Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And we did just hear from Christine Brown. And now
joining me on the line is her sister, Stephanie, who
was eighteen at the time of Cyclone Tracy and living
with friends in Stuart Park. Good morning to you, Stephanie.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hi Katie, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yeah? Good, lovely to have you on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
We be here.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Yeah, we just spoke to Christine and and and you know,
I heard heard her experiences on the night that cyclone
Tracy struck. I understand that you were you were somewhere else,
weren't you on Christmas Eve? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I lived in Stuart Park with some mates.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, And so what were you up to on that night?
And what was it like for you as that system
started to approach.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Well, I worked and then I was partying as your
girlfriend and I were up at each point and I said,
I think I need to go home. Let's get a
little bit gnarly. So we got home and it was
just a crazy time and I rang my family to
make sure they're okay, to see how everyone was, and
(01:11):
everyone was fine, and then it just went downhill from there.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, And so it did go downhill. It went downhill
very quickly. What was it like? What was the experience
like for you on that night in terms of sheltering
and what did you do.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
We were really lucky. We were in the lounge room
and then the wall started to move water was coming in,
so we moved down to the other end of the
house and then we moved out of that room into
my room, and that room disappeared and we lost part
of the roof. But compared to other people's experiences, we
(01:50):
were very, very lucky. What happened for me, though, is
I started to feel this pressure on my chest and
I couldn't brew and I said to my friend Graham,
I said something's wrong, something's really wrong. I can't breathe,
and I said, something's wrong with Geraldine. And then the
pain got the pressure got more and more, and then
(02:12):
it went away, and I said to him, I think
Geraldine just died. So it was pretty intense.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh, Stephanie, bloody her. I can't even begin to fathom
how you must have felt at that point.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
When did you I know, it sounds pretty hippy woo
woo how it happened.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, no, do you know what. My mom's a twin
and her and her twin sister still have those feelings
like that, and they're in their seventies, so I'm actually
not surprised by that that you felt that connection to
your sister, and I think that that shows you how
you know how close siblings can be.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
It was very difficult, and something that's haunted me for
a long time was earlier that day, I was out
with the girls who were buying Chris's presents and set
a cyclone was coming and Geraldine said, I'm not scared
my big sister look after me, and I wasn't there,
So I carried a lot of guilt around for unnecessary guilt,
as we all know, for years and years over that.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, it is unnecessary guilt, you know, and you shouldn't
have had You shouldn't have felt that way. I know
you know that. Yeah, but it would have been It's
no doubt been incredibly tough fifty years really, you know,
over the years, when you look back at what happened
(03:36):
that night, Stephanie, what like, you know, at what point
then did you reunite with your family and find out
exactly what had happened.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, like many people have said, when they got out
of the rubble, they thought they were the only people alive.
We were lucky. We had a vehicle that was working,
and we drove to different places to catch up with family,
and we got to Casuarina High School and the police
stopped us and wouldn't let us go through and said
(04:06):
no one was allowed to go through. And I just
got out of the car and ran, which people laugh
because I'm a terrible runner, and got to our house
and was just blown away by the devastation. And then
some people next door said that Dad was down the road.
We had friends Carol and Dennis, but kind of lived
(04:27):
down the road, so I went down there. I knew
Geraldine had died, but when I saw Dad, he just
walked towards me and said we lost Geraldine, and hearing
it was so much worse. And then Christine and Mum
and I'm assuming Anthony, but I don't remember. We're down
(04:49):
at Casuine shopping center at Cole's and like my sister,
she and I took years and years before we would
ever go into coals. And then they moved Mum and
Christine and other people to Nakara Primary School. I left
at that point and registered with the police and put
(05:13):
my name turned to volunteer to do stuff, which I've
learnt over the years, is my reaction to trauma. I
go to work. Every time something really bad happens, I.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Go to work, And that's your way of dealing with it.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yes, yeah, it is. Yeah. And while we've been looking
back over the last fifty years and remembering siphone Tracy,
that's become very obvious to me that that's my trauma response.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
So, Stephanie, what happened in like what happened in the
days following Tracy for your family? You know, were you
did you stay in Darwin? Were you split up? What
happened next?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Well, mum and dad in the kids went to a
friend's place, Adele, and she looked after them, and then
they went to the high school and were evacuated out.
