Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A new exhibitions opened at the Northern Territory Library to
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. The free exhibition,
called One Family's Story Remembering Cyclone Tracy, features never seen
before photos and it's open to the public until December
twenty four. It offers a glimpse into the experiences of
(00:21):
the Fitzsimon's family during Cyclone Tracy, from enjoying Christmas Eve
festivities to the chaos and destruction of what remains one
of the worst weather events in Australia's history. Now joining
me on the line to tell us a little bit
more is survivor Joan Fitzsimmons. Good morning to you, Joan,
(00:44):
Good morning, Kathan. Thank you so much for your time. Now, Joan,
can you take me back to those Christmas Eve festivities
before the cyclone hit.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yes, our girls for playing with some blow up toys
and sewing in front of the Prist tree, and the
presence were around the Christmas Tree and are having fun
and so much so that they didn't want to go
to bed on Christmas Eve, so they were pretty late.
And then when the lights went out where everybody actually
went to bed, So we were all in our night attire,
and then our bedroom windows broke, so we hopped out
(01:20):
and tried to find light. We found a lantern that
we were going to go camping on Boxing Day to Colban,
and my parents were up there with us for Christmas,
so yeah, and then we so this is still Christmas Eves,
of course, and we went into the lounge with our
lights and found that the windows were bulging so much.
(01:42):
We didn't believe that glass could bend so much, as
water was coming in around the outside of the windows.
So it fixed windows those ones, and so we thought,
oh wow, this is not too good. So we went
up and decided to take the children downstairs to the
room which were cleared for our parents. Down there, my
parents and we gathered up the presence, popped them into
(02:06):
the wardrobe in the Riss's room, our eldest daughter, and
got the other two girls out of their room, and
just after that the room sort of exploded and the
last broke, and it was quite noisy. So that was
the beginning of our Christmas Eve.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yes, Johan, I mean, I can't even begin to imagine
how frightening that must have been for your little family.
And it sounds like you know, without much warning as well.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Well, we initially know saying there between two sets of
Irelands coming in and it was only at the last
minute really that we realized it was coming straight for Darwin.
And my husband had experienced a cycle and the Gold
Coast in nineteen fifty one and it was more or
less a fun event, so he wasn't too worried. So
because of Filma and that, we weren't really worried at
(02:55):
the time.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
And so then what unfolded during this and in the aftermath.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Well, we went downstairs into that room, the bedroom that
we had for my parents, and you couldn't see anything
except during the lightning flashes, so we were sort of
trying to get and see what was happening outside. We
had this feeling out, we're going to look silly in
the morning when our house is being destroyed or at
(03:25):
miss damage, and we thought we'd be embarrassed. But actually, John,
you know what happened. And one stage after the eye
we saw that our part of our roof was coming
down the front stairs, so that wasn't a really good feeling.
But then of course the water started coming through the
floorboards down into the room that we were in and
(03:49):
the children fortunately were still asleep. They were so dead
to out of they being young and having gone to
bed late, they were just stayed asleep, thank goodness. So
they suffered psychological effects at all.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Yeah, gee, where's that is? I mean, that's it's quite incredible, really.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yes, Well, the water was accumulating on the floor and
coming down through the ceiling. So we moved the beds
that our parents were in the fold up once to
try to get underneath where the panels on the roof
the ceiling panels were so that they didn't get as
much water on them. But we're all cold and sheivering.
We were very cold, and you could feel the pressure
(04:28):
on your ears as well.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, it was a.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Little bit like going down in the old style aeroplanes
or driving up a mountain. That pressure on your ears
and it was variable.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
And John, I understand then your dad was a keen
photographer whose images are now obviously being showcased in the exhibition.
I imagine it would have been hard to look back
at those photos. But tell us a little bit more
about the photographs that he took.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, yes, he was a keen which a lot of him.
