Probably the most persistent request received by the Northern
Territory Library since its inception in 1980 is for information on Cyclone Tracy, which
devastated Darwin on the night of Christmas Eve 1974. Requests come from primary and high
schools students, tourists, and survivors of the ordeal and their families, to name just a
few.
Cyclone Tracy continues to excite the interest of all and sundry, and the fact that this
natural disaster, one of the worst in Australian history, burst on to the notice of the
Australian public on Christmas Day, adds to its fascination.
It is for this reason that the Northern Territory Library decided to establish this web
site, to inform people about the cyclone and its effects on Darwin, both short and long
term. It is hoped that the details provided here will answer most questions people have
about Cyclone Tracy, but if not, please email the Northern Territory Library and we will
attempt to supply any further information needed.
This website has three main areas:.
Cyclone Tracy covers the history of Darwin,
previous cyclones and a detailed analysis of the build up, destruction and aftermath of
Cyclone Tracy itself
Meteorological information includes general
information about cyclones in general and Tracy in particular.
Oral histories, a collection of compelling stories
told by Darwin identities of their Tracy experiences, these 'talking slide shows'
(formatted in Shockwave) provide a human perspective to living through the cyclone.
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