Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as we know, Christmas Day marks the fiftieth anniversary
of Cyclone Tracy, and for those who survived the devastating
natural disaster, it's a time of mixed emotions. My next
guest lived in Nakara at the time, with her parents,
her little sister, and older brother. Survivor Christine Brown joins
me on the line. Good morning, Christine, Good morning Katie.
(00:23):
Lovely to have you on the show. Christine, haven't yeah anytime.
Can you take me back to Christmas Eve in nineteen
seventy four what you were up to.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, Christmas Eve nineteen seventy four, we were getting excited
obviously the next day and we Mum and dadd had
bought us a pool table and it had been set
up in the lounge room and we were beyond excited
to have that. And we also picked our first pineapple
out of the garden. So I remember getting really excited
(00:57):
by the fact we're eating our first pineapple and playing cool.
So that was that's what was the highlight of Christmas
Eve was for us. Oh, Christine, early on.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I reckon it would have been, you know, getting a
pool table from your parents. I can't even imagine.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I know, incredible, wasn't that. I don't know where they
thought they were going to put it after Christmas Day,
but it was set up in the lounge room, so
that's where we were. We were. Yeah, it was great.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
How nice. Now obviously things took a real turn. Were
you prepared for cyclone Tracy at your place? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Not really. We'd had Cyclone Selma a few weeks before,
and we were used to having cyclones around us, so
and no way would you imagine that something like that
would happen on Christmas Day. You just none of us
were really prepared. I don't think.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, I guess it's one of those things, even for
those of us that live here now. You know, you
can think you're prepared for a cyclone, but when something
like Tracy awry, I don't know that anybody could be
truly prepared.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
No for what we experienced with Tracy, You're right, I
don't think there's any No one could have been prepared
for that, as you can see by the footage. Yeah,
at the moment that it looked like a bomb had
gone off.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So when did things start to take a two?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I'm just a twelve year old kid at that age,
so I'm not really sure about timing. All I know
that it was got really, really really windy. And then Dad,
we got into the hallway of our home, put some
mattresses down, and we tried to get our dog inside
when he was an outside dog, and he did not
want to come in, but we got him in, and
(02:49):
then we went into the bathroom, which and then the
ceiling was flipping out. And when Dad decided that we
should go and move into their bedroom, which was a
fervorous away from where the wind was coming.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
And I understand that your younger sister was quite scared
at that point. Was she with you? Yes? She was.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It was uh, there was my mum, my dad, my
little sister Gerald, and our big brother Anthony. Yeah, and
we're all together.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And so you're all sheltering there and and you know,
I can only imagine the kind of wind that you were,
that you were hearing, the sounds that you were hearing
at that point. What what happened next?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So it was really really well I thought it was
just you know, like inn at the beginning an adventure.
I can't even imagine that something like that could ever happen.
And so Dad turned the bed upside down and put
the mattress on top, and I got under the My
little sister Geraldine got under the bed, and Mum got
(04:02):
under the bed with us, and Anthony was sort of
standing beside it near Dad. And then unfortunately the weight
of the water and the mattress and then the house
fell on top of us on the bed and we
were under the bed and the bed collapsed on top
of the three of us.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
And it was at that point that you lost your
little sister.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well, during that time under there, I think we were
trapped for about twelve hours under the bed and Dad
tried to get the bed off us, but he couldn't
because the wall fell on his back and so he
was trapped, and Anthony was trapped in a little size
thing so he couldn't move either. But we were squashed
(04:52):
under the bed, and during the night Geraldine passed away
with Mum and I yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You know, I guess it would be you know, you'd
take heart and the fact that the three of you
were together, well, that you were all together. But you know,
for a lot of people listening this morning, I think
the trauma of Tracy is something that a lot of
survivors are trying to live with. But I can't imagine
what it's been like for you, you know, after losing your
(05:23):
little sister.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, I mean it's it's it's been very very difficult
because she was really leaning up. She was we were
together and she was eight when I was only twelve,
and Mom was there with us. But it's you know,
it's been with me for my entire for the last
fifty years. And from that same the pressure on us.
(05:51):
I have a permanent black eye, and that's meant it's
been my outward mark and so I've always, excuse me,
I've always had to live with it, and it's been
very very difficult. So this coming now, excuse me, right, Yeah,
coming to Darwin in the next few days is yeah,
(06:16):
it's good. My sister and I are my sister, Stephanie.
She and I are flying up to be part of
the commemoration, and I think it's time for us to
put this chapter of our lives to be done with it.
