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This account of the beginnings of community government in Tennant Creek in the years after the Second World War covers a period of economic struggle and growing maturity which laid the foundations of the modern town. There were doubts in the late 1940s that such a small and marginal settlement would achieve permanence and there were many Australian examples of similar places which have disappeared altogether. The reason for its survival until diversification became possible in recent times are complex and rest on a combination of resilience in base metals mining in the district, considerable government support and human tenacity. ; This study was jointly funded by grants from the NT History Awards Committee and the North Australia Research Unit (NARU) of the Australian National University

This Study resulted from research examining the introduction of Local Government into the Northern Territory town of Jabiru, which was funded by the Northern Territory History Awards Committee and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.¶ The research covers two time periods. Firstly the pre-war, wartime and immediate post-war period ( 1937-60) and the Katherine Town Management Board Era, (1960-78) These periods were interrupted by major changes in governance of both black and while Katherine residents.¶ Two complementary themes are pursued. First, the roles of town residents and higher government levels in achieving autonomy, through introduction of a progress association, the town management board and, finally, local government is considered. Secondly, attitudes towards Aboriginal issues are monitored, as they emerged historically. This theme is linked with changes to the district economy and Northern Territory administrative regulations, which may have influenced the choice of Katherine as a centre for Aboriginal settlement.¶ Many factors govern Small town politics and attitudes, including the influence of dominant personalities. This research attempts to highlight the role played in Katherine's urban affairs by certain members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council and Assembly, officers of the former Northern Territory administration and prominent town residents.¶ The terms "part aboriginal" and "half-caste" are used in the study because of their historical importance and their former legal recognition. No offence is intended by these distinctions, and the importance of non-white residents' contribution to Katherine's development is acknowledged.¶

Population mobility in its various forms has long been recognised as a major determinant of social and economic policies in many transitional, which is the stage in a country's economic development that has been defined by W. W. Rostow as the 'transitional era when a society prepares itself – or is prepared by external forces – for sustained growth'1 Although much has been published about population migration in Africa, little research has been conducted into the nature and frequency of periodic visits by rural inhabitants to the main urban centres. These journeys are of particular interest to those who are engaged in the physical planning of rural settlements as they provide a clue to the identification of those amenities and services that may be required in the future, as well as the level of demands upon the local transportation system.