He was about fifteen and came to Australia under the
big brother scheme from the UK. But yes he was
very keen. Sometimes the kids got a bit tired of
being photographed, but anyway it worked out quite well in
the Longtern. The week before Christmas he went around and
(05:18):
photographed all the old buildings in town, the old Dad
quarters of city Hall, the church, all those women and
Brown's mark. And then the day on Christmas Eve he
took a photograph of our house and of the clouds
behind it, and he also took just a plain photograph
of the tloubs of Tracy building up. And then the
(05:41):
next morning he went out and fortunately because under there
and he had his camera gear in a waterproof container
and all out year was lost. Of course he went
and photographed the half the morning after, so we had
the before and after Christmas Eve. It's mistake.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Wow. In the exhibition, Joan, what is it like for
you looking back at all of those photos.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It's actually bringing back a lot of memories that I'd forgotten.
The details, all the details would of get lost in time.
And there's still a lot that I can't remember, the
detail of how why we lost the light and other
details that just have escaped. I don't think what it
was any of them.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Now, in terms of the exhibition now being on display,
what do you hope that people take away from that exhibition.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I hope that there's resilience and I hope that it
was a turning point. But there's always tomorrow, and we've
had a very good life. We moved to Kai in February.
We had intended seeing but our three girls were evacuated
with my parents on the twenty ninth of December, and
it was great having them there because my husband was
(06:57):
an anthist and he had to leave it. He left
at six thirty that Christmas morning to go into the hospital.
So I was there with the three girls, but my
parents were there to help me, so that's great.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Well, look, I think it sounds as though it's going
to be quite an incredible exhibition. It obviously, as I
understand it began yesterday. I've no doubt that there will
be a lot of people attend and go and have
a look at those photographs and you know, a big
thank you to your family for sharing them.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I think we'll bring back a lot of memories for
those who went through the cyclone, and it might stimulate
the memories for them here that they had also put aside.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Well, John, I really think.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
If they have done a very good job. I think
of translating the slides into framed photographs. The condition is
very well presented, I think.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, well, look, I really appreciate your time this morning.
Thanks so much for having a chat with us, and
I have no doubt that there will be plenty of
people heading along to to go and see the exhibition.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I hope, so I think it's worth it.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Yeah, I reckon, Well, I'll definitely go and have a look. Joan,
thank you so much for having a chat this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Bye now,
A new exhibitions opened at the Northern Territory Library to
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. The free exhibition,
called One Family's Story Remembering Cyclone Tracy, features never seen
before photos and it's open to the public until December
twenty four. It offers a glimpse into the experiences of
(00:21):
the Fitzsimon's family during Cyclone Tracy, from enjoying Christmas Eve
festivities to the chaos and destruction of what remains one
of the worst weather events in Australia's history. Now joining
me on the line to tell us a little bit
more is survivor Joan Fitzsimmons. Good morning to you, Joan,
(00:44):
Good morning, Kathan. Thank you so much for your time. Now, Joan,
can you take me back to those Christmas Eve festivities
before the cyclone hit.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yes, our girls for playing with some blow up toys
and sewing in front of the Prist tree, and the
presence were around the Christmas Tree and are having fun
and so much so that they didn't want to go
to bed on Christmas Eve, so they were pretty late.
And then when the lights went out where everybody actually
went to bed, So we were all in our night attire,
and then our bedroom windows broke, so we hopped out
(01:20):
and tried to find light. We found a lantern that
we were going to go camping on Boxing Day to Colban,
and my parents were up there with us for Christmas,
so yeah, and then we so this is still Christmas Eves,
of course, and we went into the lounge with our
lights and found that the windows were bulging so much.
(01:42):
We didn't believe that glass could bend so much, as
water was coming in around the outside of the windows.
So it fixed windows those ones, and so we thought,
oh wow, this is not too good. So we went
up and decided to take the children downstairs to the
room which were cleared for our parents. Down there, my
parents and we gathered up the presence, popped them into
(02:06):
the wardrobe in the Riss's room, our eldest daughter, and
got the other two girls out of their room, and
just after that the room sort of exploded and the
last broke, and it was quite noisy. So that was
the beginning of our Christmas Eve.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yes, Johan, I mean, I can't even begin to imagine
how frightening that must have been for your little family.
And it sounds like you know, without much warning as well.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Well, we initially know saying there between two sets of
Irelands coming in and it was only at the last
minute really that we realized it was coming straight for Darwin.
