2011 Past Events
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National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) Access Centre Opening in the Northern Territory Library
Opened 22 June, 2011
A new partnership with the NFSA and the Northern Territory Library will, for the first time, enable Territorians to locally access the national audio visual collection.
Feature films, documentaries, radio broadcasts, still images, oral histories and newsreels, as well as an extensive Indigenous collection are some of the many options researchers will now have access to. This partnership provides Territorians with a doorway directly into the richly diverse collection held by the NFSA, so they can explore the moving image in all its forms.
Seminar
‘T.A.U.NT’ Technology And yoU across the NT
9:30am Friday 27 May, 2011
Showcasing technologies currently in use by the Northern Territory Library and the Remote Indigenous Public Internet Access (RIPIA) project, NTL will host a seminar for our stakeholders and friends. Some of the technologies to be demonstrated include the new Community Stories software, Webex internet conferencing, internet streaming technologies, site building and digital music capture techniques.
1911 NT Centenary History Seminar
Saturday 5 March 9am - 5pm
2011 marks the 100 year anniversary of the transfer of responsibility for the governing of the Northern Territory from South Australia to the Commonwealth. Speakers at the seminar will include Dr Mickey Dewar, Professor Bob Reece, Dr Sue Stanton and other well-known historians. View the 1911 NT Centenary History Seminar program(PDF 491Kb).
Book Launch
At the conclusion of the Seminar at 5pm, there will be a book launch of:
‘Commonwealth Takeover of the Northern Territory: 100 Years Ago’ by Dr Val E Fletcher
Dr Fletcher’s book is a detailed and absorbing account of the events leading up to the Commonwealth takeover of the Territory and the early years of Commonwealth administration. The book makes sense of the shifting attitudes and unstable parliaments of the time.
Morning Event
NAIDOC Week Event
9:00am Wednesday 6 July 2011
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Library will host the NRETAS celebration of NAIDOC Week with a morning event.
The event will start with a Welcome to Country by Ali Mills, followed by a performance from the One Mob, Different Country dancers. Rangers from Conservation and Wildlife along with staff from Bushfires NT will be there to talk about the important work they are doing. There will also be a snake handling demonstration by rangers from the Territory Wildlife Park and a Be Crocwise presentation where you will have the opportunity to hold a baby crocodile and talk to Ranger, Robbie Risk. The event will then conclude with Morning Tea.
100 Years On, Melancholic Sovereignty by Professor Elizabeth Povinelli
10:30am Thursday 16 June
Presented by The Northern Institute CDU
Professor Povinelli’s previous books have focused on the impasses within liberal systems of law and value, as they meet local Australian Indigenous worlds, and the effect of these impasses on the development of legal and public culture in Australia.
PANDORA Website Archiving by Russell Latham
8:30am - 10:00am Thursday 2 June
Russell Latham, Senior Web Archivist at National Library of Australia (NLA), will be visiting the Northern Territory Library to update us on NLA's future plans for PANDORA.
Russel will be clarifying future directions for PANDORA, and providing guidelines regarding websites that will be collected and archived.
National Simultaneous Storytime
Wednesday 25 May, 10:00am
Taminmin Library, Humpty Doo
View this recorded event NOW on NT Library Web TV
‘Feathers for Phoebe’ by Rod Clement will be read at Taminmin Library and streamed live via the Northern Territory Library website. Each year over 120,000 children at over 830 locations around the country take part in this simultaneous book reading.
Aimed at helping children to discover libraries, this event highlights the importance of reading and literacy for children. This year’s featured book will be about a plain, grey bird, as she searches for ways to make new friends, using an array of brightly coloured costumes.
‘Federalism and the Northern Territory’ by The Hon Dr Gary Johns
10:30am Friday 13 May
Dr Johns is an author of many books, and has been actively involved in public policy for his entire adult life, including as a politician and a community activist. In his talk, Dr Johns will give his thoughts on where the NT fits in the federal system, now and into the future. Would statehood be a good thing? Who would benefit, who would not?
