Peter Copland on Cyclone Tracy (continued)

I think it was on Monday 30 December that the RMO for South Australia, Alan Jarman, turned up from Adelaide to lend a hand. He was joined a short time later by his Adelaide offsider Mike Rowell. They spent much time getting the RFC communications systems going again; they were very welcome. The emergency diesel at the RFC had shut itself down because of a sensor fault and was, itself, not unserviceable. It was operating again in less than a week I think.

The satellite receiver station at the Emery Point, Army base, was a real wreck, as were most of the nearby Army houses. The equipment hut had been destroyed and the electronic equipment would have had a salt water bath. Worse still, the main shaft of the aerial appeared to have been bent about eight degrees and the unit would need major mechanical repairs. The IPS aerial had also been destroyed but their hut, although blown some metres and off its stumps, was still useable. Of course, there was no power.

The airlift out of Darwin, firstly with medical patients, started on 26 December and by 27 December was in full operation, taking out mostly young families. With the possible threat of disease, no water and sewerage, and not much fun for kids for awhile, my wife and kids volunteered to go to Sydney. She also took four other neighbourhood youngsters with her. Starting out from the school at about 3 pm on Saturday 28 December they eventually arrived in Sydney on the Sunday evening having comprised some of the 150 passengers in a RAAF Hercules.

No, the Hercules was not that slow. One of the major airlines had removed two of its aircraft from the airlift for more profitable enterprises that night. The Hercules only arrived in Darwin in the early morning, refuelled and loaded up the refugees, but with the same crew. The aircraft had to spend a couple of hours circling over Mount Isa while some of the crew caught up on some sleep. A small footnote; one of the Hercules crew and our eldest son, Martin, met up professionally in 1995. He had become the Commanding Officer of 32 Squadron, RAAF East Sale, while Martin, now a flight lieutenant, was the Squadron's executive officer and check captain.

This is a list of the status of a few of the houses occupied by Bureau staff that I can remember. Ray Wilkie, upstairs gone, downstairs ok when re-roofed; Geoff Crane, floor and two walls; Jack Byrne, bathroom and floor; Ray Garske, almost complete; Mike Whitehouse, floor and kitchen cupboards; Barry Passmore, rubble (I think three people died in his street); Nev Quinn, half wreck; John Dear, floor only; John Nicholas and Charlie Caird (1940s houses in old Darwin) wet, with holes in roof, walls ok; Flats of Ian and Geoff, no windows and doors, one with no roof; Ours, half a house.

Bureau of Meteorology