I stayed in Darwin and worked. To begin with, I
was staying at Larichia Barracks for a little while, and
I was delivering medical goods to all the little centers,
(06:20):
all the schools where people were camped up. And then
I had to move out of there and I started
working with the police, the act police actually just on
because I knew Darwin, and I drove them around and
search and rescue and that sort of stuff I don't
(06:41):
remember a lot.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, well it's probably, you know, part of your trauma
response as well. Your body is sort of going, you know,
there may be elements that you don't want to remember,
I guess, or that you you know that you that
you've blocked to some degree. Stephanie, was there ever a
funeral for your sister?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
No, No, there wasn't and it wasn't until just this
year that I went. We never had a funeral for her.
I know where she's buried. I found out that she
was buried in the serviceman's section at the cemetery, and
I went and had looked at where she was buried.
(07:27):
But yes, we never had We never had a funeral.
And I think it's important that people celebrate someone's life. Yeah,
And I can't even imagine what my parents went through.
And I do remember that the moment they put my
(07:48):
first born in my arms, I was consumed by this
this joy and ecstasy and then this deep grief for
mum losing her.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Oh, Stephanie, Yeah, it is an enormous level of trauma
that your family's been through when you consider the fact
that there hasn't been a funeral or there wasn't for Geraldine.
And then when you look at this fiftieth anniversary as
it approaches, and you know the service that's going to
(08:25):
be held on Christmas Day, what do you think that's
going to be like for you and for your sister? Oh?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Very emotional. These last few months have been very emotional,
and it's been building up. I've had to stop reading stuff.
I just yeah, it's too much, to be honest, And
we're both feeling very antsy at the moment. And we
both leave our respected homes of go home to Darwn
on Saturday. And I was talking to my sister this morning.
(08:58):
We're both very antsy and emotional. I've spent a lot
of time crying over the last few months. And I
did a painting for my healing around the people that
passed away, and it was just for me. But now
it's going to be in an exhibition, a survivor's exhibition.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
When's that going to be? I reckon A lot of
people are going to want to see that.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's on the twenty seventh at I can't remember the
name of the gallery in town, Cubit.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah, we'll find out. We'll find out.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yes, I've gone out of my brain. Yes, there's a
woman called Jillian has organized a survivor's art exhibition beautiful. Yeah,
and I think it goes from the twenty seventh to
the fifth.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Tell me a little bit more about that painting.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I was having a healing session and the great grandmothers
came to me and again but Hippie Woo and gifted
me the painting. And there's so many layers to the painting,
and it's all about the people who passed away going
(10:18):
where they need to be. It's hard to explain it, actually,
And someone asked me, you know, have you named the painting?
And I said no, because I want people to experience
it for themselves. But it's been an interesting process because
it's a channeled painting. Sometimes I'll go to the canvas
and I can't paint. It's like pushing me away. And
(10:39):
other times I'll go and I think, I don't remember
painting that part of it. It's just it's just evolving,
and it's just evolved over and over. And it was
when I finished it and got it packed up center down,
it was I had these mixed emotions. Part of it
was sad that i'd finished, because I felt very connected
(11:01):
to it, and the other part was goodness, that's finished
and it's the first time I've ever exhibited a painting.
So I feel very proud about that.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Oh yeah, yeah, I reckon, that's so cooled. Do you
hope that it like after, you know, after this point,
when it is displayed, obviously as part of the exhibition
for survivors, do you hope that maybe it is something
that gets displayed more prominently.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
My in a perfect world, I would really like it
to go to the museum exhibition to Cyclone Tracy. I
did post it on the Cyclone Tracy Survivors Facebook page
and a lot of people that can't be here for
the commemoration are saying, we really hope we can see
the painting next time we come to Darwin. But I
don't know that's going to happen. I mean, I'd like
(11:49):
it to stay in Darwin.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Yeah, I agree. Well, by the sounds of it, it's
something that you've done for Darwin.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah, oh yeah, it's a very personal piece for for
us more but up there.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So and so I've had people contact me because on
the back of the painting is the names of people
that passed, and I had a woman contact me that
her baby's name is on the back of the painting,
and she was really happy that I've done the painting.