Lunchtime Events
Professor Susan Breau
Wednesday 3 August 12:10pm
presented by the NT Medical School, Flinders University
Professor Breau is Professor of International Law at Flinders University. Her research interests are public international law and the international protection of human rights. Her findings have uncovered international law that could, for the first time, require those taking part in armed conflicts to account for and possibly compensate the families of civilian casualties. Professor Breau is also the author of Humanitarian Intervention: The United Nations And Collective Responsibility which is a comprehensive analysis of the responsibility to protect citizens in the face of massive violations of human rights.
2011 Young Australian of the Year Jessica Watson
Thursday 28 July 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Listen to this event NOW on NT Library Podcast
Jessica Watson was sixteen when she became the youngest person ever to sail alone around the world. She will present a lunchtime talk about the challenges and triumphs of her solo circumnavigation in a 10m yacht, Ella’s Pink Lady. She was awarded the 2011 Young Australian of the Year in recognition of her determination and courage.
‘Re-imagining Early Years Learning with the Arts’
Friday 20 May, 12:10pm
Anja Tait, Northern Territory Library, Edel Musco, Department Education and Training and Dr Petra Kern Music Therapy Consulting from the USA -via Webex, will share their presentation from an international conference on early years learning presented in May 2011 in New York City. They will talk about highlights from the conference and introduce what they learned from observing community educational programs in libraries, museums, galleries, community centres and schools in New York City.
Neighbour’s Albert Medal
Friday 6 May, 12:10pm
Listen to this event NOW on NT Library Podcast
An informative lunchtime talk by historian Don Christophersen will launch the exhibition.
On 7 May 1912, King George V awarded the Albert Medal for bravery to Neighbour, an Aboriginal man known as Neighbour from the Roper River region. The medal was awarded for his action in saving the life of Mounted Constable W F Johns in an incident on the flooded Wilton River on 1 February 1911. It was the first time that a medal for gallantry was awarded to an Indigenous Australian.
The medal is housed at the National Library of Australia, and will be on display in the Northern Territory Library until 31 July, 2011.
Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin
Saturday 19 February 12:10pm
View this recorded event NOW on NT Library Web TV
Listen to this event NOW on NT Library Podcast
On the anniversary of the Bombing, Saturday 19 February, the Northern Territory Library will host a fascinating lunchtime talk presented by His Honour the Administrator, Mr Tom Pauling AO QC. His Honour will be joined in conversation by former Administrator, Mr Austin Asche AM QC. The audience will include a group of WWII veterans, in association with the Darwin City Council’s Bombing of Darwin commemorative events.
Evening Events
25th Eric Johnston Lecture
‘Now I’m Free to Speak’ by Mr Tom Pauling AO QC, Former Administrator of the Northern Territory
Thursday 1 December 6pm | Refreshments from 5:30pm
Mr Pauling has a distinguished record of over thirty years of service to the legal profession in the Northern Territory. He was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 1984 and served in the position of Solicitor General of the NT from 1988 until 2007. Sworn in on 9 November 2007 as the 19th Administrator of the Northern Territory, he was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list of 2008.
Professor Sven Silburn, Centre for Child Development & Education, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin and Adjunct Professor, Telethon Institute for Child Health, Perth
Thursday 24 November 5:15pm
For the first time, Australia has a national snapshot of young children’s health and development. The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) is a relative population measure of young childrens’ development in different communities, and compares them with a national average. Professor Silburn’s session will provide a background to the AEDI and how the information was collected, including the Northern Territory survey undertaken in 2009, when more than ninety percent of the population of five year old children were surveyed.
Pat Walsh, author of At the Scene of the Crime
Wednesday 16 November 5:15pm
For the best part of three decades Pat Walsh battled for human rights in East Timor, then worked in the new nation during its first ten years after independence. At the Scene of the Crime is a collection of his writings from this period. The book comprises essays and comments on some of the major issues facing the new nation and those responsible for laying its foundations. It is an insight into many facets of the new nation and its people and will enlighten those interested in East Timor’s formation or who plan to travel there to work or visit.
