This edition has been personally designed by me. Not because I don’t have a team of people who do great work but because I’ve adopted the role of “special projects” and this magazine, 14 years in the making, is special. 

This is a bumper edition with resources, tourism, 50 years of land rights, and plenty of new starters, including little guys giving it a red-hot go. 

Congrats to Dan and Tarun and the team from Humpty Doo Barramundi for becoming the first Australian barramundi farm to achieve Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification. This is big news. 

So is Tamboran Resources, the largest acreage holder in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo sub-basin, which holds enough gas to keep the lights on in the Northern Territory and the East Coast, along with massive exports to Asia, for at least 50 and probably for more than 100 years. 

And hats off to MRM for hitting a huge 25 percent of women in their workforce and leaders in the mining industry. 

There are new restaurants popping up, such as Five Spice at Courtyard by Marriott, which is definately worth a try, and DCOH getting into the spirit of the Darwin Cup with Guineas Day. 

The NTG has launched a Back a Territorian campaign to support business and the 2026 Investment Summit being held in Darwin on 15 July will bring together industry leaders, investors, government representatives and global stakeholders to explore the projects, partnerships and opportunities driving the Territory’s next phase of economic growth. We also have a slightly edited version of NT Treasurer Bill Yan’s speech from a Property Council budget breakfast for those who missed it. 

The 50th anniversary of land rights is a big section of this edition. These articles explore the history and meaning of land rights, which is important to understand because 51 percent of our land and a large percentage of our coastline is under Aboriginal ownership. Fifty years after the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 became law, the Territory reflects on a landmark piece of legislation born from decades of advocacy, 

I have always loved history, so I think to have robust conversation about any topic you really need to understand the background first and this special edition does that very well. The anniversary is in December, so we are starting that conversation now. I’m sure there will be plenty more to be had. 

There are two pioneer stories in this edition. One by Bob Gosford about Chips Mackinolty had to be be in this edition. Chips has been making sure we don’t forget our histories through the use of printed words and images since he was in high school. Arguably one of Chips’ best-loved images is his 1977 poster, Raising the Flag, used as a land rights poster in 1977 and displayed at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney where I first saw it before I came to the Territory in 1995. Chips was also the artist for the 1988 poster of David Blanasi that we had permission to recreate for the 35 years of the Barunga Statement a few years back. I have always championed the arts because these very creative people are also our biggest commentators. 

The other Territory Pioneer article is by Jack Adlam about John Boffa who has spent more than 40 years in the medical field and become a leading advocate for reforming Aboriginal healthcare in the Northern Territory. 

On Saturday, 8 August, we need Territorians to turn up like they did in 1918, Darwin did something remarkable. It stopped. More than a century later, the idea is getting another run by Sprout and the RSL reimagining that original gathering with the return of horses on the sand through the Go Slow Mindil Beach Races. It’s not a re-enactment (no one’s that brave), but a revival – same spirit, same setting. To understand why it worked, you need to picture Darwin in 1918 and I have done my best to explore that in a feature starting on page 110. 

Finally, I’m pleased that Sam Strohmayr is our cover story. He has made great strides in mining and personally invested in promoting women in mining and the next generation through his own children. Sam is a Territorian to admire. Quietly spoken, intelligent and a can-do attitude. He is a steady, ethical person who operates by the rules in one of the most highly regulated industries. If Sam says it will work, I believe him. We will have him at a TQ Long Lunch in the future. The special OBM Long Lunch, Legends Talk Legacy, is on 16 October. And who better to head that session than the Northern Territory’s First Chief Minister Paul Everingham. I enjoyed researching the story on page 38, speaking to people who served with him, under him and in business at the time. It’s an overview that brings the new arrivals up to speed on his legacy. It will be a long lunch not to be missed. My only advice when guys such as Paul speak is to shut up and listen… Oh, and you might want to get an Uber because I doubt many will be returning to the office that day. It’s genuine professional development, so get your tickets because they are limited. 

So it is with pleasure that I present this edition of Territory Q, which is packed with amazing business stories of people who got on with it and some, such Rodesy, who have left a great legacy. They have created their own opportunities through hard work, determination and integrity, which has had generational impact and we thank them. 

That’s it from me. We have a Go Slow Horse Race to deliver, NT Seafood to get on the table at every restaurant and a TQ Long Lunch to look forward to. Then there are the V8s, Darwin Cup Carnival, Motor GP, Darwin Festival and DAAF. Enjoy the 2026 Dry and make sure you support local and back a Territorian.