In 1974 Cyclone Tracy destroyed the City of Darwin in north Australia in a few hours. See a map of the cyclone path, pictures, photos, sound recordings and salvaged objects in the Darwin Museum exibit.
 Museum & Art Gallery of the N.T. |
It is hard for anyone who was not there at the time to imagine how it must have felt, however the Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has a permanent exhibit which is so realistic it's a bit frightening.
When you see whole suburbs without a house standing, the magnitude of this disaster hits home.
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Wind speeds of 217 km/h registered at Darwin Airport before the equipment was itself blown away and there are estimates of maximum speeds of up to 300 km/h. |
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With so much destruction of both homes and infrastructure, the population of about 45,000 was reduced to about 10,000 by a mass evacuation of people to other Australian cities. This was organised by Major-General Alan Stretton, Director-General of the Natural Disasters Organisation and Minister for the Northern Territory, Rex Patterson.
Many of the families that left never returned and the rebuilding attracted people from many different places resulting in a young, diverse population who rebuilt the city.
If you are buying a house, setting up a business or simply thinking of moving to Darwin, it is important to understand this because of the effect this rebuilding has had on how this city functions.
After the cyclone building codes were upgraded dramatically to try to prevent such extensive damage next time a cyclone passed by. And the rebuilding was largely done by the NT Housing Commission using only a limited number of designs on a large scale. At one stage nearly 90% of homes in Darwin were owned by either Government Departments or large national companies such as banks.
As the (enlarged) plaque says, these steel girders were twisted into these shapes by the force of the Tracy's winds. Set in concrete at the Casuarina College, they remind us of the strength of mother nature. Hopefully the stringent building codes now in place will prevent this happening again in Darwin.
There is still tremendous interest in the the Xmas event which changed a city and so many lives.
Were you here when Tracy visited? Were you evacuated, never to return, or were you one of the few who stayed to rebuild Darwin as we know it today?
Everyone you meet in Darwin slips the question into the conversation sooner or later, "Were you here...?" If you were, we'd love to read your experience.
See also Cyclone Tracy Stories
Click the headings to read their story
A Survivors Story - Rapid Creek
It appears as though most of the story's on this site are fake. Its disheartening because there are many survivors, such as myself, who know Cyclone Tracy ...
Bad Birthday Present
I had lived in Darwin from March 1969 to December 1970. My baby's father was killed in a car accident on the 21st December 1970. I was 22 years old and ...
FIRES AND CYCLONES - UNDERGROUND SHELTERS
On the question of fire, I have had the experience of coming home from work one day to find my five acre block at Humpty Doo burned out. Another time,...
Tracy Rocks Ten Ton Bus
This is just a very brief experience of cyclone Tracy inside a bus that weighed 10 tons, with my family & friends. My family moved to Darwin from Canberra ...
my mums ordeal
its not my story its my mums all she can remember is her mum waking her up and running into the the bath room and the roof being ripped off and stuff like ...
it ruined our life
when cyclone tracey struck, we were devastated. we didnt have insurance, and it clean struck through our house and submerged our car in the ocean. it cost ...
My experience with Tracy 1974
My name is Fay Karamanakis and here is some of my experiances of Tracy
Tracy was unbelievable, I am still almost aghast with the memories. My story'...
He slept through cyclone Tracy!
Ever since I was young my family would always tell me the story of how my great uncle John slept through cyclone Tracy, I never really took much interest ...
cyclone tracy changed my life
it was a cold and windy day.
we were all told that there was going to be a cyclone called tracy. it was wired how people name a cyclones, but i didnt ...
Serving 'POM' in R.A.F found refuge at 3rd attempt during Cyclone Tracey
During 1974/5, I was 1 of 4 UK RAF personnel attached to RAAF Darwin. 3 of us were in Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974 and 1 was on holiday in Perth.
I ...
Living in the rebuilt Darwin
I arrived in Darwin nearly four years after Tracy, just as the Northern Territory became a self-governing territory with it's own Parliament and an optimism ...
Bathtub Saviour
We spent the night with mother and us two kids in the bathtub with a mattress on top. The roof went, the rain soaked the mattress and it held firm while ...
i almost got killed
I went outside everywhere around looked like a garbage dump it was dreadfell and when i seen what was happening i ran straight back inside and told the ...
the day I nearly died
i was with my dog out side, the winds were already very strong, i looked up and saw a big wind cloud. i quickly ran inside so terified. i wanted tomorrow ...
help
i need a speech a funny speech on what happend in dawin and cyclone tracy can you help me? can you please send me an e-mail on
rocky.roxs.puppy@hotmail....
cyclone tracy
my family and i had gone to Darwin for a holiday. on Christmas eve it happened and carried on till Christmas day it was horrible.i was there with my 3 ...
Camping where houses once stood.
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I visited Darwin on a camping Coach Tour holiday to the Top End, several months after cyclone Tracey.
On the road leading in to Darwin, all the trees ...
Three Mates
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Rodney, Bob and I were in an elevated house in Wagaman in 1974. On Christmas eve Rodney and I went to the Berrimah Hotel and Bob went his own way. We got ...
My poor dad!
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Im 11 and my dad has told me his story. He was 17. He had 2 brothers aged 21 and 19 and a sister aged 11. they were living in Nightcliff when tracy hit....
Memmories as a kid
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In 1974 I was only 5 years old and my sister Alice was only 4. We were living in alice Springs and were both born and bred there. My father Dave Baldwin ...
I wish a cyclone would come!
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My dad and I traveled to Darwin from Adelaide for a two week holiday in August 1974. The drive from Adelaide via the Stuart Highway is a story in itself....
Cyclone Tracey still haunts me 35 years later.
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I was 13 and living in Moil Crescent, Darwin on 24th December 1974. I remember the day starting off strangely cos there was a cow in our garden, my dad ...
My Terrifying Story about Cyclone Tracy
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When I was 7 years old, I asked my mother why whenever I visited my Grandma, my Grandfather was never there. All she replied was, "I'll tell you later,...
Assist Darwin - when the call went out
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I was an able seaman on HMAS Vampire and on duty in Sydney when we received a call about the disaster. The NAVY at Garden island was mobilised and due ...
davenport family
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we used to live in darwin for 3 years
mum Criss dad Lou Davenport
aparently we moved back to England days before the cyclone
can anyone remember ...
Lost friends....and lots of memories!
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I have very fond memories of growing up in Darwin.
My younger brother and I lived on the RAAF base, and walked over the Bagot Rd bridge to Ludmilla ...
My cyclone tracy story
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I was 5 yrs old when cyclone tracy struck.I remember some parts clearly.
My mum and my older brother and sister and i went over to our auntys house in ...
Baked Beans for Christmas Dinner............
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Only being 11 years old at the time of Tracy what can I say but what a story of survival i have and the vivid memories that still cloud my mind still after ...
What an Interesting Storm!
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I had moved to Darwin from Canberra (Adelaide home city)in July 1974. Working with Doctor Quinn, Registrar of Darwin Hospital at time of Cyclone Tracy....
My daily run... Now, my daily memory..
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Ever since i was young, i loved christmas. All the presents and family gatherings and being able to enjoy the christmas meaning. But then cyclone tracy ...
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