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For the memory of my children

I arrived in Darwin in the middle of July 1974, I was with my two children (3 and 6 years old) and I was six months pregnant. My husband had just died recently after a sudden car accident. Not being able to cope with the memory of him my former house brought I decided to move to Darwin to try to start a new life. That was a decision I was later to regret.

We had settled down in our house that I had bought, with the money I had received when I sold my old house. On Christmas eve there were warnings on the T.V. and radio that a cyclone would come to Darwin. Being new to Darwin I was terrified but that soon change when my newly made friends had convinced me that a cyclone would never come to Darwin.

It was raining heavier than usual that night when I was trying to get my children to bed. the rain was making it harder than usual to get them to sleep. When I had finally got my children to bed I decided to go to bed myself. I woke up later that night to the heavy rain my baby was crying but that was not audible against the rain and wind. I went into the children's room but of course they had already gone to the tree and unwrapped all their presents. They played with their new toys unaware of the storm outside. I had already started to worry how bad the storm was going to get, but i didn't realize how bad it already was until my roof was blown off.

Living in a two story house I worried that the upper story was soon to follow to roof so I went with my children to the downstairs bath room. They were now terrified and hugging their new toys. When we went out side the wind was heavier without the walls protecting us. We hurried down to the bathroom against the wind. Sadly my 3 year old son wasn't able to fight against the wind being blown away. Which I can insure you is a mother's worst nightmare. Thinking of my other children I continued downstairs.

When the wind had finally stopped I went outside to inspect the damage of the house, and sure enough most of the walls had been blown off. I started to search for my son but there was no sight of him anywhere. All to soon the wind started again not knowing what was happening I headed back to the bathroom terrified that it was starting all over again. I was near the bath room when a loose brick had hit me in the head making me unconscious. I woke up hours late, the storm had stopped and i had no clue how I had survived my two children were no where in sight. With my best effort I looked for my children. I was on my own until a passing car picked me u and took me to the hospital.

The hospital was a mess I refused to let the doctors have a look at me. I searched the hospital for my missing children but they were no where in sight. I was then later evacuated to Melbourne where I remarried and had two children.

I will never forget the memory of my old family they will live on in my heart forever.