1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Now, we absolutely couldn't conclude our Cyclone Tracy coverage for 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: the fiftieth anniversary without speaking about the important role the 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: Salvation Army played in the aftermath. Many used to say 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: at the time that Santa never made it into Darwin 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: that year, but the Salvos did and they made their 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: presence felt. My next guest is the Salvation Army's current 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: Chief Secretary, Colonel Winsome Merit, who was sixteen at the 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: time of Cyclone Tracy. She is the daughter of Captains 9 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: Hilton and Wilgelm Morris, who were the Salvation Army officers 10 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: in Darwin in nineteen seventy four, and despite facing their 11 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: own loss and trauma, they sprung into action with their 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: fellow Corps members to provide crisis relief on Christmas Day 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: and in the weeks and months that followed. Colonel Winsome 14 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: Merrit joins me on the line. Now, good morning to you. 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: Hello, how are you? 16 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: Yeah? Really good? Lovely to have you on the show now, 17 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: whin some Firstly, what was it like for you on 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve in nineteen seventy four. 19 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 2: Well, I was only sixteen, so I was obviously a teenager. 20 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: I just finished year eleven and Christmas Eve. We were 21 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: preparing for a normal Christmas day, but aware that cyclone 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 2: was on its way, so we'd done the normal preparations. 23 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,199 Speaker 2: Around midnight there was quite a bit of anxiety and 24 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 2: in the family the wind was quite strong, but it 25 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 2: was around in my memory and that could obviously be inaccurate. 26 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: We lived in Nightcliff, and around two o'clockish the I 27 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: passed over, or well a form of your eye. The 28 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: exact I didn't exactly pass right over Nightcliff, but there 29 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 2: was a quietening of the wind. It wasn't perfectly still, 30 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 2: as it was in some places where the eye was 31 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: particularly overhead, but it was certainly decreasing in the noise 32 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: and the intensity of the wind, but just and we 33 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 2: were still in a house that was relatively intact. A 34 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: tree had come through one of our bedrooms, but we 35 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: just shut the door and foot we'll do with that later. 36 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: So around I think around two two thirty, after this 37 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 2: calming had occurred, of course, the wind came back with 38 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 2: as much force or more than what it had left, 39 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 2: and at that point our front door blew open against 40 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 2: its lock. My parents ran to shut it and to 41 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: hold up against it. The family law goes that dad. 42 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 2: Mum said to Dad, how long do you think we've 43 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: got to do this for? And really, before he got 44 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: to even say, how do you think you can? Can 45 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 2: you cope for four hours? Or so? Basically, our house 46 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: literally blew up and out and we were all on 47 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: the ground floor, and I still don't know how we 48 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: heard our dad yelling at us to get into the kitchen, 49 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 2: but we all reacted very very quickly, and fortunately we 50 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 2: all made it safely into the kitchen. A large piece 51 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 2: of masonite followed my brother through the door. He was 52 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 2: the last one in, and actually that piece of masonite 53 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 2: provided additional protection for us, But it would have been 54 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 2: a very different story had my brother kind of not 55 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 2: got in the way or got in the way of 56 00:03:55,360 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 2: that piece of masonite. So those moments were for me 57 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 2: and I think for most of our family that they 58 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 2: were pretty terrifying. So we had there were six in 59 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: my immediate family, and we had two cousins staying with us, 60 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: one up for holidays and one who was living with 61 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 2: us anyway. She was a nurse at the hospital, and 62 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 2: we had a dog. So there were seven of us 63 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: huddled in a very tight, tight circle in our relatively 64 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: small kitchen while my dad hurled up a calm mattress 65 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 2: up against the louvers where the wind was coming to 66 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 2: protect us. So as we all rushed into our kitchen. 67 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 2: My parents obviously people of faith. They they belonged to 68 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 2: the Salvation Army, and us kids were fairly involved in 69 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 2: our local church. And my mum said these words which 70 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 2: actually have shaped my faith and my life really moving forward. 