Book sales and signing will be available.
Free event, open to the public. Bookings preferred 1800 019 155 or libraryevents@nt.gov.au
In Conversation with Barry Jonsberg and Professor Alan Powell
Thursday 10 November 5:15pm
These Territory authors were recent winners of the QLD Premier’s Literary Awards.
Join them for an informal, in-conversation style talk, about their experiences as writers and to hear their advice to emerging NT authors.
Professor Powell won the QLD Premier’s Literary Award History Book category for his Territory history book Northern Voyagers: Australia’s Monsoon Coast in Maritime History. Barry Jonsberg won the QLD Premier’s Literary Award Young Adult Book Award category for his book Being Here.
Evening Talk for Anti-Poverty Week by Mark Squirrell
Wednesday 19 October 5:15pm
Author of ‘From Arafat to Everest’ Mark Squirrell (Squiz) set off in May 2006, for the summit of Mount Everest to do his bit to raise awareness of the global hunger situation. He knew only too well the realities of hunger, having been an aid worker in countries such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Palestine. This is a climbing story with all the crevasse action and avalanche thrills but also the humanitarian work to put it all in perspective.
Book sales and signing will be available.
Ms Margaret Allen and Ms Ellen Forsyth ‘In Conversation’
Thursday 6 October 4:30pm
Libraries are embracing new opportunities in service delivery – come and hear how the State Libraries of New South Wales and Western Australia are exploring what is possible.
Margaret Allen, President of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and CEO of the State Library of WA, and Ellen Forsyth, Consultant for Public Library Services with the State Library of NSW, will talk about the changing profession and strategic directions being taken by their respective State Libraries. The discussion will focus on how libraries can use new and emerging technologies to connect citizens to information and services.
Author Alexander McCall Smith
Friday 16 September 5:30pm
Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific and popular authors. His career has been a varied one. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the United Kingdom and abroad, then, after the publication of his highly successful No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which has sold over 20 million copies, devoted his time to the writing of fiction. He is the author of over 60 books on a wide array of subjects, and his books have been translated into 37 languages. Previous titles include, The Charming Quirks of Others, The Importance of being Seven, The Dog Who Came in From the Cold, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, and The Double Comfort Safari Club. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Awards Author of the Year Award in 2004 and a CBE for service to literature in 2007.
National Poetry Slam
Hosted by NT Writers Centre
Darwin Heat: Friday 16 September 2011, 7:00pm at the Happy Yess Off the Page night
Venue: Brown's Mart
The Australian Poetry Slam is not a poetry reading. It’s more like a howling literary campfire with verbal voodoo, breathless rhythms and sweat breaking nerves.
NT Writers’ Centre is hosting the NT Heats of the 2012 National Poetry Slam.
Finalists from each state and territory will meet in Sydney to battle with their words on the main stage of the Sydney Theatre for the 2011 APS National Final on 27th November, to be crowned 2011 Australian Poetry Slam Champion!
For further information go to the Australian Poetry Slam website: www.australianpoetryslam.com
A Flutter of Butterflies by Dr Michael Braby
Entomologist/Invertebrate Conservation BiologistThursday 15 September 5:15pm
This stunning showcase of butterfly and moth illustrations held by the National Library of Australia, spanning works from the 1770s through to the turn of the twenty-first century. As well as gorgeous colour images, the publication features a fascinating introductory essay about the history of Australian Lepidoptera illustration. The book also offers biographical essays about the artists represented. Some of Australia’s most-loved artists are included; Louisa Anne Meredith, Marian Ellis Rowan and Charles McCubbin.
Known colloquially as ‘Australia’s butterfly man’ author Dr Michael Braby's previous publications include ‘The butterflies of Australia: their identification, biology and distribution’ and ‘The complete field guide to butterflies of Australia’.