After all this it's been affecting me for fifty years
and it needs to stop for me.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, yeah, what do you reckon? It's going to be
like for you coming, you know, like coming back and
and you know the commemorations. I would imagine it's going
to be difficult, but like hopefully.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Cathartic, we're going to have fun. My sister and I've
decided because we're going to be surrounded by a family
of people who know exactly what it was like we
are all we are so looking forward to being with
other survivors and and you know, holding hands and laughing
(07:11):
and feeling that sense of family in a way, because
we're a community that know what each other has been through,
and not many people can understand or feel that these
people do, and they're like family to us. So we're
really we're three at the moment because we're getting ready
(07:33):
to go, but we're really I think looking forward to
just being around our people for a while, you know,
and then yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Like I hope it is. I think it will be
hopefully a really nice, tough but a nice occasion for
Cyclone Tracy survivors. And I've spoken to a lot a
lot of Cyclone Tracy survivors through this week, and even
you know, when you're you hear, you hear your experiences
and and it's helped, I think for me and a
(08:06):
lot of other Territorians to truly understand the history of
Darwin and the fabric of Darwin and the resilience of
people that lived in Darwin at that time. And it
does not get more resilient than you and your family.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, and we've lived there for like we've I've only
been out of done for a little while.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
I go back, you know.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
But yeah, it's it's it's for us. It's cathartic, is
what you said. And I think you're right, you know.
And my sister has her story that relates to because
she wasn't with us when Geraldine passed, but she knew
so and and we we just want to be together
and and do what we need. I'm actually telling us
(08:51):
my story at the Railway Club Christmas Eve. Yeah, so
that's what's happening there. And and my's got this beautiful
piece of artwork that she's showing on while she's there
as well. And yeah, for us, it's our time to
heal at last, and to still remember Geraldine and that
(09:14):
and remember her and our family, but also now to
say okay, enough is enough, psychling Tracy can just now go. Yeah,
good on you, that's what we're hoping.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, good on you, And I hope it does that
for a lot of our Tracy survivors as well.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
It's meat.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Yeah, it's you know, I can't even begin to imagine
how tough it is for you guys. Christine. I really
appreciate you telling your story. I know it's not an
easy thing to do, and I know as we get
closer and closer to Christmas Day, you know, it's it's
a difficult feeling. So I really appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah, Okay, thank you very much, Katie. And and I'm
sure I will see you sometime over the I.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Reckon you will. We will do. Thank you, thanks so
much for your time.
Well, as we know, Christmas Day marks the fiftieth anniversary
of Cyclone Tracy, and for those who survived the devastating
natural disaster, it's a time of mixed emotions. My next
guest lived in Nakara at the time, with her parents,
her little sister, and older brother. Survivor Christine Brown joins
me on the line. Good morning, Christine, Good morning Katie.
(00:23):
Lovely to have you on the show. Christine, haven't yeah anytime.
Can you take me back to Christmas Eve in nineteen
seventy four what you were up to.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, Christmas Eve nineteen seventy four, we were getting excited
obviously the next day and we Mum and dadd had
bought us a pool table and it had been set
up in the lounge room and we were beyond excited
to have that. And we also picked our first pineapple
out of the garden. So I remember getting really excited
(00:57):
by the fact we're eating our first pineapple and playing cool.
So that was that's what was the highlight of Christmas
Eve was for us. Oh, Christine, early on.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I reckon it would have been, you know, getting a
pool table from your parents. I can't even imagine.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I know, incredible, wasn't that. I don't know where they
thought they were going to put it after Christmas Day,
but it was set up in the lounge room, so
that's where we were. We were. Yeah, it was great.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
How nice. Now obviously things took a real turn. Were
you prepared for cyclone Tracy at your place? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Not really. We'd had Cyclone Selma a few weeks before,
and we were used to having cyclones around us, so
and no way would you imagine that something like that
would happen on Christmas Day. You just none of us
were really prepared. I don't think.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, I guess it's one of those things, even for
those of us that live here now. You know, you
can think you're prepared for a cyclone, but when something
like Tracy awry, I don't know that anybody could be
truly prepared.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
No for what we experienced with Tracy, You're right, I
don't think there's any No one could have been prepared
for that, as you can see by the footage. Yeah,
at the moment that it looked like a bomb had
gone off.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So when did things start to take a two?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I'm just a twelve year old kid at that age,
so I'm not really sure about timing. All I know
that it was got really, really really windy. And then Dad,
we got into the hallway of our home, put some
mattresses down, and we tried to get our dog inside
when he was an outside dog, and he did not
want to come in, but we got him in, and
(02:49):
then we went into the bathroom, which and then the
ceiling was flipping out. And when Dad decided that we
should go and move into their bedroom, which was a
fervorous away from where the wind was coming.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
And I understand that your younger sister was quite scared
at that point. Was she with you? Yes? She was.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It was uh, there was my mum, my dad, my
little sister Gerald, and our big brother Anthony. Yeah, and
we're all together.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And so you're all sheltering there and and you know,
I can only imagine the kind of wind that you were,
that you were hearing, the sounds that you were hearing
at that point. What what happened next?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So it was really really well I thought it was
just you know, like inn at the beginning an adventure.
