1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,559 Speaker 1: Now real change of pace, because we know the first 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: permanent memorial to Cyclone Tracy is a step closer following 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: a decision of the City of Darwin council to approve 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: that site at East Point that we've spoken about before. 5 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line is remembering Cyclone Tracy's chair, 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Richard Kraswick get a Richard. 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 2: Good Katie, how are you? Yeah? 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: Good, lovely to have you on the show. Richard tell 9 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: us a little bit more about the decision obviously by 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: the City of Darwin to approve that site. 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: Yes, Katy, you know, we've been looking for a site 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 2: at East Point for a permanent memorial because each Point 13 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 2: was in fact the first point of landfall of Cyclone Tracy, 14 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: so putting a memorial there is hugely significant. And we'd 15 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 2: proposed a site it hasn't it wasn't found to be suitable, 16 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 2: so we negotiated with the council and eventually they tip 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: with agreed to a site that is still on the 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 2: north coast of East Point, looks out to the sea 19 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 2: from whence Cycline Tracy came and has enough space for 20 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: our proposed memorial. 21 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: It'll be beautiful, Richard, like, talk us through if he 22 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: can where exactly it is that spot? 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: Okay, Well, if you were to go out to East Point, 24 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: you would pass the military museum and the gun turret 25 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: and go on to a T junction. If you turn 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 2: right at the T junction, you would go down to 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 2: where the rock sitters have their place, and there's a 28 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: barbecue area down there. If you turn left and drive 29 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 2: for maybe half a kilometer, you come to a car 30 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: park area and a lot of people use that car 31 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: parking area as a spot to park their car when 32 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: they get out and wander along the beach, wander out 33 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: onto the reefs, and a lot of fish of both 34 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: go down there. A lot of indigenous people have have 35 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 2: gatherings around fires and so on and hunt and prossi 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 2: for food out on the reef. So we're right near 37 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 2: the car park. If you went to that what's called 38 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: beach car park on the maps. If you go to 39 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: that car park, you can cross the bicycle and walking 40 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 2: path yep, and you'll see a nice cleared area with 41 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 2: a bunch of trees. 42 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: I know exactly where you mean. That's a beautiful spot, Richard, 43 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: And that's you know, like it's it's a it's such 44 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: a nice spot, and I think it's a really wonderful 45 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: spot to be able to sit quietly and reflect mm. 46 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: And that's the that's part of the proposal for our 47 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 2: for our memorial as you, as I've told you before, 48 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: I think that memorial is not our original proposal. Our 49 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 2: original proposal was for a beautiful airy sculpture actually on 50 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: the rocky reef, but that proved difficult to achieve in 51 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: the timeframe and turned out to be vastly too expensive 52 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: for us. So we settled back on the second element 53 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: of our memorial proposal, which was the on land component, 54 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 2: and that comprises five sculptural objects. I suppose you'd call 55 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: them shaped like frangipani flowers. There'll be two meters in diameter, 56 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: between fifty and seventy centimeters tall, and three of them 57 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: will have They'll be made of marine grade stainless steel 58 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: in filled with polished white concrete. They will look beautiful, 59 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 2: I can tell you. And three of them will have 60 00:03:54,160 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: information relating to maps of the cyclone facy path. The 61 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 2: broader map showing where it formed and came down around 62 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 2: the Tiwi Islands, the close up where it passed East 63 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: Point and then hit the city with full force, and 64 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: then there'll be one that has the names of those 65 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 2: who died. It's a different in a different format. It 66 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: won't be just a list of names. It'll be a 67 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 2: series of small panels fixed to this particular fran japany 68 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 2: with individual or group names, the crews of the various fishing, 69 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 2: fishing and other vessels who died, the names of the vessels, 70 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: and family groups. There are several family family groups. And 71 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: the third one will have information about the reconstruction of 72 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: Darwin and then the people who are involved in this 73 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: memorial project. That lead two of these objects which will 74 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: be placed under a specially designed shelter, and that'll be 75 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 2: they'll be able to be sat on and you can 76 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: sit on them and look out to see and and contemplating. 