The Northern Territory is in the northern part of Australia. It covers 1,350,000 square kilometres – a vast area – with a small population of about 250,000 people. It has a broad and unique cultural mix, with a rich and distinctly diverse Aboriginal history and population, as well as people from many different countries and different parts of Australia. The coast brings tropical weather to the northern parts while the central areas are much drier and recognised as the desert centre of Australia. Its landscapes are immense and its wildlife abundant.
However, since 2019 onward the Territory has been experiencing a slow population decline. This has mainly to do with a section of the population leaving the territory to join family elsewhere in the country.
Recently, the Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University ran and delivered The Territory and Me research project. The focus is on population drivers affecting the Territory and the Northern Institute developed a survey to ask people about their experiences of living here. The questions asked were: how long you have lived here, why you came, why you stayed, and why you may have left. The researchers were also interested in hearing from those people who have made the decision to move here, or who may be thinking about it.
The report on migrants push pull factors is one critical component of this broader story emerging in the Northern Territory. Several international migrants both in Darwin and Alice Springs were interviewed and participated in focus groups to share their views. All interview and focus group participants completed the survey
Shalley, F., Monani, D., Taylor, A. & Dyrting, S. (2019). Attracting and Retaining the Territory’s Growing Multicultural Communities. Darwin: Northern Institute.