Bath filled with water; windows taped. Ironically all the new sliding windows would be smashed to smithereens and only the kitchen louvres would survive Tracy. My mother Flo wisely put some children’s clothing in a suitcase.
Swinging power lines gave way to the din of roofing hitting the bitumen in Aralia Street. As windows in the lounge room shattered and the noise of the wind and flying debris rose to a terrifying crescendo. I ripped my prized new sheets (recently bought from Clays) from our bed as the bedroom ripped apart followed by another bedroom facing Aralia Street.
The roof went next, so the bathroom wasn’t an option. Five of us (John, Tricia, Flo, Matthew (17 months) and Rowena (7 months) ended up in a bedroom cupboard without a door and our dog Sam under a bed. Only thin plywood protected us from the outside elements, and we were terrified that something might pierce the wall behind us.
During the eerie silence of the Eye a family of four from the navy houses across the road sheltered in our laundry downstairs. John gave them a bottle of formula for their baby. We never saw them again and wonder what became of them.
The wind blew in the opposite direction and John, Tricia and Flo hung on to the heavy wet mattress that was paramount for our protection.
John found a bottle of scotch compliments of ACI Nylex and we adults took sips as we were freezing cold though shock, we sang Christmas Carols and I prayed to God that we were either all saved or all perished together.
The next morning grateful to be all in one piece, we couldn’t believe the devastation. Clothing and Christmas presents caught up in trees. The house behind us was nowhere to be seen.
We were fortunate to be able to move to John’s workplace at Winnellie. This would be John’s ‘home’ for the next 18 months, the first 2 months without power.
John had the presence of mind to take Super 8 movie film of what was left of Darwin over the next 6 months up to Tricia and the children’s return to Darwin.
Driving anywhere was a challenge with the familiar landmarks gone. Yet everyone was on an equal footing with a great sense of camaraderie in rebuilding Darwin.
John and Tricia Phillips