77 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh look, it sounds like it's going to be 78 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: a really fitting you know, monuments for Cyclone Tracy and 79 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: to remember, you know all that the Northern Territory and 80 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: Darwin has been through with that cyclone. Richard, tell me, 81 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: how when is it? When are we expecting that to 82 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: be unveiled? 83 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 2: We're hoping that and I'm about to write to the 84 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 2: Prime Minister with an invitation. We're hoping that that'll be 85 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 2: unveiled at sunrise, which will be six twenty am on 86 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 2: Christmas morning, and a horrible time, but a hugely symbolic 87 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 2: time for the survivors of Cyclone Tracy, because of course 88 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 2: that's the that's the moment when most emerged from wherever 89 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 2: they had been hiding or sheltering or in terror to 90 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 2: see the devastation not only of their own homes but 91 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: of their neighborhoods, and then of course the broader city itself, 92 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 2: so very symbolic and we think probably very emotional for 93 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: many many people. Yes, we are expecting hundreds, if not thousands. 94 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: Actually, I agree with you. I think it's going to 95 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: be a, you know, such an important event to have happened. 96 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: And you know, I'm always surprised as well, Richard, or 97 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: not surprised, I guess, but like so many people that 98 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: live in Darwin are Cyclone Tracy survivors, and a lot 99 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: of them that I didn't even realize until I'd started 100 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: talking to you and having discussions on air. And you know, 101 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: then I'm at a swimming carnival and talking to one 102 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: of my friends, Julie, and then she tells me her story. 103 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: You know, hear these stories that for a lot of 104 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: us we've never heard before, and it's such an important 105 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: part of our history. 106 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 2: Absolutely the part of the We feel that it hasn't 107 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 2: yet sunk into the into the community mind yet, the 108 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: importance of this occasion, because well, it's such a long 109 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: time ago, and so many people nowadays have if they 110 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: know anything about Cyclone Tracy, only know about it as 111 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 2: a story. They the numbers of people who actually experienced it, 112 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 2: of course, are dwindling, and for others it does, it doesn't. 113 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 2: It doesn't have the significance that we think it deserves. 114 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: And we're hoping that as it gets closer, and it 115 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 2: is getting closer very quickly, that people will will realize 116 00:07:55,200 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 2: that this is an event not only for Darwin, but 117 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 2: it was a massive event nationally because so many people 118 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: not only donated money, but they donated their houses or 119 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 2: their or their vehicles or other support for the people 120 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 2: who were evacuated. Yeah, the forty thousand who were evacuated. 121 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: Well, Richard, I've no doubt that you and I are 122 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: going to speak plenty of times before Christmas and before 123 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: you know this very very momentous occasion, and please do 124 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: let us know as well whether you hear back from 125 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister's office who's attending. But we'll talk to 126 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: you again before then. Yeah, we'll definitely talk to you 127 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: before then. 128 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 2: Can I just can I just mention that at the 129 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 2: weekend we had a huge working bee where we stuffed 130 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 2: envelopes to send out to the nearly nineteen hundred survivors 131 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: who have registered with it, and those those packages are 132 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 2: now being received. They've got a badge, a commemorative badge, 133 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 2: a card which we hope will entitle people to discounts 134 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 2: at local businesses, a lanyard that goes with that, and 135 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 2: a bumper sticker. And we know that there are people 136 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 2: who's who haven't yet registered. Well, they've got very little 137 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 2: time left because we need to get numbers together for 138 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 2: the things that we are planning. 139 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: Well, amazing though, it sounds like you have got an 140 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: incredible volume of volunteers and people prepared to help, Richard. 141 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,239 Speaker 2: No, we've got a very small committee. 142 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: They sound like a bunch of legends to me, and 143 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 1: I know a few of them and they are wonderful, 144 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: wonderful long term territorians. So Richard, always wonderful to talk 145 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: to you, mate, we'll talk to you again very soon. 146 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 2: Thanks very much, Katie, thanks for the time, thank you, 147 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 2: no worries at all.