So if it helps other people heal, that's even better.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And also, you know, those those lives that were lost,
you know, being immortalized and being there on that painting
means a lot, I would imagine to those families like
yourself and to others who've who've lost someone, particularly after
hearing them you know that there wasn't a funeral for Geraldine,
and I think of the trauma that that must have
(12:45):
been for so many families of those that lost their
family members.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
And it wasn't just someone dying. It was catastrophic for
everybody and it was such a crazy time. And a
friend of my dad's who lives in Perth had a
headstone made and sent.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Up the Geraldine and that's again something that means so much,
I would imagine to your family is so important. Yeah, yeah, oh, Stephanie,
I really appreciate you having a chat with me this morning.
I know it cannot be easy at this point. Yeah, well,
(13:30):
it's tough, you know, when you lose a family member,
no matter who will or how long ago, or you know,
I know for myself, I find it really hard to
talk about. You know, my dad still and he passed
away ten years ago and he was in his sixties,
So I can't even imagine what it's like then when
you lose your little sister and she's so young and
(13:51):
in such a catastrophic circumstance. I know it's not easy
for you and your sister to talk about. So I
really appreciate you telling your story to me and to
the rest of the Northern Territory this morning.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Thank you very much, Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Thanks Stephanie, and all the best to you guys while
you are here. And I really hope that you know,
with everything that is happening on Christmas Day and with
all the events and commemorations, that it is a you know,
a healing process for you guys.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Yeah, I'm sure it will be. I mean it already
has been, ye just listening to other people's stories and
talk to people and the connection, and I'm looking forward
to catching up with all of the people that I've
been engaging with on our Facebook group when we have
our gathering together Foscart Pavilion. So yeah, I think it's
going to be great for all of us.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I reckon it will be.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
And I just want to shout out to the committee,
the Cyclone Tracy Survivor Committee that has put all this together.
They are amazing. They've done so much work. And yeah,
very very great for what they've been doing and for
putting this together for everyone that's coming home.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, all good stuff. Stephanie, thank you so much for
having a chat with me this morning. I really appreciate it.
Thank you, Katie, thank you
And we did just hear from Christine Brown. And now
joining me on the line is her sister, Stephanie, who
was eighteen at the time of Cyclone Tracy and living
with friends in Stuart Park. Good morning to you, Stephanie.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hi Katie, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yeah? Good, lovely to have you on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
We be here.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Yeah, we just spoke to Christine and and and you know,
I heard heard her experiences on the night that cyclone
Tracy struck. I understand that you were you were somewhere else,
weren't you on Christmas Eve? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I lived in Stuart Park with some mates.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, And so what were you up to on that night?
And what was it like for you as that system
started to approach.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Well, I worked and then I was partying as your
girlfriend and I were up at each point and I said,
I think I need to go home. Let's get a
little bit gnarly. So we got home and it was
just a crazy time and I rang my family to
make sure they're okay, to see how everyone was, and
(01:11):
everyone was fine, and then it just went downhill from there.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, And so it did go downhill. It went downhill
very quickly. What was it like? What was the experience
like for you on that night in terms of sheltering
and what did you do.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
We were really lucky. We were in the lounge room
and then the wall started to move water was coming in,
so we moved down to the other end of the
house and then we moved out of that room into
my room, and that room disappeared and we lost part
of the roof. But compared to other people's experiences, we
(01:50):
were very, very lucky. What happened for me, though, is
I started to feel this pressure on my chest and
I couldn't brew and I said to my friend Graham,
I said something's wrong, something's really wrong. I can't breathe,
and I said, something's wrong with Geraldine. And then the
pain got the pressure got more and more, and then
(02:12):
it went away, and I said to him, I think
Geraldine just died. So it was pretty intense.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh, Stephanie, bloody her. I can't even begin to fathom
how you must have felt at that point.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
When did you I know, it sounds pretty hippy woo
woo how it happened.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, no, do you know what. My mom's a twin
and her and her twin sister still have those feelings
like that, and they're in their seventies, so I'm actually
not surprised by that that you felt that connection to
your sister, and I think that that shows you how
you know how close siblings can be.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
It was very difficult, and something that's haunted me for
a long time was earlier that day, I was out
with the girls who were buying Chris's presents and set
a cyclone was coming and Geraldine said, I'm not scared
my big sister look after me, and I wasn't there,
So I carried a lot of guilt around for unnecessary guilt,
as we all know, for years and years over that.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, it is unnecessary guilt, you know, and you shouldn't
have had You shouldn't have felt that way. I know
you know that. Yeah, but it would have been It's
no doubt been incredibly tough fifty years really, you know,
over the years, when you look back at what happened
(03:36):
that night, Stephanie, what like, you know, at what point
then did you reunite with your family and find out
exactly what had happened.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, like many people have said, when they got out
of the rubble, they thought they were the only people alive.
