The much-loved Cyclone Tracy exhibition has reopened at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of this devasting natural disaster.
When Cyclone Tracy took an unexpected turn on Christmas Eve in 1974, it changed the course of the city. Small but deadly, it destroyed Darwin, leading to the largest evacuation and relief effort in Australian history.
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory was also destroyed that night. Since then, it has become the home of the Cyclone Tracy story.
As part of the refreshed exhibition, visitors can explore a classic Darwin house with surviving objects, monitor the cyclone in the Bureau of Meteorology office as it looked in 1974, experience an actual recording of Tracy in the new sound booth and explore never-before seen objects and images donated by the Darwin community and beyond.
“This exhibition stands as a testament to the resilience of the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory,” said MAGNT Director, Adam Worrall. “It would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of our partners and the members of the community who contributed so much to its creation.
“From those who donated objects and shared their memories, to those who gave countless hours of their time, we are deeply grateful. Their invaluable contributions ensure we can collectively remember and honour the lives forever changed on Christmas Day in 1974.”
Highlights of the Cyclone Tracy exhibition include:
Cyclone Country
Cyclones in the Top End are nothing new. They have visited these coastlines for thousands of years. They come during Balnba, the rainy season and Dalay, the monsoon season. For Tiwi people it’s Jamutakari – the wet season. Tracy was just one such cyclone, passing first through Tiwi Country to Larrakia Country.
Visitors are welcomed to the exhibition by the work of Tiwi artist Mary Elizabeth Moreen who depicted Cyclone Tracy in 2005. The painting was stored in a private collection at a home in Darwin for nearly 20 years before its new large-scale display in the Cyclone Tracy exhibition.
Iconic Torana Replica – Tracey You Bitch
A replica of the infamous red Torana that Darwin resident John Garner scrawled with house paint 50 years ago, stands at the exhibition’s heart. The crushed car, painted with the defiant message, Tracey You Bitch – became an iconic symbol of resilience in the wake of Tracy’s devastation.
John, who helped repaint the replica for the exhibition, recalls the storm’s aftermath and his irreverent response. MAGNT encourages people to take photos of this replica and use the hashtags: #traceyyoubitch #CycloneTracyExhibition
Weather Watchers
Sit at the desk of an authentic recreation of the Darwin Bureau of Meteorology office, much as it looked in 1974, where Tracy was first detected as a tropical low. Surrounded by equipment and items from the Bureau of Meteorology, visitors can monitor the developing cyclone on an interactive touchscreen and receive warnings from across the harbour.
Cyclone Sound Booth
Cyclones have a distinctive sound. A freight train, a fighter jet or a screaming banshee are just some of the ways survivors attempt to describe the indescribable. Perhaps it was this that inspired Father Ted Collins to record it. Experience his recordings brought to life through new technology and remastered sound in MAGNT’s iconic new sound booth.
50 Years of Stories
Over the last decade, MAGNT has welcomed hundreds of new donations of family photo albums and treasured objects from residents who experienced Cyclone Tracy, preserving them for future generations.
The image of a crying child with a doll on the cover of The Australian Women’s Weekly in January 1975 comes to mind for many people around Australia when Cyclone Tracy is mentioned.
This article inspired action from the Australian community and the world who came together in support of the Darwin Disaster Appeal by donating money and essentials to survivors. The Raggedy Andy doll featured in the famous photograph was donated to MAGNT in 2022 and is now on display.
Other objects include a Christmas tree that was salvaged from Tracy’s wreckage, a dress worn for days in the aftermath, a rifle used for self-defence, items from the HMAS Arrow and an iconic survivor t-shirt, plus more!
Upcoming Programs and Events
In conjunction with the exhibition, MAGNT will offer a series of public programs and events, inviting community members to reflect and explore new aspects of this significant Darwin story. More details of the talks and screenings can be found on the MAGNT website.
New Publication Release
To accompany the exhibition, MAGNT will launch Cyclone Tracy: A Cyclone for Christmas, authored by curators Jared Archibald OAM, Paige Taylor and Caddie Brain. The book highlights personal stories and serves as an education resource, with copies distributed to every school in the Northern Territory.
Cyclone Tracy
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, 19 Conacher Street, The Gardens (Darwin)
Exhibition is ongoing
Free entry
For more information, visit: www.magnt.net.au for details.
Images: Bruce and Jean McDougall with their children Diane, Paul, Russell and Charger the dog with the remains of their Wagaman home, 1974 – courtesy of Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory | John Garner painting the replica Torana 50 years later, 2024 – photo by Georgina Campbell | The Australian Women’s Weekly, 15 January 1975. Gift of Jeanette Pilt, 2023 – courtesy of Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory