Mataranka and the Daly, Two Studies in the History of Settlement in the Northern Territory.

Abstract

A study of the regions of the upper Daly and upper Roger Rivers in the Northern Territory in the period 1911, when the Commonwealth took over administration to the Second World War. After that war, much changed; before it, change was slow and development, the idea of administrators, was halting at best and often a failure. These two studies tell the story in moderate terms, giving balance and context to more romantic pioneer stories. Interest in each story is focussed as much on administration as on people. The two stories have been revised from those written by Jane Gleeson and Michaela Roberts as honours studies in the Department of History, the Faculties, ANU in 1982 and 1983. They were recipients of student grants from the North Australia Research Unit (NARU) for field work for their theses.