An emotional Anthony Albanese has reflected on the devastation of Cyclone Tracy while touring a new exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the disaster.
Walking through the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, the prime minister learnt about how the catastrophic cyclone impacted more than 37,000 Australians when it crossed the coast on Christmas Day, 1974.
‘I was a young boy in Sydney but like the rest of Australia and indeed the world, we were shocked by the images that came from Darwin,’ he told media on Tuesday.
‘We had people throughout Australia provide their support, their funding and their commitment to the people who had suffered through this devastating cyclone … that is part of the Australian story.’
Mr Albanese become emotional while looking at archival photos showing Australians who lost their home and lives.
‘We are so resilient when we’re knocked down, we get up and we work together … and that’s what we saw with the rebuilding of this city.’
He used the moment to ask Australians to prepare for another summer of bushfires and cyclones and to heed lessons learned.
Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister and Senator for the Northern Territory Malarndirri McCarthy recalled a more recent cyclone that caused damage and flooding to her remote hometown community in 2024.
The small yet powerful storm whipped up winds as fast as 217 km/h in Darwin before measuring instruments failed as residents were preparing to celebrate Christmas (pictured, the debris left behind after the storm)
An emotional Anthony Albanese (pictured) has reflected on the destruction left behind by Cyclone Tracey at an exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the disaster
Tropical Cyclone Megan made landfall near Borroloola in March but many residents were unable to evacuate after it was left too late to deploy aircraft.
Strong winds and more than 300mm of rain in 24 hours meant the planes couldn’t land, leaving thousands of residents to take shelter in homes that did not meet cyclone building code.
‘What happened in Borroloola this year was absolutely devastating for the residents,’ Senator McCarthy said.
‘Many would say that the arrival of the planes were too late and that was a criticism at the time and it’s certainly been taken on board.
Cyclone Tracy killed 66 people and forced about 25,000 people into homelessness after it unpredictably turned toward the Top End’s capital early on December 24
Darwin’s population was reduced to a quarter of its size before the storm during the months it took to rebuild the city to ‘cyclone code’ standards
‘We have to remember in the Northern Territory that the federal government can only step in when it’s invited to do so and that really is the responsibility of the NT government today.’
Senator McCarthy said she and Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister had visited Borroloola and other communities to ensure there wouldn’t be a repeat of this year, or Cyclone Tracy, in remote communities.
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