I can't even imagine that something like that could ever happen.
And so Dad turned the bed upside down and put
the mattress on top, and I got under the My
little sister Geraldine got under the bed, and Mum got
(04:02):
under the bed with us, and Anthony was sort of
standing beside it near Dad. And then unfortunately the weight
of the water and the mattress and then the house
fell on top of us on the bed and we
were under the bed and the bed collapsed on top
of the three of us.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
And it was at that point that you lost your
little sister.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Well, during that time under there, I think we were
trapped for about twelve hours under the bed and Dad
tried to get the bed off us, but he couldn't
because the wall fell on his back and so he
was trapped, and Anthony was trapped in a little size
thing so he couldn't move either. But we were squashed
(04:52):
under the bed, and during the night Geraldine passed away
with Mum and I yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
You know, I guess it would be you know, you'd
take heart and the fact that the three of you
were together, well, that you were all together. But you know,
for a lot of people listening this morning, I think
the trauma of Tracy is something that a lot of
survivors are trying to live with. But I can't imagine
what it's been like for you, you know, after losing your
(05:23):
little sister.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, I mean it's it's it's been very very difficult
because she was really leaning up. She was we were
together and she was eight when I was only twelve,
and Mom was there with us. But it's you know,
it's been with me for my entire for the last
fifty years. And from that same the pressure on us.
(05:51):
I have a permanent black eye, and that's meant it's
been my outward mark and so I've always, excuse me,
I've always had to live with it, and it's been
very very difficult. So this coming now, excuse me, right, Yeah,
coming to Darwin in the next few days is yeah,
(06:16):
it's good. My sister and I are my sister, Stephanie.
She and I are flying up to be part of
the commemoration, and I think it's time for us to
put this chapter of our lives to be done with it.
After all this it's been affecting me for fifty years
and it needs to stop for me.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, yeah, what do you reckon? It's going to be
like for you coming, you know, like coming back and
and you know the commemorations. I would imagine it's going
to be difficult, but like hopefully.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Cathartic, we're going to have fun. My sister and I've
decided because we're going to be surrounded by a family
of people who know exactly what it was like we
are all we are so looking forward to being with
other survivors and and you know, holding hands and laughing
(07:11):
and feeling that sense of family in a way, because
we're a community that know what each other has been through,
and not many people can understand or feel that these
people do, and they're like family to us. So we're
really we're three at the moment because we're getting ready
(07:33):
to go, but we're really I think looking forward to
just being around our people for a while, you know,
and then yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Like I hope it is. I think it will be
hopefully a really nice, tough but a nice occasion for
Cyclone Tracy survivors. And I've spoken to a lot a
lot of Cyclone Tracy survivors through this week, and even
you know, when you're you hear, you hear your experiences
and and it's helped, I think for me and a
(08:06):
lot of other Territorians to truly understand the history of
Darwin and the fabric of Darwin and the resilience of
people that lived in Darwin at that time. And it
does not get more resilient than you and your family.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, and we've lived there for like we've I've only
been out of done for a little while.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
I go back, you know.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
But yeah, it's it's it's for us. It's cathartic, is
what you said. And I think you're right, you know.
And my sister has her story that relates to because
she wasn't with us when Geraldine passed, but she knew
so and and we we just want to be together
and and do what we need. I'm actually telling us
(08:51):
my story at the Railway Club Christmas Eve. Yeah, so
that's what's happening there. And and my's got this beautiful
piece of artwork that she's showing on while she's there
as well. And yeah, for us, it's our time to
heal at last, and to still remember Geraldine and that
(09:14):
and remember her and our family, but also now to
say okay, enough is enough, psychling Tracy can just now go. Yeah,
good on you, that's what we're hoping.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, good on you, And I hope it does that
for a lot of our Tracy survivors as well.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
It's meat.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Yeah, it's you know, I can't even begin to imagine
how tough it is for you guys. Christine. I really
appreciate you telling your story. I know it's not an
easy thing to do, and I know as we get
closer and closer to Christmas Day, you know, it's it's
a difficult feeling. So I really appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah, Okay, thank you very much, Katie. And and I'm
sure I will see you sometime over the I.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Reckon you will. We will do. Thank you, thanks so
much for your time.
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