Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commemorates the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, reflecting on the devastating impact of the 1974 storm and honoring the victims.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the victims of Cyclone Tracy in a Christmas Day speech in Darwin 50 years on from the national tragedy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a delivered a message to the people of Darwin on Christmas Day, as the Northern Territory capital paid its respects on the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy . The cyclone left a devastating mark on Darwin when it hit on Christmas Day in 1974, leaving 66 dead and hundreds more seriously injured.
A day after reflecting on the tragedy following his arrival in the city on Christmas Eve, Mr Albanese spoke at the 50th commemoration of the national disaster. 'The sound of torrential rain gave way to the screech of corrugated iron. The sheets ripped from roofs, hurled through the sky and scraped across the ground at over 200km an hour. Windows shattered. Trees uprooted, cars upended. An entire city almost wiped off the map,' the Prime Minister said as he painted the picture of the storm. 'Across Darwin, families huddled fearfully in the safest places they could find, whispering prayers, holding each other tight, waiting for the howling darkness to pass. When at last an eerie silence fell and the sun rose. It was a scene of utter devastation. Cyclone Tracy's trail of destruction rendered tens of thousands of Territorians homeless and tragically, it claimed at least 66 lives.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a delivered a message to the people of Darwin on Christmas Day, as the Northern Territory capital paid its respects on the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. Picture: Supplied Mr Albanese noted the loss of life for many First Nations people in the cyclone wasn't recorded as families returned to their traditional homelands. He also cracked a joke about wearing a tie 'for the first time' on a visit to Darwin, as a 'sign of respect'
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