Northern Australia represents some of the most strategically important geography in the Indo-Pacific. Unsurprisingly, in the face of increasing geo-political uncertainty, the 2023 Defence Strategic Review sought to reconceptualise how it thinks about Northern Australia. Australia's North is no longer simply the end of the nation's sovereign territory. Australia and its Indo-Pacific neighbours must reconceptualise their understanding of Northern Australia beyond defence. They must now consider the economic, social, cultural and diplomatic opportunities for regional connection and collaboration in Northern Australia. In this dynamic and far-reaching session, speakers will seek to explore the opportunities and challenges for Northern Australia to be a bridge with the Indo-Pacific.