1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: As we have been saying, well, there has been a 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: lot of discussion about the way in which Cyclone Tracy 3 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,399 Speaker 1: is going to be commemorated for fifty years now. As 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: we know, a lot of Cyclone Tracy survivors and territorians 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: have voiced their concerns at the City of Darwin's kinetic 6 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: structure that's being proposed at Bundilla Beach. Many of us 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 1: or many have been in contact with us saying that 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: the twisted steel at Casarina Senior College is the most 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: fitting tribute as it was a product of Cyclone Tracy. 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: And the person behind that piece joins me on the line. 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: Its former art teacher at Casarina Senior College, Robin Yikin Thu. 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: Good morning to your Robin, Good morning, Thanks so much 13 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: for your time this morning. Now, Robin, I understand well 14 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: that you were obviously you are a former teacher from 15 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: Casarina Senior College. When did this piece of art get 16 00:00:58,320 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: put together? 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 2: Well, I was there. I started in nineteen eighty left 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,839 Speaker 2: in eighty five. That was you know, eighty two eighty 19 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: three that I put it together. You know, I was 20 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 2: on Durty on numerous occasions out in the open and 21 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: I saw all this twisted steel sitting at the back there, 22 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: justlye there, and I spoke to people and they said, yeah, 23 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 2: this is from the cyclone. I had a good look 24 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: at it, and you know, there was a little bit 25 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 2: of conjecture related to whether it was bulldozers or machines 26 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: that had actually created that kind of twisted effect. And 27 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: you know, I had a lot of background related to sculptures. 28 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: I had to look at it, and in my head, 29 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 2: there was no way a huge bulldozer could have done that. 30 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: You know, they would have put different sorts of bends 31 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: into it. So it was it was a force that 32 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: was well beyond the mechanical. So you know, I spoke 33 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 2: to the hierarchy and I said, well, it'd be great 34 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: to you know, set something up, you know, related to 35 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: the cyclone Tracy, just to remind people of the kind 36 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: of awesome power that nature hasn't. So I, you know, 37 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: a borrower for I dragged this thing across the oval 38 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 2: and set it up out the front and set it 39 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: in concrete. And obviously the aesthetic was how I thought 40 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: it should be looked at. But it was aside going 41 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 2: Tracy that did the work. And I was just you know, 42 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: helping present this thing in a way that would remind 43 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 2: people robins. 44 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: Anybody that hasn't seen it, explain to us what it 45 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: looks like. 46 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: Well, it's twisted. I beams are girders, and these things 47 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 2: are both heavy and structurally really strong, you know, I beams, 48 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: so you know, to actually get the twisting effect, and 49 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 2: the look of these things is you know, kind of 50 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 2: beyond belief. And it took serious power on force to 51 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 2: actually twist these things like butta, So that's what blew 52 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: me away when I saw it. Actually that's probably the 53 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 2: wrong terminology, but anyways, Yeah. 54 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: But no, well I get what you're saying. It's something 55 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: that you would have said, you must have seen and 56 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: thought to yourself, wow, like it's quite incredible. Then, I 57 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: mean you've sort of spoken about the process that in 58 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: terms of what you had to do, You said that 59 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: you had to drag it along with the four wheel drive, 60 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: and then was it sort of just your vision to 61 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: be able to display it? 62 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was, I mean creating an aesthetic. You know, 63 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: when things are sitting there in the back corner of 64 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: an oval, no one looks at them, and even if 65 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: they were somewhere else, probably people would just walk past 66 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 2: and go, oh, that's interesting. But the minute you present 67 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: it in an art form as a sculpture, people start 68 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: to sort of sit and look and analyze and engage 69 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 2: with the piece. So that's what it was about, getting 70 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: people to actually stop and think. 71 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, and what has been the reaction over the years. 72 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: I know you said you were there at the school 73 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: from nineteen eighty to nineteen eighty five, but what was 74 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: the reaction after you did that? 75 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 2: Well, you know, people obviously took note and there was 76 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 2: a lot of conversations related to it, and I guess 77 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 2: people that lived through it, remember you know what happened 78 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: on that night. My wife actually lived through that. She 79 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 2: was a Dominite, is a Darwinite, and you know, I've 80 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 2: got family up there. They rang me and said, you know, 81 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: there's a sculpture being proposed, blah blah blah. You know, 82 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 2: so I spoke to a couple of people, but you know, obviously, 83 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 2: I guess things have already happened, and I'm not sure 84 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: if they've made their minds up related to what's going 85 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 2: to happen. But yeah, I guess that's an important that 86 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 2: particular sculpture as an important part of Darn's history. 