Browse Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1974, virtually destroyed Darwin and the next morning most of the 48,000 population were made homeless by the largest natural disaster in Australia's history.

The Northern Territory Library’s Cyclone Tracy collection features an evacuees list, which documents one of the biggest logistical exercises ever undertaken in Darwin. The names of nearly 33,000 people are recorded in the ‘List of Darwin Evacuees’, one of very few copies ever produced. The evacuation list is an important piece of historical documentation and it is important to note that the list is not entirely accurate as some names have been misspelt or are missing. Such discrepancies are to be expected when considering the conditions in which the list was created.

The many other records and dedications pay tribute to the victims and survivors of this of this tragedy, by ensuring this collection preserves an unforgettable episode in the Territory’s history.