71 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 2: She said, we need to talk to Jesus about this. 72 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 2: I just recall going from being this terrified sixteen year 73 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: old to having this amazing sense of peace come over 74 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 2: me in those moments, and you know, the crying, the 75 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 2: terror subsided and actually together as a family, we with 76 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: our dog in the middle of this circle because we 77 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 2: were sitting on the floor just praying really initially for ourselves, 78 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 2: but then praying for other people that we knew, and 79 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: then you know, as the hours stretched on to praying 80 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 2: for people that we didn't know, but who we were 81 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 2: pretty sure were going to be impacted by by this. 82 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: Intense storm, and they certainly were, you know, we were 83 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: we know. The aftermath, well, the cyclone was was catastrophic. Yes, 84 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: what do you recall in the aftermath and after the 85 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: cyclone had passed and your family went out, and well, 86 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: you know, I guess you're already so exposed as it was, 87 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: but you know, when you started to see what had 88 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: happened in the destruction around you. 89 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 2: Yes, so it was still dark when you know, around 90 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: six or six point thirty, a neighbor, someone we knew 91 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 2: from just around the corner, came to see how we were. 92 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 2: They were in a bottom unit of a two story block, 93 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 2: so they were relatively safe. So they came and got 94 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 2: the three youngest of us, and I just remember running 95 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 2: from our house to their house. The wind was still 96 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 2: pretty ferocious, even though it was nothing like it had been, 97 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 2: and it was still pouring with rain. It was very 98 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 2: dark obviously because of the clouds and the rain, and 99 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: we were just intent on getting from our house to 100 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: their house safely as three, you know, teenagers. So of 101 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: that initial morning, I don't recall a lot because when 102 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 2: I got there, I actually went to sleep four hours 103 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: on their couch. I don't know what my brother and 104 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: sister did, but I went into obviously quite a deep sleep. 105 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,239 Speaker 2: I don't know if that's response to shock or whatever, 106 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: but Anyway, I slept and after I mean my parents 107 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: came and got us around the lunchtime, and then, like 108 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 2: the things I remember, it was just mess. It was 109 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: just mess. The trees had no leaves, and I mean 110 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 2: we went to catch up with the other Salvation Army 111 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 2: officers in the city to see how they were. I mean, 112 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 2: in the intervening time, I think my cousin, who was 113 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 2: a nurse, had my brother had helped take her into 114 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 2: the hospital so she could do whatever, you know, the 115 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 2: medical staff needed to do. My brother was an electrician. 116 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 2: He was an apprentice electrician with a departner works, so 117 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 2: he very soon was having to work. I think probably 118 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 2: the next day got called up to start doing formal 119 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 2: work there as well. And I think after that first day, 120 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 2: my parents and the walkers who were the other officers 121 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 2: worked out how they would do just an immediate response 122 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 2: as much as they could. My dad painted Salvo on 123 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,079 Speaker 2: his car so he'd actually get access to places that 124 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 2: he would need to. So that's the famous car that 125 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 2: we saw at the commemorative event in Arewn just recently, 126 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 2: well a copy of it, I suppose. Yeah, yeah, so 127 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 2: I've seen some I've seen some pictures of our work. 128 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 2: So I know that within two days the Salvation Army 129 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 2: had had two teams of people, I think one lot 130 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 2: from w A and one lot from Queensland. I think 131 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 2: they'd driven up and there were about nine people and 132 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 2: they began to assist the local people in providing immediate 133 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 2: relief that I recall at the airport, I remember giving 134 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 2: out bottles of water to people sitting in the buses 135 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 2: waiting to be evacuated. And as you can imagine, those 136 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 2: busses would have been very hot, they weren't air conditioned. 137 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 2: Families were traumatized, and you know, we were just giving 138 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 2: out bottles of water to at least keep them hydrated. 139 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 2: I remember my at the airport. There was some little space. 140 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 2: My mum and a few other Salvos were working there, 141 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 2: and I imagine there were other agencies as well, trying 142 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 2: to kick in and do what they could in those 143 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 2: early days. I think after about four days we obviously 144 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 2: had way more teams who had come in and I 145 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:27,839 Speaker 2: think we'd provided something like twenty five thousand meals so 146 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 2: very quickly. Local businesses obviously did what they could. I 147 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 2: mean the advantages you could use gas even though you 148 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 2: didn't have electricity. 