Extended interviews with survivors:
Freda Brocker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVR_pO2PG50
Sharon McAlear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5K8H02RWI
Antony Bullock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In6z_oPTUSc
Daryl Manzie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypQc-DnsfAU

As a survivor, I would like to pay my deepest respect to those who lost loved ones that night, and to those who suffered horrible injuries, both physical and mental, and still carry them 50 years on. All I can say was, there were angels over Darwin that night that performed thousands of miracles.

Stay strong you mob, love you all!

I thought to  myself, "I'm 18, and tonight I'm going to die." We stood under a mattress for 6 hours and sang. Every time the cyclone intensified, we would yell for Dad to sing again and we would join in. Very very frightening.

As a nine year old, this brought so many  memories back of what I went through. I don't remember the noise of cyclone as it was tremor. But I can't stand the wind now But out of this event came so much love and good ❤ THANKYOU to al the people /volunteers that help me and my family through that dreadful time

I was born in Darwin in 1962 but left when I was young as my father was in the Navy and we got moved around a lot.We were supposed to move back to Darwin after 2 years in Singapore and would have been there in 1974 when the cyclone hit but got sent to Canberra instead at the last minute.
Thank God!
My mother took me back to Darwin in 1977 as there was a lot of cheap holiday deals trying to get people to start visiting again.I remember seeing remnants of corrugated iron still wrapped around trees in Smith street.There were  many houses that were only " dancefloors" still remaining .
It must have been a horrific experience to go through.My heart goes out to those who survived and those who lost loved ones.
I returned again for a holiday in 2008 and found Darwin had been rebuilt into a wonderful city.
I will always love Darwin,my birthplace.

I was only 6 when cyclone Tracy hit.
I remember Mum and Dad waking my sister and me up and rushing us into the bathroom. We were in an elevated house in the suburb of Wagaman. We ended up in the linen cupboard in the hallway and we watched as the walls of our house blew away. It's true , you can never forget the deafening sound. Although my poor parents lost everything they owned,
Thank God none of us were injured.
Anton if it was your Wagaman house you were in when the cyclone hit , our family lived 3 houses down in Batavia St.
.

I was 11 years old when Cyclone Tracy happened. I was waiting with my family at Sydney Airport to board our Qantas 707 aircraft to Singapore for our annual holiday. Our flight was delayed for several hours because our plane was comandeered by the Australian government, as were lots of other Qantas flights all over Australia. The planes were used to rescue the homeless and devastated people in Darwin. They were brought to Sydney Airport (and other capital city airports I assume) for emergency accommodation and medical treatment. My parents watched the people from Darwin being brought into the terminal but I wasn't allowed to watch. Being a little kid all I remember is feeling very sad for the people of Darwin and my mum being cranky because our flight was delayed. I remember my dad telling her to be quiet and show some respect. It was a very strange and sad day.

Incredible that as they speak now, their bodies still shake. Trauma memory is very real

Thank you Matt. I was 15 years old when this happened and living in Brisbane. I remember hearing about this happening and listening to the media for news. Thank you for keeping this story alive.

I was 12. To this day I remember the impact on me. I asked my parents to help give refuge to anyone who was evacuated.
The song made has always remained in my mind.
🎼Christmas Eve of’74 the warning sounded out.
Santa never made it to Darwin.
Bless you all.

Thank you Matt Cunningham. A splendid document for our beautiful city.

This happened on our first Christmas in Australia, i still remember it. I remember my mothers fear. She was a WW2 refugee/orphan, having come to Australia with my dad for a better life. Although we were not in Darwin, i remember shortly after how she became very depressed.

My whole family survived. My dog blew away.

My Grandma and my two auntys where survivors of cyclone Tracy! My dad trying to call his mum , it's was so crazy and scary , 😥

Nicely done, Matt, thanks. I was not there, and just a kid, but I do remember when the news broke on boxing day, so many kids re-boxed their best Christmas presents for the children being evacuated. As a kid, having all of their presents blown away was what really touched us. I think it was the Sallies who had presents at the different evacuation airports, but I am not sure. Note for the younglings: shops were not open to buy new ones over that season. Thanks for sharing Ulimaroa

I am a Servier, i was 6 months old, my mother an i was at the bermar pub, the old man concrete chains down on the old milada caravan, been to museum re actment, and ya never again for me body remembers from the museum re actment, and turn 50 this year

I remember we were at Tullamarine airport on Boxing Day Morning waiting to fly to Hobart when people started being flown in from Darwin. They were flying in the national carriers Ansett and TAA. My mother remembers seeing someone from the Salvation Army handing out clothes at the airport.

I turned 15 two days after Tracy.  I learned to remember the incredible culture that arose afterwards.  Yes Tracy happened, and it was traumatic, but the culture that arose afterwords was incredible too.  People came from everywhere, even other countries, to help and rebuild.  It didn’t matter where you came from, it didn’t matter what language you spoke, what mattered was how hard you worked.  If you needed help, someone would help you.  If you were a malingerer, you got a swift kick up the backside.  This was a wonderful culture for a teenager to grow up in, where what mattered was that the work got done.  So I chose to remember both the trauma, and what came after.

LEST WE FORGET!

Thank you.