The award began in 2004. It was created to recognise "the scholarly, literary and creative achievements" of Australian writers and to encourage the documenting of history of the Northern Territory. The inaugural winner was Dr David Bridgman for "Acclimatisation: architecture at the Top End of Australia.[1]
The award is administered by Northern Territory Library.
| 2021 |
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| Winner | - Sally May, Laura Rademaker, Donna Nadjamerrek & Julie Narndal Gumurdul — The Bible in Buffalo Country: Oenpelli Mission 1925–1931
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| Highly Commended | - Maisie Austin and Matthew Stephen — The Cummings Family: Family, Belonging and Connection to Country
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| Finalists | - Derek Pugh — Port Essington: The British in North Australia 1838–49
- Brian Reid — Power and Protection: The contest between the Government Residents and the medical Protectors of the Aborigines in South Australia's Northern Territory
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| 2020 (not awarded) |
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| 2019 |
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| Winner | - Lyndon Megarrity — Northern Dreams: The Politics of Northern Development in Australia
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| Finalists | - Laura Rademaker — Found in Translation: Many Meanings on a North Australian Mission
- Maggie Brady — Teaching "proper" drinking? Clubs and pubs in Indigenous Australia
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| 2018 |
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| Winner | - Kathy De La Rue — A Stubborn City: Darwin 1911-1978
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| Finalists | - Steven Farram — Charles James Kirkland: The Life and Times of a Pioneer Newspaperman in the Top End of Australia
- Pam Oliver — The Intrepid Hilda Abbott: Author, Designer, Red Cross Officer, Political Wife, 1890-1984
- Sid Anderson, John Kean, Professor Fred R Myers, Lisa Nolan, Dr Benedict Scambary, Luke Scholes, Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra, Michael Nelson Tjakamarra, Joseph Jurrah Tjapaltjarri, Bobby West Tjupurrula, Desmond Phillipus Tjupurrula and Margie West — Tjungunutja: from having come together
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| 2017 |
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| Winner | - Stuart Traynor — Alice Springs: From Singing Wire to Iconic Outback Town
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| Finalists | - Deborah Bisa — Remember Me Kindly: A History of the Holtze Family in the Northern Territory
- Claire Lowrie — Masters and Servants: Cultures of Empire in the Tropics
- Charlie Ward — A Handful of Sand: The Gurindji Struggle, After the Walk-Off
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| 2016 |
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| Winner | - Adrian Vickers and Julia Martinez – The Pearl Frontier: Indonesian Labor and Indigenous Encounters in Australia's Northern Trading Network
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| Finalists | - John Lamb - Silent pearls: old Japanese graves in Darwin and the history of pearling
- Deborah Wilson - Different White People: Radical Activism For Aboriginal Rights 1946 – 1972
- Yanyuwa, Marra, Garrwa and Gudanji families with Karin Riederer - Gulf Country Songbook: Yanyuwa, Marra, Garrwa and Gudanji Songs
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| 2015 |
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| Winner | - Dick Dakeyne – Radar Gunner
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| Finalists | - Sophie Cunningham – Warning – The Story of Cyclone Tracy
- Steven Farram - A History Written in Metal
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| 2014 |
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| Winner | - Helen Bond-Sharp – Maningrida
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| Finalists | - Robyn Smith – Antecedents: the history of Ward Keller
- Tom Lewis – Carrier Attack Darwin 1942
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| 2013 |
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| Joint Winners | - Jennifer Isaacs – Tiwi: art, history, culture and
- Darrell Lewis – A Wild History: life and death on the Victoria River frontier
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| Finalists | - Jane Lydon – The Flash of Recognition: photography and the emergence of indigenous rights
- Noah Riseman – Defending Whose Country? : Indigenous soldiers in the Pacific War
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| 2012 |
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| Joint Winners | - Anthony Cooper – Darwin Spitfires: the Real Battle for Australia
- Jack Cross – Great Central State
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| Finalists | - Murray Seiffert – Gumbuli of Ngukurr: Aboriginal Elder in Arnhem Land
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| 2011 |
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| Winner |
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| Finalists | - Alan Powell – Northern Voyagers: Australia’s Monsoon Coast in Maritime History
- Matthew Stephen – Contact Zones: Sport and Race in the Northern Territory, 1869–1953
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| 2010 |
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| Winner | - Peter Grose – An Awkward Truth
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| Finalists | |
| 2009 |
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| Joint Winners | - Banduk Marika – Yalangbara: art of the Djang’kawu
- Vivien Johnson – Lives of the Papunya Tula Artists
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| Finalists | |
| 2008 |
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| Winner | - Philip Jones – Ochre and Rust
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| Finalists | - Alex Kruger & Gerrard Waterford – Alone on the Soaks
- Philip Jones & Anna Kenny – Australia's Muslim Cameleers
- Baiba Berzins – Australia's Northern Secret: Tourism in the Northern Territory
- Robert Foster & Amanda Nettlebeck – In the Name of the Law
- Andrew McMillan – An Intruder's Guide to East Arnhem Land
- Darrel Lewis – The Murranji Track
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| 2007 |
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| Winner | - Pam Oliver – Empty North: the Japanese presence and Australian reactions 1860s to 1942
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| Finalists | - Glenice Yee — Through Chinese eyes: the Chinese experience in the Northern Territory 1874–2004
- Liam Campbell — Darby: one hundred years in a changing culture
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| 2006 |
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| Winner | - Tony Roberts — Frontier Justice: A History of the Gulf Country To 1900,[3] Reviews: [4] [5]
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| Finalists | - Marge Duminski — Southport Northern Territory 1869–2002 (Historical Society of the Northern Territory, 2005)
- Claire Henty-Gebert — Paint Me Black
- Pearl Ogden — People of the Victoria River Region: An Album
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| 2005 |
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| Winner |
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| Finalists | - Kathy de la Rue — The Evolution of Darwin 1869–1911
- Peter Monteath (ed) — The Diary of Emily Caroline Creaghe, Explorer
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| 2004 |
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| Winner | - David Bridgman — Acclimatisation: architecture at the top end of Australia
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| Finalists | - Geraldine Byrne – Tom and Jack: A Frontier Story
- Ivan Jordan – Their way: Towards an Indigenous Warlpiri Christianity
- Brian Reid – The Menzies School of Health Research: Establishment, 1978–1997
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