Peter Spillett (1926 - 2004)
The Peter Spillett Library, previously called Arts & Culture Library, was renamed in 2004 in honour of Peter Spillett, who retired after more than 20 years of continuous voluntary research and work at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).
Peter Spillett AM, FRGS was a long-term resident of the Northern Territory and was an Honorary Research Fellow with MAGNT from 1984 until his death in December 2004.
Peter made an enormous contribution to the Northern Territory as a co-founder and former president of the Historical Society of the NT, founder and former president of the National Trust (NT); and author of many books and papers on the history of the NT and Indonesia.
As part of the Bicentennial celebrations in 1988, Peter was the driving force behind the successful construction, in Indonesia, of a replica Makassan perahu, the Hati Marege. Peter and a crew of sailors from South Sulawesi then sailed the perahu to Darwin. The Hati Marege is now on display in the Maritime Gallery of the Museum.
In June 1978, Peter was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia Medal for service to the community, and on Australia Day 2004 he received the NT Achiever Award for outstanding service to the NT community.
Over many years Peter donated his papers, books, reports and photos, dealing with NT and Indonesian history to the NT Archive Service, NT Library and the MAGNT.
