I was talking with my Aunty tonight about this Christmas 50 Year anniversary 1/2 hour before the ABC s segment on Tracy.
Aunty Marianne acknowledged how much she struggles to talk about it. Oddly she said the most difficult part was the (pretty well forced) evacuation. People being told that you are leaving Darwin and she actually had no idea where her life was going to take her. It was really a tear jerker talking to Aunty tonight.
I was Ten years old and did not understand why my parents woke me up early Xmas morning. There is a a lot I remember about Cyclone Tracy the actual event. I remember not being scared as my parents made me (and younger siblings) feel secure. We just followed them from main bedroom to eventually bathroom.
The biggest impact for me was in the morning looking outside and what was not there when daylight broke. To this day. WOW seriously WOW. Then inhaling the grief my parents were experiencing when attempting to track down family in Darwin in the next few days.
The hardest part I recall was being herded onto a bus and driven to the airport to be evacuated to somewhere. I recall Oma (Grandma) saying just get to Sydney. We will meet up there. My mother was confused and in tears is my recollection. So I was in tears. Not quite a lottery on where you were going but I recall Mum saying later there was pressure just to get on any god damn plane.
During the actual cyclone I do not recall fear.
To this day I have anxiety when the big one is nearby. Weird as I did not experience fear or terror during the cyclone itself.
LOL. Oddly I still live in a pre cyclone Tracy house in Nightcliff. That is fine. She is insured well.
