Congratulations to Julia Martinez and Adrian Vickers, whose book in June won the the 2016 NT History Book Award and has now won the University of Southern Queensland History Book Award at the 2016 Queensland Literary Awards, announced on 8 October 2016. The Pearl Frontier combines meticulous archival research and moving life stories to offer a new way of imagining Australian historical connections with Indonesia. This compelling view from below of maritime mobility demonstrates how, in the colonial quest for the valuable pearl-shell, Australians came to rely on the skill and labor of Indonesian islanders, drawing them into their northern pearling trade empire.