The Men Who Came Out of the Ground by Paul Cleary
Tuesday 23 August 5:15pm
The stirring but little-known story of a small force of Australian Special Forces commandos in Timor, who tied down a far superior Japanese force for lost of the critical year of 1942. Paul Cleary is a senior writer with The Australian newspaper and a researcher in Indigenous development at the Australian National University. In a career spanning 20 years, he has reported on politics and economics for over a decade. His first non-fiction book, Shakedown—Australia’s grab for Timor oil introduced him to the Timor veterans whom he met while based in East Timor who inspired this latest book.
Book sales and signing will be available.
The Protectors; A journey through whitefella past by Stephen Gray
Thursday 11 August 5:15pm
Winner of the John Iremonger Award, this book challenges how we judge the past and asks what exactly it was that the Australian nation said sorry for. Stephen Gray's book is a very personal exploration of the role and motivations of the administrators and patrol officers who carried out protection policies. The questions he raises about guilt, judgement and good intentions apply as readily today as they did one hundred years ago.
Book sales and signing will be available.
What exactly is that great Territory lifestyle? by Dr Mickey Dewar
Tuesday 9 August 5:15pm
We’re Territorians. We fish, we vote, we drink and we let off firecrackers once a year to celebrate getting rid of Canberra. Wouldn’t live anywhere else... except when we’ve got to get out of here. We love the climate - nearly as much as our air-conditioning! We take it easy and are informal - except if you are trying to get a drink at the Casino in thongs and stubbies after a hard day’s work. Let’s face it. There’s lots of contradictions about being a Territorian. Has it always been this way? What exactly is that great Territory lifestyle?
Winner of the 2011 Chief Minister’s NT History Book Award for Darwin – No Place Like Home, long-time Territory resident, historian and author, Mickey Dewar takes a light-hearted (and iconoclastic) look at the last hundred years of our Territory lifestyle, particularly in Darwin, and comes to some surprising conclusions.
Book sales and signing will be available.
Going the Distance by Melanie Ostell
5:00pm Friday 27 May
Presented by the NT Writers Centre
Over recent years the Australian publishing industry has been deeply affected by changing trends in consumer markets, developing technologies and the GFC, all of which have implications for would-be authors. In this lecture Melanie Ostell presents an overview of the industry, then turns the lens back on to you, asking whether you have what it takes to go the distance.
Melanie Ostell has worked in the book publishing industry for more that twenty years: as a bookseller, freelance editor, publishing consultant, mentor to PhD creative writing students and teacher at RMIT.
She was also senior editor at Text Publishing for more than ten years and in 2011 Melanie was a publisher at UWA Publishing.
Northern Territory Library’s 30th Anniversary Commemorative Publication & Exhibition Launch
Monday 23 May, 5:30pm
To help celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Northern Territory Library a new exhibition from the Library’s collection has been created. Thirty significant items from the collection have been selected, researched and catalogued; they are our ‘Treasures’.
A commemorative booklet has been published, showcasing thirty years of the Library, and to provided an historical context to the artefacts, documents, letters and photographs. Many of the ‘Treasures’ are fragile and not often displayed; the exhibition will be a great opportunity to discover them.
The ‘30 Treasures’ will be on display in the Library from 23 May until 26 August 2011.
2011 Northern Territory Literary Awards and the Chief Minister’s NT History Book Award Ceremony
Thursday 12 May 5.30pmEstablished in 1984, the Northern Territory Literary Awards recognise written works of outstanding literary merit and highlight the achievements of Northern Territory writers. The Chief Minister’s NT History Book Award is for a book about Territory history published in the previous year. Winners were announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 12 May, 2011.
Twenty years of Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Thursday 3 March 5.30pm
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is Australia’s corporate, markets and financial services regulator.
ASIC’s Northern Territory Regional Office will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the organisation and 20 years of ASIC regulation. The event will include guest speakers, displays and a pictorial presentation of some key events in ASIC’s history.
