Northern Australia - Task For A Nation: Australian Institute of Political Science

In 1954 the empty spaces of Northern Australia represented a challenge. The need to develop this region had been expressed but the possibilities received new emphasis by the discovery of uranium and oil. In a world threatened by shortages of basic materials and food the potential production in mining, cattle agricultural crops and tropical fruits from Australia's North was a matter that demanded careful attention. This books presents an overall picture of the area at that time - its physical characteristics, the beef cattle industry, the mineral and agricultural opportunities and its transport needs while considering the political and administrative background and the social problems which inevitably arose from the occupation of vast territories by a small white population in tropical conditions and finally, the necessity of attracting men and money for developmental projects. The papers printed in this volume were delivered by acknowledged experts to the 1954 Summer School of the Australian Institute of Political Science.