We were lucky. We had a vehicle that was working,
and we drove to different places to catch up with family,
and we got to Casuarina High School and the police
stopped us and wouldn't let us go through and said
(04:06):
no one was allowed to go through. And I just
got out of the car and ran, which people laugh
because I'm a terrible runner, and got to our house
and was just blown away by the devastation. And then
some people next door said that Dad was down the road.
We had friends Carol and Dennis, but kind of lived
(04:27):
down the road, so I went down there. I knew
Geraldine had died, but when I saw Dad, he just
walked towards me and said we lost Geraldine, and hearing
it was so much worse. And then Christine and Mum
and I'm assuming Anthony, but I don't remember. We're down
(04:49):
at Casuine shopping center at Cole's and like my sister,
she and I took years and years before we would
ever go into coals. And then they moved Mum and
Christine and other people to Nakara Primary School. I left
at that point and registered with the police and put
(05:13):
my name turned to volunteer to do stuff, which I've
learnt over the years, is my reaction to trauma. I
go to work. Every time something really bad happens, I.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Go to work, And that's your way of dealing with it.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yes, yeah, it is. Yeah. And while we've been looking
back over the last fifty years and remembering siphone Tracy,
that's become very obvious to me that that's my trauma response.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
So, Stephanie, what happened in like what happened in the
days following Tracy for your family? You know, were you
did you stay in Darwin? Were you split up? What
happened next?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Well, mum and dad in the kids went to a
friend's place, Adele, and she looked after them, and then
they went to the high school and were evacuated out.
I stayed in Darwin and worked. To begin with, I
was staying at Larichia Barracks for a little while, and
I was delivering medical goods to all the little centers,
(06:20):
all the schools where people were camped up. And then
I had to move out of there and I started
working with the police, the act police actually just on
because I knew Darwin, and I drove them around and
search and rescue and that sort of stuff I don't
(06:41):
remember a lot.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, well it's probably, you know, part of your trauma
response as well. Your body is sort of going, you know,
there may be elements that you don't want to remember,
I guess, or that you you know that you that
you've blocked to some degree. Stephanie, was there ever a
funeral for your sister?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
No, No, there wasn't and it wasn't until just this
year that I went. We never had a funeral for her.
I know where she's buried. I found out that she
was buried in the serviceman's section at the cemetery, and
I went and had looked at where she was buried.
(07:27):
But yes, we never had We never had a funeral.
And I think it's important that people celebrate someone's life. Yeah,
And I can't even imagine what my parents went through.
And I do remember that the moment they put my
(07:48):
first born in my arms, I was consumed by this
this joy and ecstasy and then this deep grief for
mum losing her.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Oh, Stephanie, Yeah, it is an enormous level of trauma
that your family's been through when you consider the fact
that there hasn't been a funeral or there wasn't for Geraldine.
And then when you look at this fiftieth anniversary as
it approaches, and you know the service that's going to
(08:25):
be held on Christmas Day, what do you think that's
going to be like for you and for your sister? Oh?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Very emotional. These last few months have been very emotional,
and it's been building up. I've had to stop reading stuff.
I just yeah, it's too much, to be honest, And
we're both feeling very antsy at the moment. And we
both leave our respected homes of go home to Darwn
on Saturday. And I was talking to my sister this morning.
