed market for the Territory's beef, following the agreement signed with the United Kingdom Government in 1952. The beef roads program encouraged expansion and greater efficiencies in the cattle industry. The mining industry began to dominate the Territory's economy as it had never done before.

For the first time in the Commonwealth era, the Northern Territory had only one Minister for a continuous period of 13 years. Paul Hasluck was the Territory's champion and he fought hard to ensure that funding was increased regularly. He was also able to ensure continuity in policy implementation.

By the early 1970s the Territory's population was increasing steadily, as was the funding allocated to its development. The mineral industry was enjoying a period of substantial growth. It seemed that the Commonwealth might finally achieve its long-term goal of closer settlement. There appeared to be no limit to the Territory's expansion--but in just one night a catastrophic event [Cyclone Tracy] would change everything.'

(See Ted Ling, Commonwealth Government Records about the Northern Territory, National Archives of Australia, 2011)

Self-government in the Northern Territory

‘The granting of Self-Government to the NT in 1978 was a big event for the “last frontier” of the Australian continent, and the progress made in the two short years since has proven the worth of the move…the NT has put forward more financial and industrial development in mining and building in the time, relative to its population than most other states would achieve in several times the period.

The social development has also been astounding.

Results in the first election since Self-Government, and the way the election was conducted, prove Territorians are taking an active interest in the future of their part of Australia and the way it’s run politically.

The development of the Territory’s natural resources has also led us to one of the leading roles in Australia. The NT has become a leader in Aboriginal liaison and land rights.

The traditional owners of the uranium deposit sites in the Alligator River region and of the resources in the Centre are being given a say.

Their role in the development of the products located in both areas has been closely followed by other governments and other Indigenous people throughout the world.’

From Territory Self-Government: the first two years, Northern Territory News feature compiled by Andy Bruyn, 21 August 1980

Northern Territory movers and shakers

See David Carment et al., Northern Territory Dictionary of Biography, 3 volumes, Charles Darwin University Press 1990, 1992, 1996

for well-researched biographies of notable Territory figures including Paul Everingham, Nicholas Paspaley, Wandjuk Djuakan Marika, Ella Stack, George Haritos, Jimmy Ah Toy and Ronald and Catherine Berndt

https://dcarment.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/ntdictionaryofbiography.pdf

What the historical actors said

Marshall Perron MLA, Australia Facing Asia: A Northern Territory View, address by the Deputy Chief Minister to the fourth annual Northern Australia Development Seminar, Broome, 3 November 1979

Paul Everingham, Policy Speech, 26 May 1980; includes The Territory at the Crossroads, Self-Government: the Record; Strong Territory Development; Aboriginal Education, Training and Community Development; Community Colleges; University of the Northern Territory; Local and Community Development; Health Services; Energy; People, Young and Old; NT Public Service; The Task Ahead

Paul Everingham, address, Northern Territory Planning Authority, Toward Statehood: Alaska, Hawaii and the Northern Territory, 15 June 1982

Ministerial Statement, Northern Territory: Towards Statehood, 28 August 1986

Occasional Papers, State Library of the Northern Territory (from 1986) are an invaluable record written by those with special knowledge and experience of the Northern Territory. Titles include Pioneers of Post-War Recovery, Sir Paul Hasluck (1992); Ten Years of Self-Government, Graham Nicholson (1990) and Arnhem Land: A Personal History, Ted Evans (1990); the first 39 are listed on ReadKong.com, and various titles are available at the National Library of Australia and the Mitchell Library at the State Library of New South Wales

Northern Territory, past, present and future (1981)

'...the great north Australian dilemma: large areas of arable land, sparsely occupied; land settlement and development; our proximity to the millions of Southeast Asia; Asian migration to northern Australia; our cultural ties and trade with our northern neighbours; and our continued occupancy in, and defence of this area...’