The story of Cyclone Tracy is one of ruin and resurrection.
As is so often the case in our history, Mother Nature unleashed her wrath, leaving death and devastation in her wake.
But in the aftermath of the disaster that destroyed Darwin, its people embodied a resolve to restart and rebuild. Their spirit inspired the nation. And the nation’s spirit epitomised, once again, the resilience and compassion that defines the Australian character.
As the calendar turned over to Christmas Day of 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin soon after midnight.
Only three weeks earlier, another cyclone that was expected to hit the city, Selma, instead changed course and headed out to sea. That false alarm created a false sense of security while Christmas eve celebrations unsurprisingly brought a degree of complacency to weather warnings.
As the intense and slow-moving Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin directly, families sought shelter in bathrooms, under tables and beds, in cars, or wherever they could.
We can only imagine the fear that would have gripped those poor residents and the nightmare they endured. Winds roaring louder and louder to reach more than 217 kilometers per hour. The power going out. Torrential drenching rain and freezing cold. Trees uprooted. Homes creaking, cracking and shaking with roofs and rooms tearing-off. Entire houses exploding and disintegrating. Streets turned into battlefields of flying debris. And the surreal momentary respite as the eye of the cyclone passed over Darwin, only for the chaos to resume with an even greater ferocity.
As dawn broke and the winds began to dull, shocked but relieved survivors emerged from their places of shelter. We can only imagine their sense of distress in walking among the rubble of their city and in their realisation that not all their fellow residents had made it through the night.
Sixty-six people had been killed – 45 on land and 21 at sea. More than 600 people were injured, including almost 150 seriously. Of the city’s 47,000 residents, 40,000 were left homeless. About 80 per cent of the city was devastated at a cost of $800 million. And a population was left traumatised.
As news of the disaster spread across the nation, good Australian Samaritans started the rescue, recovery and reconstruction work. Major General Alan Stretton led the Commonwealth’s efforts. Medical supplies and food were brought in. Charity organisations and volunteers arrived to provide support on the ground. Some 36,000 residents were evacuated with the assistance of the Australian Defence Force in what cyclone specialist Kevin Murphy called ‘an operation rivalling Dunkirk’. Australians around the country donated clothes, consumables and cash as well as provided accommodation to assist a displaced population. And the Federal Government established the Darwin Reconstruction Commission.
The rebuilding and resurrection of the Northern Territory’s capital city over three years was a mighty mobilisation of national blood, sweat and tears – spurred on by the indomitable spirit of the people of Darwin.
Three years after the disaster, and following the Northern Territory’s attainment of self-government, Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser remarked, “It is not so much the material recovery that I find so stimulating, but the deeper and far more important recovery that is reflected in the vitality, the cheerfulness and the camaraderie that is so obvious in this city.”
From the tragedy of Cyclone Tracy, many lessons were learnt which saw improvements to building standards as well as disaster planning and response. Despite the dawn of a new Darwin, survivors today still live with the trauma of that terrible event which destroyed the Darwin of old.
On this 50th Anniversary of Cyclone Tracy, and on behalf of the Coalition, I pay my respects to those who lost their lives and the families who lost those dearest to them; I commend the survivors for their stoicism, including all attending memorial services; I thank all those Australians who responded to the catastrophe with courage and compassion; and I acknowledge the fortitude of the people of Darwin who forged their city anew.
What makes Australians truly remarkable is that the mettle of our character never fails to emerge in misfortune.
December 2024