Raising the War: the Japanese Salvage of Darwin’s War Wrecks
Wednesday 2 March 5:15pm
Maritime archaeologist David Steinberg from the Heritage Branch will speak on the 1959 salvaging operation by the Fujita Company of Japan. Their crew of 120 workers raised seven ships sunk during the 1942 Bombing of Darwin. The salvage crew used state-of-the-art technology and ancient techniques to raise the wrecks from the floor of Darwin Harbour.
Book Launches
Spines in the Sandby Diane Lucas and Colwyn Campbell
Friday 18 November 5:15pm
The inspiration for Diane’s fourth book came while walking with her son on a beach near Cooktown in Queensland.
They watched an echidna in its beach habitat and discussed the insects, birds, animals and plants that all share habitats. This book explores children’s understanding of place and subtly introduces them to the concept of biodiversity.
Book sales and signing will be available.
The Man Who Loved Crocodiles and Stories of Other Adventurous Australians by Marg Carroll
Thursday 27 October 5:15pm
His Honour, Mr Tom Pauling AO QC, Administrator of NT, will launch Marg’s book, which tells of fifteen fiercely independent men and women who have lived life exuberantly. It casts a revealing light on a fast vanishing Australia, and her subjects share their unique experiences with a cocky modern world often focused more on youth.
While there are adventures aplenty, a deep wisdom lies at the core of this book, a wisdom that can come from following the road less travelled, a wisdom that will resonate long after the book has been read.
Book sales and signing available.
Bilingual Baby Board Books
Thursday 5 May, 12:10pm
View this recorded event NOW on NT Library Web TV
Join us to launch new bilingual baby board books and celebrate the success of this project, which created relevant, local resources for families to share with their babies. Promoting a love of reading, the books bring local cultural knowledge to life through language, content and art work.
Developed at community based workshops, the books assist in the promotion and preservation of Indigenous languages, and will be available in the originating communities and at libraries.
‘Tick Tock, Tick Tock, What’s Up Croc?’ by Kim Toft
Thursday 24 March 5:30pm
Kim will be launching her latest children’s book about the day in the life of a saltwater crocodile. The launch will include a visit from a live baby crocodile from Crocosaurus Cove.
A display of her hand painted silk illustrations from the new book will be
on display in the Library from 24 March – 15 May.
If you’re interested to find out how your school class can attend one of Kim’s unique workshops in the Library, email: info@kimtoft.com.au for more information or visit: www.kimtoft.com.au/school-visits.
‘Darwin’s Air War’ (2nd Edition) by Bob Alford
Saturday 19 February 1:00pm
Former Director of the National Trust and a representative on the Heritage Advisory Council, historian Bob Alford is an expert on Territory aviation and military history. Bob was commissioned in 1986 to carry out site surveys of Second World War military sites in the Top End. He is the author of A Wartime Journey, published in 2006, and this year launches the second edition of his best selling book Darwin’s Air War.
‘In Conversation’ Darwin Festival Events @ NT Library
This series of free, casual talks throughout August provide an opportunity to meet Festival artists, hear about their creative processes and ask questions.
Fairweather’s Darwin
Friday 26 August 12:00pmDuring the two years when artist Ian Fairweather lived and worked on a Darwin beach, he entered into local folklore. Amazingly, some of the work he produced at that time now hangs in art galleries and private collections around the world. Join Steve Gration and local personalities to explore Fairweather before, during and after his bizarre Darwin life.
Art Against The Odds
Wednesday 24 August 1:00pmIn a large corrugated iron shed at the back of Darwin Correctional Centre, the inmates enrolled in the art education course are not only creating artworks for an exhibition that last year sold out on day one, they are also sharing their skills, their stories and their vision.
The Creation
Saturday 20 August 12:00pmTiwi Playwright Jason De Santis Wulamanyuwi and the Seven Pamanui premiered in Adelaide to critical acclaim and full houses.
Jason and Director Eamon Flack share the tales and torment of making the first Tiwi play.
The Renaissance of the Poet
Sunday 14 August 12:00pmPoetry in its many forms takes centre stage at the Festival, from Jack Thompson’s readings of Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson to the beat boxers and BBoys battling it out. Join Darwin’s own National Poet in Residence Sandra Thibodeaux, Jack Thompson and Nick Power aka RELY to see why poets rule.