(08:58):
We're both very antsy and emotional. I've spent a lot
of time crying over the last few months. And I
did a painting for my healing around the people that
passed away, and it was just for me. But now
it's going to be in an exhibition, a survivor's exhibition.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
When's that going to be? I reckon A lot of
people are going to want to see that.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's on the twenty seventh at I can't remember the
name of the gallery in town, Cubit.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah, we'll find out. We'll find out.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yes, I've gone out of my brain. Yes, there's a
woman called Jillian has organized a survivor's art exhibition beautiful. Yeah,
and I think it goes from the twenty seventh to
the fifth.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Tell me a little bit more about that painting.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I was having a healing session and the great grandmothers
came to me and again but Hippie Woo and gifted
me the painting. And there's so many layers to the painting,
and it's all about the people who passed away going
(10:18):
where they need to be. It's hard to explain it, actually,
And someone asked me, you know, have you named the painting?
And I said no, because I want people to experience
it for themselves. But it's been an interesting process because
it's a channeled painting. Sometimes I'll go to the canvas
and I can't paint. It's like pushing me away. And
(10:39):
other times I'll go and I think, I don't remember
painting that part of it. It's just it's just evolving,
and it's just evolved over and over. And it was
when I finished it and got it packed up center down,
it was I had these mixed emotions. Part of it
was sad that i'd finished, because I felt very connected
(11:01):
to it, and the other part was goodness, that's finished
and it's the first time I've ever exhibited a painting.
So I feel very proud about that.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Oh yeah, yeah, I reckon, that's so cooled. Do you
hope that it like after, you know, after this point,
when it is displayed, obviously as part of the exhibition
for survivors, do you hope that maybe it is something
that gets displayed more prominently.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
My in a perfect world, I would really like it
to go to the museum exhibition to Cyclone Tracy. I
did post it on the Cyclone Tracy Survivors Facebook page
and a lot of people that can't be here for
the commemoration are saying, we really hope we can see
the painting next time we come to Darwin. But I
don't know that's going to happen. I mean, I'd like
(11:49):
it to stay in Darwin.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Yeah, I agree. Well, by the sounds of it, it's
something that you've done for Darwin.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah, oh yeah, it's a very personal piece for for
us more but up there.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So and so I've had people contact me because on
the back of the painting is the names of people
that passed, and I had a woman contact me that
her baby's name is on the back of the painting,
and she was really happy that I've done the painting.
So if it helps other people heal, that's even better.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And also, you know, those those lives that were lost,
you know, being immortalized and being there on that painting
means a lot, I would imagine to those families like
yourself and to others who've who've lost someone, particularly after
hearing them you know that there wasn't a funeral for Geraldine,
and I think of the trauma that that must have
(12:45):
been for so many families of those that lost their
family members.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
And it wasn't just someone dying. It was catastrophic for
everybody and it was such a crazy time. And a
friend of my dad's who lives in Perth had a
headstone made and sent.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Up the Geraldine and that's again something that means so much,
I would imagine to your family is so important. Yeah, yeah, oh, Stephanie,
I really appreciate you having a chat with me this morning.
I know it cannot be easy at this point. Yeah, well,
(13:30):
it's tough, you know, when you lose a family member,
no matter who will or how long ago, or you know,
I know for myself, I find it really hard to
talk about. You know, my dad still and he passed
away ten years ago and he was in his sixties,
So I can't even imagine what it's like then when
you lose your little sister and she's so young and
(13:51):
in such a catastrophic circumstance. I know it's not easy
for you and your sister to talk about. So I
really appreciate you telling your story to me and to
the rest of the Northern Territory this morning.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Thank you very much, Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Thanks Stephanie, and all the best to you guys while
you are here. And I really hope that you know,
with everything that is happening on Christmas Day and with
all the events and commemorations, that it is a you know,
a healing process for you guys.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Yeah, I'm sure it will be. I mean it already
has been, ye just listening to other people's stories and
talk to people and the connection, and I'm looking forward
to catching up with all of the people that I've
been engaging with on our Facebook group when we have
our gathering together Foscart Pavilion. So yeah, I think it's
going to be great for all of us.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I reckon it will be.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
And I just want to shout out to the committee,
the Cyclone Tracy Survivor Committee that has put all this together.
They are amazing. They've done so much work. And yeah,
very very great for what they've been doing and for
putting this together for everyone that's coming home.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, all good stuff. Stephanie, thank you so much for
having a chat with me this morning. I really appreciate it.
Thank you, Katie, thank you
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Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.