Souvenir of the visit of the Federal Parliamentary Party to the Northern Territory, April - May, 1912

The album records the Commonwealth's increasing interest in the Northern Territory following its separation from South Australia in 1911. Photographs show the developments in transportation and communication and the difficulty of travel between remote centres. In 1912 the Federal Parliamentary Party left Sydney by ship for an inspection tour of the Territory with stops at Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns. The images document the Party's activities including a garden party held for the visitors at Darwin, the Darwin hospital, railway workshops and yards, train travel via Rum Jungle Government Demonstration Farm and Adelaide River to Pine Creek where the school, hospital and police station were inspected, then travel to Katherine by horse and buggy with a stop at Horseshoe Creek to inspect the police station. At Edith the group met with Aborigines before arriving at Brocks Creek to inspect the school and gold mine. The party then split up with some going overland to Daly River to view horticultural projects and others travelling by train to Darwin. Glimpses of life at the Bathurst Island Aboriginal mission are shown and of the buffalo ranch at Melville Island."Souvenir of the visit of the Federal Parliamentary Party to the Northern Territory, April - May, 1912." (Label attached inside front cover) This souvenir album is believed to be one of four that were produced. The album contains no information as to its production but it is clear from records in the National Archives of Australia (1.) that it was produced by James Pinkerton Campbell. This talented photographer had been recently appointed as the first official photographer to the Department of External Affairs and he had accompanied the parliamentarians and recorded their activities with both still and moving photography. It would appear that it was Campbell?s initiative to prepare and present the souvenir album to the Minister (Josiah Thomas) and that he probably did this in January 1913 when he also wrote to the Minister requesting that his salary for his second year with the Department be increased from ?200 to ?310 pa. The Minister very correctly told Campbell to refer the salary request to the Department Secretary who deferred the matter, but wrote to Campbell saying ??the Minister desires 3 albums similar to that you made for him. These are for the Governor General and the Governors of New South Wales and South Australia?? Whether Campbell?s breach of protocol in directly approaching the Minister for a raise was a factor is not known, but the supervisor of the photographic department contrived to find several other reasons why Campbell should be dismissed rather than given a raise. A letter from the Secretary dated 11th April 1913 advised Campbell that ?after the completion of business you have on hand - including the Albums of Northern Territory views, the Department will have no further need for your services.? 1. NAA: A1, 1913/14458 (http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=16281) (Contributed by Michael Nicholls, Rapid Creek, NT. 21 December 2011