Still writing almost to the end , historian, author , publisher, Glenville Pike, 85, above ,died of pneumonia on May 4, at Mareeba. His passing went unreported in Darwin where he once lived and wrote early books about the Territory’s colourful past. Pike researched and wrote about the disappearance of the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt , his theory about where he came to grief confirmed recently by a reassessment of an item held in the South Australian Museum which turned out to be part of the explorer's pistol. In discussions with him about Leichhardt, Pike expressed the view that the NT Government could benefit from backing research into the Leichhardt mystery because it could become a big tourist attraction .
At a time when publishers were little interested in Australian history ,Pike started his own publishing company and, apart from writing books himself,sales of which ran in excess of 150,00, he helped many other people in the north to publish their memoirs. He went into partnership with Darwin journalist Jessie Litchfield, grandmother of former NT Chief Minister , Marshall Perron , in the North Australian Monthly which championed the development of the north, completion of the north -south railway , more defence bases, better roads and improved basic services for the populace.
Just over two weeks ago Little Darwin spoke to Glenville as he liked to be kept up to date about what was happening in the Territory. Battling cancer, with not long to live, he spoke about changes in Australian publishing, an approach from a person wanting to write a book on the Territory’s Ragged Thirteen desperadoes , about which he had written himself, how he had been writing for the North Queensland Register for more than 70 years nonstop, surely some kind of record in the annals of Australian journalism , and details of early Darwin newspaper editors . A tribute to Pike , his mother and aunt will be posted at a later date.
