Media Release, Cyclone Tracy Exhibition Reopens in Darwin Marking the 50 Year Anniversary, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, December 2024

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT)’s much-loved Cyclone Tracy exhibition reopens on Saturday 7 December commemorating 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 a 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.

Exhibition Highlights

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. We encourage 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!

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. The publication is available online for $25 www.magnt.net.au/shop-1

Quote from MAGNT Director Adam Worrall

“This exhibition stands as a testament to the resilience of the people of Darwin and the Northern Territory. 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.”

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. www.magnt.net.au/whatson

Partners and Sponsors

This project is made possible with support from the Northern Territory Government, Community Benefit Fund, North West Constructions, The MAGNT Foundation, Bureau of Meteorology, True North, Nine Darwin, Australian Geographic, Nine Darwin, NT News, Top End Tourism, Airport Development Group, Campaign Edge Sprout, Off the Leash, and the numerous community members who donated shared personal stories, money and objects.

Exhibition Details
The Cyclone Tracy exhibition opens to the public at 10am on Saturday 7 December. MAGNT welcomes everyone to join in commemorating Darwin’s resilience 50 years after this defining event.

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Media Contact Nicole Ogilvie
MAGNT Communications
[email protected] | 0415 135 503

Link to Images HERE