And my husband had experienced a cycle and the Gold
Coast in nineteen fifty one and it was more or
less a fun event, so he wasn't too worried. So
because of Filma and that, we weren't really worried at
(02:55):
the time.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
And so then what unfolded during this and in the aftermath.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Well, we went downstairs into that room, the bedroom that
we had for my parents, and you couldn't see anything
except during the lightning flashes, so we were sort of
trying to get and see what was happening outside. We
had this feeling out, we're going to look silly in
the morning when our house is being destroyed or at
(03:25):
miss damage, and we thought we'd be embarrassed. But actually, John,
you know what happened. And one stage after the eye
we saw that our part of our roof was coming
down the front stairs, so that wasn't a really good feeling.
But then of course the water started coming through the
floorboards down into the room that we were in and
(03:49):
the children fortunately were still asleep. They were so dead
to out of they being young and having gone to
bed late, they were just stayed asleep, thank goodness. So
they suffered psychological effects at all.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Yeah, gee, where's that is? I mean, that's it's quite incredible, really.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yes, Well, the water was accumulating on the floor and
coming down through the ceiling. So we moved the beds
that our parents were in the fold up once to
try to get underneath where the panels on the roof
the ceiling panels were so that they didn't get as
much water on them. But we're all cold and sheivering.
We were very cold, and you could feel the pressure
(04:28):
on your ears as well.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, it was a.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Little bit like going down in the old style aeroplanes
or driving up a mountain. That pressure on your ears
and it was variable.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
And John, I understand then your dad was a keen
photographer whose images are now obviously being showcased in the exhibition.
I imagine it would have been hard to look back
at those photos. But tell us a little bit more
about the photographs that he took.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, yes, he was a keen which a lot of him.
He was about fifteen and came to Australia under the
big brother scheme from the UK. But yes he was
very keen. Sometimes the kids got a bit tired of
being photographed, but anyway it worked out quite well in
the Longtern. The week before Christmas he went around and
(05:18):
photographed all the old buildings in town, the old Dad
quarters of city Hall, the church, all those women and
Brown's mark. And then the day on Christmas Eve he
took a photograph of our house and of the clouds
behind it, and he also took just a plain photograph
of the tloubs of Tracy building up. And then the
(05:41):
next morning he went out and fortunately because under there
and he had his camera gear in a waterproof container
and all out year was lost. Of course he went
and photographed the half the morning after, so we had
the before and after Christmas Eve. It's mistake.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Wow. In the exhibition, Joan, what is it like for
you looking back at all of those photos.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
It's actually bringing back a lot of memories that I'd forgotten.
The details, all the details would of get lost in time.
And there's still a lot that I can't remember, the
detail of how why we lost the light and other
details that just have escaped. I don't think what it
was any of them.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Now, in terms of the exhibition now being on display,
what do you hope that people take away from that exhibition.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I hope that there's resilience and I hope that it
was a turning point. But there's always tomorrow, and we've
had a very good life. We moved to Kai in February.
We had intended seeing but our three girls were evacuated
with my parents on the twenty ninth of December, and
it was great having them there because my husband was
(06:57):
an anthist and he had to leave it. He left
at six thirty that Christmas morning to go into the hospital.
So I was there with the three girls, but my
parents were there to help me, so that's great.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Well, look, I think it sounds as though it's going
to be quite an incredible exhibition. It obviously, as I
understand it began yesterday. I've no doubt that there will
be a lot of people attend and go and have
a look at those photographs and you know, a big
thank you to your family for sharing them.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I think we'll bring back a lot of memories for
those who went through the cyclone, and it might stimulate
the memories for them here that they had also put aside.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Well, John, I really think.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
If they have done a very good job. I think
of translating the slides into framed photographs. The condition is
very well presented, I think.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, well, look, I really appreciate your time this morning.
Thanks so much for having a chat with us, and
I have no doubt that there will be plenty of
people heading along to to go and see the exhibition.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I hope, so I think it's worth it.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Yeah, I reckon, Well, I'll definitely go and have a look. Joan,
thank you so much for having a chat this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Bye now,
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