CYCLONE TRACY: REMEMBERING DARWIN’S DARKEST CHRISTMAS, 50 YEARS ON

BY TANGIORA HINAKI

This Christmas marks the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy, the devastating natural disaster that all but obliterated the city of Darwin on Christmas Day, 1974. The Category 4 storm claimed the lives of 66 people, injured 145 others seriously, and left thousands homeless. Images of the destruction shocked viewers worldwide, showing a city wiped off the map.

Christine Ross, whose family survived the cyclone, recalls the harrowing night vividly. "Honestly, if I could close my eyes now, it would take me directly back to that night. I think events like that, you’re forever impacted," she said.

On Christmas Eve, the Ross family had been looking forward to the celebrations ahead, with a full house of 13, including Christine’s seven siblings, parents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. However, the festive spirit quickly became terror as Cyclone Tracy tore through Darwin with winds exceeding 240 km/h.

Christine described the frantic decisions families made to survive. "We were a bit fortunate; we didn’t have to cram into a car. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble, but quite a few people in Darwin had to do that. When a cyclone’s coming – and you guys know, being up in the Pilbara or the Kimberley – they say the safest place is always the bathroom. So, people went to the bathroom first. Then, as it got more and more vicious through the night, they realised the danger and thought, ‘Well, the car’s underneath.’ Because many of our houses were on stilts, sheltering in cars was probably the one thing that saved many families."

The Ross family initially stayed in their fibro house but sought sturdier refuge when the eye of the cyclone passed over. "That’s when we moved next door to our neighbour’s place because they had a brick house, whereas ours was fibro," Christine recalled.

The aftermath of Cyclone Tracy was catastrophic, with over 30,000 people evacuated from Darwin, many as far as southern Australia. Christine expressed gratitude for the support her family and others received during the recovery. "Thank you for inviting me to talk about it because it was the biggest natural event impact on Australia – one we’ll never forget. We thanked all the people of Australia at the time for wrapping their arms around us and supporting us when we were evacuated as refugees across Australia."

Cyclone Tracy remains one of Australia’s most devastating natural disasters. Still, it also stands as a testament to the Darwin community's resilience and the nation's unity during times of crisis. Fifty years on, the memories of that fateful Christmas still resonate deeply with survivors like Christine Ross, who lived to tell the tale.