An emotional Anthony Albanese has reflected on the devastation of Cyclone Tracy as he toured a new exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the disaster.
While walking through the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, the Prime Minister heard how the catastrophic cyclone affected more than 37,000 Australians as 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 coming out of Darwin,” he told media on Tuesday.
“We had people from all over Australia lending their support, their funding and their commitment to the people who had suffered from this devastating cyclone… that’s part of the Australian story.”
Mr Albanese becomes emotional as he looks at archive photos showing Australians who lost their homes and lives.
“We are so resilient when we get knocked down, we get up and work together… and that’s what we’ve seen in rebuilding this city.”
He took the moment to ask Australians to prepare for another summer of bushfires and cyclones and heed the lessons learned.
Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Senator for the Northern Territory, recalled a more recent cyclone that caused damage and flooding in her remote hometown in 2024.
The small but powerful storm delivered winds of up to 217 km/h in Darwin before measuring instruments failed as residents prepared to celebrate Christmas (photo: debris left behind after the storm)
An emotional Anthony Albanese (pictured) has reflected on the devastation left 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 because it was too late to deploy aircraft.
Strong winds and more than 300mm of rain in 24 hours prevented planes from landing, forcing thousands of residents to take shelter in houses that did not meet cyclone building regulations.
“What happened in Borroloola this year was absolutely devastating for residents,” said Senator McCarthy.
‘Many would say that the arrival of the planes was late and that was critical at the time and it was certainly taken on board.
Cyclone Tracy killed 66 people and left around 25,000 homeless after it turned unpredictably towards the Top End capital early on December 24.
Darwin’s population was reduced to a quarter of its pre-storm size, during the months it took to rebuild the city to ‘cyclone code’ standards
“We must remember in the Northern Territory that the federal government can only intervene if invited to do so, and that is really the responsibility of the NT government today.”
Senator McCarthy said she and Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister had visited Borroloola and other communities to ensure there was no repeat of this year, or Cyclone Tracy, in remote communities.
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