From the National Archives:
Events of December 1974:
The northern Australian city of Darwin was devastated early on Christmas morning 1974 when hit by the tropical weather depression that was given the name Cyclone Tracy. As the eye of the cyclone passed over the city between midnight and 7am on Christmas morning, torrential rain fell and the winds were officially recorded at 217 kilometres per hour prior to the Bureau of Meteorology anemometer being destroyed. Houses and other buildings disintegrated under the onslaught, accompanied by the sounds of flying debris and breaking glass. Records have identified 66 names of individuals who perished as a result of the cyclone (53 on land and 13 at sea), and many more were injured. Seventy per cent of Darwin’s homes were destroyed or suffered severe damage, and all public services – communications, power, water and sewerage – were severed.
Emergency committees were established to deal with such matters as accommodation, clean-up, clothing, communications, evacuation, food, law and order, sanitation and health and social welfare. The defence forces played a major role in cleaning up the city and suburbs.
With essential services all severed, and with food and shelter at a premium, many Darwin people were evacuated and in the week that followed Darwin’s population was reduced to little more than 10,000. For the next six months access to the city was regulated by means of a permit system.
We were living in Brisbane, Queensland, at the time, and we remember exactly that particular Xmas morning with two very young children opening their presents from Santa, great excitement, then we turned on the radio and heard the horrifying news, Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone, there was nothing left. The entire country grieved for Darwin. Mass evacuations of women and children began, the men stayed behind to help rebuild the town.
We will never forget this time and the Lyrics from this song still bring tears to our eyes.
The singers: Bill and Boyd were a pop music duo from 1959 to 1989 consisting of William "Bill" Cate (born 1940) and William "Boyd" Robinson (born 1941), both on lead vocals and lead guitar, which started recording in 1960. They began their careers in Wellington, New Zealand before relocating to Sydney by 1964.
SANTA NEVER MADE IT INTO DARWIN
(Bill Cate)
Bill & Boyd - 1975
On Christmas Eve of seventy-four
The warning sounded out
On all the broadcast stations
A great storm was near about
The boys and girls asleep in bed
Tomorrow was their day
The mums and dads all prayed
The mighty storm would turn away
Santa never made it into Darwin
Disaster struck at dawn on Christmas Day
Santa never made it into Darwin
A big wind came and blew the town away
Christmas morning was a nightmare
As Cyclone Tracy struck
It ripped apart the buildings
Like an atom bomb had struck
It twisted iron girders
And it flattened all the trees
The might of such a cyclone
Must be seen to be believed
Santa never made it into Darwin
Disaster struck at dawn on Christmas Day
Santa never made it into Darwin
A big wind came and blew the town away
Many boats put out to sea
Very few returned
Most were foundered on the rocks
Or in huge seas overturned
Australia was shocked and saddened
As the news came through
The devastated city
Must be built anew
That suffering and heartbreak
Could happen in this way
A natural disaster
Could come on Christmas Day
Santa never made it into Darwin
Disaster struck at dawn on Christmas Day
Santa never made it into Darwin
A big wind came and blew the town away
Santa never made it into Darwin
Disaster struck at dawn on Christmas Day
Santa never made it into Darwin
A big wind came and blew the town away
A big wind came and blew the town away
**Remembering Darwin and the families, men, women and children who suffered in this horrible disaster on Christmas Day, 1974.
View the disaster and listen to the song on YouTube:
(
visit link)
(
visit link)