1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: But moving along because there is certainly a lot to 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: cover off on this hour, and we know that as 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: Darwin and the nation mark fifty years since tropical Cyclone Tracy, 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: our friend Matt Cunningham has on some never before seen 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: footage of Tracy's carnage. Cyclone Tracy fifty years on. A 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: documentary by Matt Cunningham is going to be premiering on 7 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: Sky News Australia tonight and Matt Cunningham joins us on 8 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: the line, get a Matt, let me try that again. 9 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: Good morning again. 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: Matt Gooday will be here. 11 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: You going, yeah, very well, mate. Tell us what we 12 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: can expect in this documentary which is airing tonight. 13 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 2: Well, a lot of stories from survivors of Cyclone Tracy, 14 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 2: and you know, I've got to say that Katie, I 15 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 2: was pretty moved by some of their stories and really 16 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 2: how affected many of them still are fifty years on 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 2: from this event. I mean, we spoke to lots of 18 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 2: people who were here during Cyclone Tracy, some who were 19 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: children at the time, some who were young adults, others 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: who were involved in the rescue and evacuation mission, and 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: I think that the trauma of that event is still 22 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 2: even fifty years on, pretty significant for a lot of 23 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: those people. And I mean, just to hear them tell 24 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 2: their stories, I'd have to say as a real privilege 25 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 2: for me. And I learned a lot about Cyclone Tracy 26 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: that I didn't know, and I've loved lien it for 27 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: a long time as you have. So I mean, it's 28 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: a hugely significant event that's coming up on Christmas Day 29 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: this year, and I just think it is important that 30 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,919 Speaker 2: we tell these stories of the survivors of Cyclone Tracy. 31 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: I mean, Anthony Bullick, who's one of the survivors, sort 32 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: of put it to me that really they're the last generation. 33 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 2: They're the last generation of Tracy survivors. So it's well, yeah, 34 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: I agree with you. 35 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: And I've had not the same experience, but a similar situation, Matt, 36 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: where you know, we've had Cyclone Tracy survivors call us 37 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: on air. And I'm probably a bit like you, where 38 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: I knew that this was something that was obviously so 39 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: significant in Australia's history, but when you actually listen to 40 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: those survivors and realize how much it still impacts them, 41 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: it is quite a moving experience. 42 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 2: Well, absolutely, and I think you need to remember that, 43 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 2: you know, for six to eight hours early on Christmas 44 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 2: morning nineteen seventy four, you know, these people literally thought 45 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: they were going to die, you know, they were in 46 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 2: and sixty six people did die. We need to remember 47 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: that too, okay, but you know those who survived did 48 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 2: so by sort of you know, huddling in toilets and 49 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: bathrooms as their houses disintegrated around them. And then the 50 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 2: vision that you see and you'll see some of it 51 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 2: in the documentary tonight when they wake up on Christmas 52 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: morning and you just see, you know, just just absolute 53 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: sheer destruction, piles of rubble and debris, houses that has 54 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 2: been totally flattened and destroyed. It really is incredible to 55 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 2: look back now and to even think that we managed 56 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: to rebuild this city. There was some talk immediately after 57 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: Cyclone Tracy, as to whether the city should even be 58 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: rebuilt on the same location. I mean, thankfully it was, 59 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 2: and it's a great city today that we all love. 60 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 2: But God, the level of destruction, you know, on Christmas 61 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: Day nineteen seventy four is just extraordinary. 62 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: And Matt you also you've managed to get your hands 63 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 1: on some vision which has never been seen before. Tell 64 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: me more about that vision. 65 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is interesting because there was a woman by 66 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: the name of Aileen Scott who was living in Darwin 67 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 2: at the time with her young family and her nephew, 68 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 2: Jason Scott actually worked at the NT News for a 69 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: long time. So anyway, Aileen Scott was here and her 70 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: father was an amateur cinematographer, so he come up to 71 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 2: Darwin in nineteen seventy four to spend Christmas with his 72 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 2: with his kids and his grandkids, and he bought his 73 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 2: camera with him, so he filmed all this vision before 74 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 2: Tracy struck, which I find pretty interesting as well to 75 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: look at what Darwin was like in nineteen seventy four 76 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 2: before the cyclone. But then of course he was then 77 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 2: on hand to capture the devastation in the days after 78 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 2: cyclone Tracy, and you just see some pretty incredible footage 79 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: that he's captured of just that just unbelievable destruction. I mean, 80 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 2: one thing that struck me and one of the most 81 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: dangerous things in the cyclone. And in some of these 82 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 2: footage you see sort of beams that have literally gone 83 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 2: through the middle of tree trunks. They've sort of like 84 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 2: pierced them, like an arrow going through an Apple Like, 85 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 2: it's just absolutely remarkable, So you can only imagine the 86 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 2: force of those wins. I think the official top wind 87 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: gust was recorded at two hundred and seventeen kilometers and 88 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: to our but of course that was before the recording 89 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 2: instrument at dar on Airport malfunction, so I don't think 90 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 2: anyone knows the exact top win speed. But yeah, certainly 91 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 2: pack the punch, Matt. 92 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what it's going to be. I think 93 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: it'll be a really really interesting doc o that does 94 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 1: air on Sky News tonight. What time is it going 95 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: to air? And I mean, you've given us a taste 96 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: of what people can expect. I've no doubt it's going 97 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: to be pretty moving for people. 98 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, so six point thirty tonight, Darwin time and Tea time. 99 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 2: It will be on on sky New six hundred, and 100 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 2: you'll also be able to watch it on the Sky 101 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 2: News app or by going to skynews dot com dot au, 102 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 2: so there's a few ways that you can watch it. 103 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 2: But yeah, six o'clock tonight it'll premiere on channel six 104 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 2: hundred on Foxdale. 105 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: Matt, good on you. I think it's really important that 106 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: these stories are told, and so important as well on 107 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: a national stage as well. Right, I think a lot 108 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: of Aussies don't even realize just how terrible it was 109 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: for Darwin when the cyclone hit. 110 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 2: Well, absolutely and another interesting part of the story just 111 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 2: quickly is but was the fact that it took so 112 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 2: long for you know, the story to get out and 113 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 2: also because you've got to remember it's nineteen seventy four, 114 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 2: there's no mobile phones, you know, all the power had 115 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 2: been cut, most of the communication has been cut, and 116 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 2: so another sort of pretty traumatic part of this story. Yes, 117 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 2: you know, people who had loved ones into states and 118 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 2: it was often days or even longer until they were 119 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 2: able to ascertain whether they're family members who were living 120 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: in Darwen were alive. So if you can only imagine 121 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 2: what that was like fifty years ago to those. 122 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: People, it would have been absolutely terrible for them. And 123 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: you know, then the way in which though Darwin has 124 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: been able to rebuild is pretty phenomenal. I'll be watching tonight, 125 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: Matte Oh good on you well, Matt Cunningham, will all 126 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: be what this evening six thirty pm Darwin time on 127 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: Sky News six hundred. 128 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, Thanks Matt. 129 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:08,679 Speaker 1: Good to catch up with you.