The second section of the book, “Management, Conflicts, Challenges”, concentrates upon management considerations — such as the meaning of a national park. It works through the three plans of management devised between 1980 and 1991. There is discussion on world heritage status and considerable consideration is given to the meanings and implications of the joint management arrangements that have evolved over the past two decades. In all this amounts to a rather detailed collection of information on the evolution of the park and management arrangements.

The author points to this work as constituting “the definitive book on Kakadu, covering all elements of the park’s social and political history” and stresses that a particular strength of his work is the attention it pays to “the story of Aboriginal involvement in the management of Kakadu”. In many respects I consider the work succeeds within these parameters. The political history is thoroughly covered — as we work through the many tortuous negotiations and plans that different groups of people have been involved in. There is very useful discussion on the different groups of traditional owners living in the area – and this is a particular strength of the book. There could, however, be more analysis on other social groups involved — whether of political hue or environmental persuasion.

Indeed, I would like the book to have gone further than the parameters announced. Here is a good opportunity for the environment itself to receive a more exact analysis and explanation. Admittedly in chapter 4, when discussing Aboriginal associations with the land, the author gives some consideration to matters like the six seasons that affect the land. But there is scope for a fuller study to be made of the land itself as a vital player in this story; the environment still lies too much as a background tableau against which the human drama evolves. Furthermore, while the author is keen to take us beyond understanding Kakadu as a magnificent piece of scenery and to present it as a cultural landscape – again, very commendable objectives — I do not consider that a clear enough picture emerges of the cultural significance of the place — whether significant to us or to the Aboriginal owners.

Maybe I am asking for too much — but, ideally, I would like to see the full story emerge — wherein there would be presented those Aboriginal stories of the meaning and significance of different parts of that wondrous landscape, of those stories where people and place merge to create a meaningful whole. I suppose for this to happen one needs a fully collaborative effort between the academic and the traditional owners; in other words, we need much more exposure of the Aboriginal stories of association with that place. In the meantime, this book tells us how Kakadu National Park came about — something for us all to treasure — and it asks us to ponder on how such a park can be effectively managed. I highly commend chapter 7, on the problems associated with joint management, and its implicit suggestion that we move towards a structure of effective self-management and self-determination wherein the traditional owners finally receive the full measure of authority that they deserve in respect of this part of Australia.