149 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: When there is no doubt that the Salvation Army did 150 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: so much in the aftermath of the cyclone as well 151 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: to support people. Were extra officers flown in to assist 152 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: and how many were on the ground in terms of 153 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: helping in the aftermath. 154 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 2: I know that a number were flown in for our 155 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 2: emergency services, so even within two days. I can't recall 156 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 2: whether it was on Christmas Day or if it was 157 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 2: on Boxing Day. The Territorial Commander, who was the head 158 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 2: of the Salvation Army in half of Australia at that 159 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: point of time, because the Salvation Army was spitten to 160 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 2: two territories, he actually flew into Darwin and hitchhiked from 161 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 2: the old airport to the city Salvation Army site. And 162 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 2: at the time when he arrived and walked up the driveway, 163 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 2: both my parents and the Walkers were there with their family, 164 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 2: so I was there and I remember seeing like both 165 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 2: sets of offices my parents included just being overwhelmed by 166 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 2: the fact that the head of the Salvation Army had 167 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 2: turned up in person in this devastated city, found a 168 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 2: way to get there to see what needed to happen 169 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 2: and how the Salvation Army could help. So because the 170 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 2: head of the Salvation Army got so involved or actually 171 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 2: indicate such strong interest and concern, then resources were able 172 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:26,079 Speaker 2: to flow relatively quickly after that, and officers and lay 173 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 2: volunteers were flown in. They lived in pretty rough conditions, 174 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 2: as you can imagine, for a few weeks, as were 175 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,199 Speaker 2: everyone else who was staying in Darwin were also living 176 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 2: in those same conditions, but they got to work just 177 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 2: doing the practical things of what needed to be done, 178 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 2: when finding the resources and cooking. 179 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 1: Yeah, and all the everything that needed that everybody needed 180 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: at that point in time. Before I let you go, 181 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: I am interested to know. I mean in terms of 182 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: the position that you now hold. When you look at, 183 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: you know, the work that your parents did, when you 184 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: look at the response to cyclone Tracy, how big an 185 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: impact do you think that that has had on you? 186 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: And you know the path that you've taken. 187 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 2: Well that you know, those four hours in our kitchen 188 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 2: certainly shaped my faith and certainly embedded within me an 189 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 2: understanding of a God who's intimately concerned in the lives 190 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 2: of his people. So I believe that that foundational belief 191 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 2: has certainly shaped who I am today. And have, and 192 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 2: my current role and my work within the Salvation Army 193 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 2: certainly enables me to express that faith in practical ways. 194 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 2: I think the work that the Army did and other agencies, 195 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 2: you know, the whole of Australia responded so magnificently to 196 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 2: this incredibly serious crisis in this devastated city. I think 197 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 2: it demonstrated amazing human compassion, you know, both from the 198 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 2: Army and you know, our emergency services responses have continued 199 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 2: to develop and be incredibly compassionate and professional since that, 200 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 2: you know, since that point more and more so. But 201 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 2: the one overwhelming thing for me as well is the 202 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 2: amazing response that Australians had to the people who were 203 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 2: evacuated or even to the people who stayed, you know, 204 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 2: the provision of resources from around Australia and their compassionate 205 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 2: response has also stuck with me, and I think for me, 206 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 2: it's really it's difficult to talk about cycling, Tracy and 207 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 2: just my experience without recognizing actually how much Australia itself 208 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 2: as a nation responded so magnificently to this significant crisis. 209 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 2: So all of those things helped shape not just my 210 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 2: life but what I would call my ministry and the 211 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 2: way in which I have responded or to respond as 212 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 2: a result of what others have done in the past, 213 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 2: and how I've been a recipient of that too well. 214 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: Colonel Winsor Merritt, I really appreciate your time this morning. 215 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: Thank you so very much for having a chat with 216 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: us and for talking us through your story, but talking 217 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: us through the work that the Salvos have done. Thank 218 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: you so much for joining us on the show. 219 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: Thank you such a pleasure. Katie, glad I could be 220 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 2: with you today. 221 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: Thank you bye. Thanks so much.