Spec•ta•cle (spªkt kel) n.
Tuesday 16 August 12:00pmFun Run’s Tristan Meecham has turned our inexplicable attraction to spectacle and the ‘Gladiator Effect’ into a massive public show. How and why does he do it?
Ephemeral Art
Wednesday 17 August 12:00pmThe temporary nature of momentary public art creates consternation and cult following around the world. Take a look at the Darwin perspective with three NT artists (Sarah Pirrie, Bong Ramilo and Carol Phayer), who each approach ephemeral art with a different philosophy, fortitude and flourish.
Workshops
Family History Workshop
Saturday 19 November 9am - 12pmThese workshops demonstrate how effectively and easily you can research your family history. They also provide information on other sources available to gather information.
Workshop presenters are:
• John Cossons – His family history as the son of Len Cossons.
• Caroline Cavanagh – Her family history which includes Red-coat soldiers and circus
performers.
• It’s not all online – John Richards and Margret Curry
Fiction Workshop by Mandy Sayer
Saturday 20 August 11am-4pm
Mandy Sayer won the Vogel Award at 26, with her first novel, Mood Indigo. Since then she has been named one of Australia’s Best Young Novelists by the Sydney Morning Herald and has published the novels Blind Luck, The Cross, and The Night has a Thousand Eyes, which won the 2008 Davitt Award for Young Adult Fiction, and the short story collection Fifteen Kinds of Desire.
Bookings to be made with the NT Writers' Centre. P:89412651 E:info@ntwriters.com.au
Family History Workshop – Celebrating National Family History Week
Saturday 30 July 9:00am to 12:00pm
Family history is the second biggest subject searched on the internet, with sites receiving billions of hits per year. The Library hosts these workshops to demonstrate how effectively and easily you can research your family history. These workshops also provide information on other sources available to gather information.
Workshop presenters are:
- Sandra Yee, Conservator MAGNT - Conserving your family heirlooms.
- Judy Beard - Practical demonstration of managing paper records.
- Ruth Taylor - Practical demonstration of managing electronic records.
- Katherine Hamilton, NT Archives Service - Archives Navigator - enables users to search for records within the holdings of NTAS
Getting to Know Your Family Through Newspapers
Saturday 19 March 9am – 1pmNewspapers are a rich source of information for family historians.
This workshop will highlight what can be found in newspapers to add to the knowledge of your family history.
‘Now and Then’ Photographic Workshop
Saturday 15 January 9am to 1pm
‘Now and Then’ photography project explores the evolving history of Australian places and people. A single image framed in a new one, can ignite our imaginations and open a door to the past.
Will Tinapple, ABC Open’s Top End Producer, will facilitate the workshop. He will share technical tips on using your camera beyond ‘auto’ and introduce you to software to merge the old and new photographs, and share them through flickr.
Find out more at: www.open.abc.net.au/projects/now-and-then
Exhibitions
Great Air Race Exhibition
2 December – 21 December 2011
Presented by the Fannie Bay History and Heritage Society
A prize of £10,000 proved tempting bait in March 1919, at the end of
the Great War. Prime Minister Billy Hughes offered the prize money to
the first all-Australian crew who could fly a plane from England to
Australia in less than 30 days.
This exhibition features
photographs from the Northern Territory Library’s collection depicting
the airmen’s famous landing in Parap.
Yiloga – Tiwi Footy
24 October – 11 December
This photographic exhibition explores the social and cultural aspects of ‘Yiloga’ – ‘footy’ in Tiwi language - highlighting not only the Tiwi community’s passion for the game of AFL but also its positive influence on community life.
The colour and excitement of ‘footy’ is captured as well as some of the history of the islands over the last 5 years. Photographers Peter Eve and Monica Napper have worked collaboratively with the community to produce a remarkable work that endeavours to break down barriers and redress stereotypes. This exhibition is a striking reminder of the complexity of the country in which we live.
