I was 11 years old living in an elevated house on Rothdale Road in Moil when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974. I will always remember the events of that terrifying and unforgettable night which seemed to go on forever.
The first sign that something strange was happening took place when my mother was putting us to bed that night and we had a difficult time closing the aluminum louvers because the wind was so strong and kept forcing them open. At approximately 1am my brother woke my sister and I to check what presents Santa had left for us under the Christmas tree. When we got to the lounge we were drawn to the window to look outside at the storm particularly as the sound of the wind was so loud and eerie. What we saw still lives on in my memories as being pretty spectacular. Our yard was covered in a silver glow which made us think that somehow it had snowed in Darwin, being kids and in our naivety this was possible especially in all the anticipation and excitement that comes with Christmas.,
Notes
This story was made as part of the ABC Open and Northern Territory Library Cyclone Tracy storytelling workshop program.,