Abstract: That Northern Australia will not develop in the same historical manner as the more populated south is a reasonable assumption – it is different geographically, climatically and demographically, and further development will occur in today’s globally connected and informed community, very different from the colonial development of Southern Australia. Nevertheless, it remains important to understand and always consider a region’s history as a component of development planning, as past and present aspirations combine with contemporary trends and influences to determine the future. This is necessary not to understand agriculture, but to understand the operational context and perspective of farmers involved in Northern Australian agriculture.