Free exhibition, open to the public.
Behind the Lines: The Year’s Best Cartoons 2010
5 September - 16 October 2011
Political cartoons offer a profound and immediate insight into how events in a nation’s history are perceived as they unfold. Behind the Lines brings together the best political cartoons of 2010 in a unique exhibition which documents the highs and lows of the political year. 2010 offered endless inspiration for cartoonists. The climate change debate, mining tax conflict, political party leadership spills and thrills, a federal election, the “new paradigm” and more feature in cartoons published in newspapers and magazines across Australia.
Behind the Lines: The Year’s Best Cartoons 2010 is a travelling exhibition developed by the National Museum of Australia in association with the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Northern Territory Library’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition
July until 26 August
To help celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Northern Territory Library a new exhibition from the Library’s collection has been created. Thirty significant items from the collection have been selected, researched and catalogued; they are our ‘Treasures’.
A commemorative booklet (pdf 3Mb) has been published, showcasing thirty years of the Library, and to provided an historical context to the artefacts, documents, letters and photographs. Many of the ‘Treasures’ are fragile and not often displayed; the exhibition will be a great opportunity to discover them.
Albert Medal Exhibition
6 May - 19 August
On 7 May 1912, King George V awarded the Albert Medal for bravery to an Aboriginal man known as ‘Neighbour’ from the Roper River region.The medal was awarded for his action in saving the life of Mounted Constable W F Johns in an incident on the flooded Wilton River on 1 February 1911. It was the first time that a medal for gallantry was awarded to an Indigenous Australian.
‘Tick Tock, Tick Tock, What’s Up Croc?’ by Kim Toft
April - May
A display of hand painted silk illustrations from a new children’s book about the day in the life of a saltwater crocodile, will be on display in the Library. Kim Toft has written many children’s books including, One Less Fish, Turtle’s Song, The World That We Want and A Sea of Words, which was named a Notable Book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards in 2007.
Raising the War: the Japanese Salvage of Darwin’s War Wrecks
28 February - 1 May
This joint exhibition by the Northern Territory Library and the Heritage Branch, focuses on the Japanese salvaging operation in the late 1950s. It features film footage, photographs and documents donated to the Library by the Fujita family.
Annual Bombing of Darwin Exhibition - The Track: 1000 Miles to War
10 February - 20 March
Each year the Northern Territory Library commemorates the anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 with an exhibition from its collection. This year’s new exhibition The Track: 1000 Miles to War focuses on military activities along the Stuart Highway from Alice Springs to Darwin during the Second World War.
With the outbreak of war in late 1939, transportation to the north became a priority. Civilians, servicemen and servicewomen were engaged in road and airfield building, and establishing bases and infrastructure along the Highway as they prepared to defend northern Australia.
Also on display will be one of the Northern Territory Library’s treasures: Sam Calder’s flying log book and medals. Calder flew Typhoon planes throughout World War II, completing 120 missions over Europe and receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The Northern Territory Library hosts a permanent online World War II exhibition. The exhibition provides an introduction to the extensive collection of material held by the Northern Territory Library and includes unique photographs, documents and artefacts.
Goyder Photos Display
1 – 13 February
Celebrating the arrival in Darwin of the Goyder survey expedition on 5 February 1869, the display showcases 19 stereoscopic photographs taken during the expedition. The images captured in these photos give us a valuable record of an incredibly significant part of Darwin’s history. The photos are from the Northern Territory Library’s special collection, and have also been made available for public viewing in an online exhibition.
Cyclone Tracy Exhibition
22 November - 30 January
A special exhibition from the Library’s own collections.
On 24 December 1974, Cyclone Tracy virtually destroyed Darwin. The next morning most of the 48,000 residents were made homeless by the largest natural disaster in Australia’s history. The Library’s Cyclone Tracy collection includes a fascinating list of nearly 33,000 names, a record of the evacuation effort - one of the biggest logistical peacetime exercises ever undertaken in Australia.