North Australian Research Unit (NARU) research
ANU through NARU has made an enormous contribute to research relating to Northern Australia. It has had a pivotal role in fostering nationally and globally significant study of indigenous, social, scientific, political, anthropological, health, planning and other issues over more than 50 years.
This website brings together the research outputs of NARU including publications, theses and reports that have changed policy making in relation to Northern Australia. It also contains records of daily life at the Unit through challenging times such as Cyclone Tracey, as well a the life of those who worked at NARU.
It provides an record of inspiring research that gives a knowledge base across many disciplines. New resources will be added as additional material is identified.
I encourage you to find resources in our repository through the links below and continue to engage with the outputs of the rich research conducted at NARU.
Roxanne Missingham
FALIA, PFHEA, OAM
University Librarian and Chief Scholarly Information Officer
About this website
The ANU North Australian Research Unit (NARU) has been a vital element of the Australian National University (ANU) focused on research and engagement in northern Australia.
Established in 1973, it concentrated on research in the Northern Territory in anthropology, archaeology, economics, community development, and environmental and biological research. The extensive and diverse collections include theses, research papers and records of life at the Unit, as well as published works, audio visual materials and photographic collections.
Click the boxes below to explore these collections and discover the history and research generated from NARU over the last 50 years, many of which have been digitised for the first time as part of a special project undertaken by the ANU Library Digitisation team.
 Published works
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 Photography
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 Theses
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 Audio-visual
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History
NARU was founded in 1973 to provide a Northern Territory base for researchers from ANU and other Australian and international institutions.
Since its establishment, researchers at NARU have produced groundbreaking studies that significantly enhance national and global understandings of Northern Australia and its Indigenous communities. Their work enriches fields such as anthropology, archaeology, economics, community development, and environmental and biological sciences. NARU focuses on the connections between Northern Australia and its neighbouring regions, fostering a comprehensive and insightful body of research.
The NARU base has enabled researchers to establish and sustain strong, ongoing partnerships with local communities, Land Councils, and other groups in the region. By working in collaboration with the relevant partners and local authorities, ANU researchers have identified and addressed priorities reflective of public interest through research done at NARU. This work clearly reflects how the ANU supports and contribute to world class research in these fields.