Airdate: Blown Away

40 years after Cyclone Tracy all but wiped the city of Darwin from the map, ABC airs Blown Away,  a documentary of previously untold stories that reveal compelling new perspectives.

This will focus on the controversial mass evacuation and the troubled reconstruction, and investigates the socio-political effects the event still has on Darwin and its residents four decades on.

“The story of Cyclone Tracy is an anthemic Australian narrative,” says producer Rachel Clements.

“It’s a modern example of survival and heroism so intrinsically engrained in Australian culture and like so many historical events that are now part of Australia’s history and mythology – such as the bombing of Darwin, Peter Falconio and Azaria Chamberlain – Tracy is above all else a Northern Territory story. It’s time that Australia reflects back on this monumental incident of our nation’s history with fresh eyes.”

Extraordinary archival footage, stunning newsreel and photographs, immersive animation, an intensely evocative musical score and in-depth interviews with flamboyant and legendary characters who lived through the storm or arrived in its immediate aftermath, tell a powerful story revealing the legacy and myths of Cyclone Tracy including the coming of age of Darwin, the heroism of Darwinians, and the politicisation of the rebuild.

“In research and development, it became very clear to us that there were so many untold stories, myths and legends surrounding the storm,” says producer/editor James Bradley.

“Producer Rachel Clements and I became very excited about the potential of a documentary that looks back on the cyclone after 40 years and challenges the history books.”

Is it true that many traditional Aboriginal people left Darwin before the cyclone hit or was this just a convenient rumour that saw authorities dodge their duty of care to Aboriginal people? Were lax building standards responsible for the city’s almost complete destruction? Was pre-cyclone Darwin a real city or just ‘an outpost of Empire at the end of the road’? Did the Mayor really sleep through it all? And at dawn did he really don his pith helmet, pick up his rifle and traverse the ruined city shooting dogs? Did General Alan Stretton really ban New Years Eve? Why was the rebuild of Darwin such a political minefield? And why has Cyclone Tracy become so deeply ingrained in the Australian national identity?

The failure of most official records of the disaster to mention Indigenous people is addressed with fascinating stories from the Larrakia people, the traditional owners of the Darwin area and accounts of traditional Aboriginal beliefs that explain the cyclone and resulting devastation from a cultural standpoint.

“Cyclone Tracy changed Darwin, some may argue for the better, while others long for the Darwin of old,” says writer/director Danielle MacLean, a leading Indigenous filmmaker based in Darwin.

“The landscape changed, people were evacuated, some never returned and new people came to town. Larrakia people remained here on their traditional lands and continue to fight for the right to speak for their country.”

Tuesday, December 23 at 8:30pm on ABC.