Australians seem to be forever rediscovering an urgent need to 'unlock' the vast potential of the north. They've been doing it for over a hundred and fifty years, and throughout that time their efforts have been accompanied by a great deal of hyperbole. It still is. On the other hand, extravagant proposals for northern development have always inspired countervailing arguments, pointing out their economic and environmental impracticality. Yet today's advocacy of massive northern developments takes place in a virtual historical vacuum. This article makes a plea for the vacuum to be filled.