In the lead-up to Cyclone Tracy’s 50th anniversary, Dave Carr recounts his unforgettable experience as one of the young Kiwis living in Darwin when the cyclone struck on Christmas Eve 1974. What began as a typical holiday gathering quickly turned into a night of survival against fierce winds and flooding. Carr and his friends, mostly truck drivers, braved the storm’s chaos, enduring the aftermath in makeshift shelters and ferrying essential supplies as part of the relief effort. This tale captures their resilience, camaraderie, and the stark reality of rebuilding a life in a city forever changed by Tracy’s wrath.
Tracy, Recalled 50 Years On
Dave Carr
Nearly 50 years some things are like yesterday, however others are a bit grey so bear with me if my story is not 100% dead accurate!
A group of kiwi`s living in Fitzer Drive Ludmilla, varying numbers, in true Darwin style. Most of us were truckies, however there was a mechanic, cleaner and bank manager so there was a wide range of industry representation. One thing though we were all young, reasonably affluent at the time, fearless and not scared of work. The lineup of cars included a 350 Monaro 4 door, 3 XA hardtops, a Chrysler Charger and an RX4 coupe, a boat though the running of that needed someone to squirt oil on the rockers as we water skied or whatever at McMinns Lagoon.
Christmas Eve Darwin was seen as any other holiday night, yes there was a cyclone warning, but there were always cyclone warnings, so life went on. Three or four of us who worked together at Gulf Transport went out to stock up on `liquid supplies` promising that we would not be too long. The food order had already been purchased and stored at Fitzer Drive. One thing lead to another and a group of us ended up at Tommy`s – workshop foreman for Gulf – out Nightcliff way. Of course by then we had our supplies with us.
The power went out pretty early, guessing 9.30 and the wind and rain started to get up a bit!. Opened sliding doors on both the windward and leeward side of the house, upstairs, as was the norm in Darwin which though a bit draughty certainly helped as this house remained fairly well off. Looking to the next-door neighbours however we saw a 2 story brick wall bow an incredible distance before it crashed in a heap on the ground. As the eye came over the call was made and the party adjourned to 2 cars parked underneath Tommy`s house. The cars were sandblasted on one side and actually shoved sideways against the uprights in the garage, but we had little choice to sit out until daylight. Fortunately we had a heap of cassette tapes on board, most probably all Slim Dusty and Charlie Pride, but the background music helped sooth the wind noise and keep our minds focused on things other than our predicament. Mr Dewars helped also, as 2 of us drank 2 litres and still vouche for being cold sober.
Daylight was reality and a 2 hour trip back to our flat moving debris, power wires, power poles as well as skirting round flood waters! Think that there was over 13 inches of rain(325mm) that night.
At the flat were greeted with both tears and relief, as the rest of the crew stood on what was basically a flat floor, one small wall and a toilet bowl. Stories exchanged, important stuff rescued and something to eat – hang on most of it had disappeared – there was some that was retrievable from an upturned fridge and that was bout it. However sometime later I discovered a Xmas cake that an Auntie had sent from NZ jammed under the bed – it was soaking wet, but boy did it taste good.
Worried about more of our mates we ended up at Jim and Jenny Coopers, the owners of Gulf Transport in Aralia Street, Nightcliff . Of course things there were the same, but at least everyone was still alive. A bit of a loose plan was formulated and a crew was dispatched to the Gulf Depot Coonerwarra Road to check for damage. Although damage to the workshop and office was significant the trucks and trailers were largely unscathed. By nightfall on the 25th a plan was falling into place.
Along with hundreds of others, Jim and Jenny decided to take their young family, by road, south. I plus my then girlfriend, now my wife of 47 years, were taking a road train south to Alice Springs on the proviso that I could return asap. After spending the night in my truck headed away early on the 26th with a stop in Katherine to find a shower and a change of clothes. At this stage I have to mention the Salllies (Salvation Army) for the job they did over the early cyclone emergency, whether it was food, drink, clothing or whatever their efficiency in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs was outstanding. That efficiency went as far as documentation, they had lists of evacuees up and running very early on as cars, utes and trucks in various states of repair headed south. Some of those vehicles should not have been on the road, no windows, bent panels, but in desperation families headed south, some with no money, very little fuel and the clothes they were standing up in, all their worldly possessions crammed in the back seat. If I remember correctly there was a cash handout upon registration ($200 per family?)
On arrival in Alice Springs late on the 26th it was on to the Telex machine, firstly to Canberra, who at that stage did not understand the problems that we were facing (it was a typical public service type response at that stage.)and then it was on behalf of the 8 Kiwi`s in our old house, letting our families at home in NZ know that we were all safe and well. My parents were very upset, I remember getting a bollocking for not being in touch earlier! They, plus thousands of others, including the powers that be in Canberra had no understanding of the situation. Little things could quickly become big things in the tropical heat with no power – food perishing, poor hygiene, no water plus it was the middle of the WET commonly known as the` silly season` because of the humidity etc. Finally after kicking stones and arse I was allowed to load the perishables that were the standard order for Coles, both fridge boxes and a dry box ( 20 foot containers) plus a small pop top caravan ( from the Gulf yard to live in if required!) It was only after becoming a parent myself that I really understood what our parents went through back home. All they had heard was that the was total devastation and loss of life!
I guess it was late at night, but trying to get an answer out of Canberra when I knew what had to be done, is something that has played on my mind ever since. Lunch time on the 27th I headed my Road Train north again. Not necessarily easy even then, because there was road blocks all the way north and it was only with a bit of bull…. and luck that I rolled back into Darwin on the morning of the 28th.
I was not involved again with that load, it was commandeered by the powers that be and distributed from there. At that stage there was still no way of lifting the boxes off the truck so I just transferred to another.
The next few days were a blur, loads of supplies from the airport to be distributed round the town, trying to ensure that my own food supply was okay, somewhere to camp, shower when we got a chance and relax. One hiccup I ran into was that a lot of personal items that we had locked in a downstairs room had vanished, the room had been broken into, so consequently there were missing passports etc. Even after reporting the loss to police there was never any sign of the numerous personal documents again Never saw any of the fridges or transistor radios that were distributed, but as a Kiwi with a rural background survived. Somehow ended up in a room at a motel situated on the Stuart Highway not far from the airport gates. It became my base, when in town, for the next 8 months or so.
When the Navy arrived on New Years Day things took a new turn for some time. Days spent on a landing barge ferrying urgent supplies, everything from medical supplies to roofing iron and heavy machinery, from the ships to town. Two whole road trains loaded onto the landing barge, sail on the tide and spend the next 12 hours on the brine. Because of the tides there was only a window of a couple of hours to load or unload the road trains back at shore so everything was military style by the clock. Whilst loading along side the ships (mainly HMAS Melbourne) as a driver I was welcomed on board and treated like royalty. Nothing was too much whether it be a feed, a haircut, a beer or a sleep, it was all there. The bliss of an air conditioned room, clean clothes after a week of living out of a sleeper cab was almost too much.
Reality hit in a couple of days later when we were called to start carting from Alice again. Instead of a trip a week with time to chill between trips it became a non-stop round and round Darwin – Alice, Alice – Darwin. The bank balance looked good because of the hours, but by the time that the Australian Government offered airfares home for the people that had stayed in Darwin I jumped on that big tin bird home fairly quickly. After nearly a month in NZ headed back and stayed until near the end of the year. Things had changed though, there was only one other from the original flat still in town, there was an influx of outsiders, the mood had changed from the Darwin I knew and besides I had a girlfriend to make an honest woman of. Haven`t been back, but intend to make 50th celebrations.