87 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, it certainly seems like it is. And the fact 88 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: that you know that it is something that went through 89 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,799 Speaker 1: cyclone Tracy, and that then you know, has been there 90 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: on display and a point of discussion for such a 91 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: long period of time, just out of interest. Have you 92 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: seen that kinetic sculpture that the city of Darwin's proposing 93 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:24,679 Speaker 1: for a Bundilla beach. 94 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 2: I'm not sure. I did have a quick look at 95 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 2: some of the proposals and they're interesting. They're quite different, 96 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: you know, and everyone, I guess has an opinion about 97 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 2: what it should be. Yeah, it's hard to say such 98 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 2: an individual thing. Yeah, certainly people that lived through that 99 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 2: would be quite emotional about the whole thing. And people 100 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 2: lost their lives of course, and were injured. My wife 101 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: only that actually lived to tell the tale. No one 102 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: was seriously engines in that. But yeah, what can I say? 103 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 2: I mean, it would be nice, I guess to do 104 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 2: something with those or you know, echo that in some 105 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 2: way as a sculpture. 106 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, this is the thing, Robert. There has been 107 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: quite a few people actually get in contact with us 108 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: and say, Katie, why don't you know, why don't they 109 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: actually have the you know, the display that's been at 110 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: Casuarina Senior College, the artwork that's there, Why don't they 111 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: have that somewhere else, or you know, have that at 112 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: Bundilla or use that as the as the memorial piece 113 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: for the fiftieth commemorations in some way. 114 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, that is just steel steel girders, and I guess 115 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: that will endure for quite a number of few years. 116 00:06:57,680 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 2: It would be nice. I mean, this is just kind 117 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 2: of thinking off the cuff to do actually something that 118 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 2: echoed that shape. But do it. I work predominantly in 119 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: stainless steel marine grade stains feel nowadays, I'm a sculptor 120 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 2: full time. Yeah, you know, echo that in stainless steel, 121 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 2: you know, and you would need some serious machines to 122 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 2: actually roll and turn that and twist it in the 123 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 2: way that Cyclone Tracy did. But it's certainly doable and 124 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: create something obviously larger than that, because you know, Cyclone 125 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 2: Tracy was huge. So yeah, I mean that's potential to 126 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 2: actually use that as a springboard for an idea for sculpture. 127 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: Look, I've found this discussion really insightful, Robert, and you know, 128 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: I find it insightful as well because the take that 129 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: you've got where you sort of say, you know, like 130 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: even the artwork that's being proposed, everybody's got different opinions 131 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,239 Speaker 1: I suppose when it comes to art, which is so 132 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: true I get. I don't know why, but this, you know, 133 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: this artwork is really it has sort of, you know, 134 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: really livened the community up and made people. I guess 135 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: a lot of people were maybe just hoping for something 136 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: or maybe envisage something that encapsulated Cyclone Tracy a little 137 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: bit differently. 138 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think getting something to sort of symbolize and 139 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: represent the awesome power of Tracy is a big art. Yeah. 140 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 2: You know, in my head, I think it's doable, but 141 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 2: you know, everyone sees it in a different way of course. 142 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, I really appreciate you having a chat with 143 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: us this morning, Robin. It's been really great chatting with 144 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: you and hearing a little bit more about, you know, 145 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: about how well how it all sort of happened with 146 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 1: the with what we've got there at Casuarina Senior College. 147 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: The artwork or you know, it's hard to work out 148 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: the right word I guess to describe it, because, as 149 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 1: you've said, it is indeed loves of Steel or those 150 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: pieces of steel that were part of and Cyclone Tracy 151 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: or damaged in Cyclone Tracy. 152 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. And the fact that it engages people and creates 153 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 2: conversations I think is part of it. You know, people 154 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 2: will part of the face of sculpture. You know, means 155 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 2: nothing than the sculptor hasn't done his work, you know, 156 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 2: the piece do'ting to do it. Spot my pleasure talking to. 157 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: You, lovely to talk to you. Thank you so much 158 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,959 Speaker 1: for your time this morning. I really appreciate it. 159 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 2: Nice welcome, Thank you 160 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: Thanks so much.