"There are no streets named after him, and he didn't win any notable medals," Kim Scott said.

"But the things he got done, you wouldn't believe."

Off the back of her most recent project, a history of Katherine's tropical houses, the author and forever- resident of Katherine Kim Scott is onto her next project.

Seven years in the making, Pushing Longshots: Bruce Litchfield, Architect, His Top End Years 1938-1948, is a tribute to a man who played an integral part in getting Darwin back on its feet after it was bombed by the Japanese in 1942, and the person to thank for a number of historic buildings in Katherine.

"When the bombing happened, he was typing away in his office very close to an oil tanker which was hit," Ms Scott said.

"He was one of a handful of civilians who hadn't evacuated and he was sent to stabalise the air strip so the Americans could fly from Daly Waters and help defend Darwin.

"He was the only architect working on Darwin's reconstruction and for some reason or other he has never been recognised."

While others, like Ms Scott's grandfather, received high accolades for their contribution, Litchfield managed to slip into the background.

"The first time I saw his name was in a thesis about Anglo-Asian bungalows, it was a solid and intriguing name that I couldn't let go of."

On a closer look, there was minimal information in archives, but she managed to find his son on a Queensland electoral role.

"I must have called nearly everyone in Queensland trying to find him, and two years later he called me back."

Grahame Litchfield was able to fill in many of the blanks about his father, who he said "was not a big noter".

"I was shocked to find out he had never been recognised formally," Ms Scott said.

"My Grandfather Henry Scott received an Order of Australia merit for reconnecting communication lines.

"It was a desperate time and both men volunteered and worked around the clock. There were no services, no resources, no food, no men. And this man due to his passion and professionalism was able to do so much work that lifted the quality of housing and commercial buildings after the war."

Between 1943 and 1945, Litchfield was the first architect to be based in Katherine. He became the District Officer covering the expansive Katherine region and remote communities and was put in charge of the Allied Works Council.

He left Katherine with a working power station, the Manbulloo Abattoirs, now a World War Two heritage site, the Katherine Museum and the first two tropical houses unique to Katherine - detailed in Ms Scott's previous book.

"He had a knack for getting things done. His nickname on the golf course was Bruce 'Longshot' Litchfield," she said.

Most recently, Ms Scott was awarded a Northern Territory research grant. A total of $59,000 was shared between 12 recipients to support research into the Territory's history, and improve community access to the past.

Patrick Gregory the senior director of the Northern Territory's Library and Archives said the grants are aimed at helping individuals dig deep into history.

"The Territory has a rich and varied history and these grants will help these groups and individuals research elements of that history more thoroughly, to help us all discover more about this place we call home," he said.

"Exploring our history helps us better understand what makes the Territory the unique and fascinating place it is today.

"Thanks to these grants, researchers will be able to help us learn more about, among other things, the work of Aboriginal servicemen, the history of the Greek community in the NT, the lives of women in the Gulf region, and the trials and tribulations of the Victoria and Fort Wellington settlements."

Pushing Longshots: Bruce Litchfield, Architect, His Top End Years 1938-1948 is expected to be published in the next six months.

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