Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated Darwin, Australia, from December 24 to December 25, 1974. It was recorded by The Age as being a "disaster of the first magnitude...without parallel in Australia's history." It killed 65 people and destroyed over 70 percent of Darwin's buildings, leaving over 20,000 people homeless. Most of Darwin's population was evacuated to Adelaide, Whyalla, Alice Springs and Sydney, and many never returned to Darwin. The town was subsequently rebuilt with modern materials and techniques. Cyclone Tracy was at least a Category 4 storm, although there is evidence to suggest that it had reached Category 5 when it made landfall at Darwin.

Reconstruction and effects on Darwin

In February 1975, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam announced the creation of the Darwin Reconstruction Commission, which was given the task of rebuilding the city "within five years". The damage to the city was so severe that some advocated the resitting of the entire city. However, the government insisted that it be rebuilt in the same location. By May 1975, Darwin's population had recovered somewhat, with 30,000 residing in the city. Temporary housing, caravans, hotels and even ocean liners were used to house people, as reconstruction of permanent housing had still not begun by September that year.

Related Topics:
February - 1975 - Gough Whitlam - May - Ocean liners - September

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However, by the following April, after receiving criticism for the slow speed of reconstruction, the Commission had built 3,000 new homes in the annihilated northern suburbs, on top of repairs to those that had survived the storm. New building codes were drawn up, trying to achieve the competing goals of a speedy reconstruction and ensuring that the damage of 1974 was not repeated. By 1978, the city had recovered to the point of being able to house as many people as it had before the cyclone. However, as many as 60% of Darwin's 1974 population were no longer living in the city in 1980. In the years that followed, Darwin was almost entirely rebuilt and now shows little resemblance to the Darwin of December 1974.

Related Topics:
Building codes - 1974 - 1978 - 1980 - December

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Until 1974, the Northern Territory had had minimal self-government, with a federal minister being responsible for the Territory from Canberra. However, the cyclone and subsequent response highlighted problems with this that led directly to the decision of Malcolm Fraser, Whitlam's successor as Prime Minister, to give self-government to the Territory in 1978.

Related Topics:
Canberra - Malcolm Fraser - 1978

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Many of the government documents associated with Cyclone Tracy are due to become publicly available in early 2005, due to Australian Freedom of Information legislation allowing the declassification of confidential government documents after the passage of thirty years.

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