Remembering the storm: indigenous people’s remembrances of Cyclone Tracy explored through the medium of radio documentary

Abstract

This research consists of a radio documentary that explores the mood leading up to Cyclone Tracy that hit Darwin on Christmas Eve, 1974, with an accompanying exegesis that discusses the making of the documentary in the context of Indigenous media in Australia. It further explores the social fabric of survivors’ lives in Darwin during this time, the uniqueness of place, and the environmental impact of the storm. It does so in regard to Indigenous cultural traditions and the impact of the storm on families. I have focused on my own extended family and their Indigenous perspective on this event. I have sought to convey the sense of intimacy that a radio program can bring to the audience and a sense of authenticity that I experienced growing up with our family tradition of oral history. The experiences of Cyclone Tracy are recalled by my respondents with each having a unique story of survival, and how they moved forward after this devastating event. I have explored themes such as survival, tradition, uniqueness of place, storytelling, and adaptation. I have used work by researchers such as Faye Ginsburg, Terence Turner, Eric Michaels, and Kristin Dowell, who look at the uses of Indigenous media in contemporary times. Indigenous academics Rosemary Van Den Berg, Lester Irabina Rigney, Helen Molnar and Marcia Langton write about the uses of and need for Indigenous media. The need for the Indigenous voice to be heard is paramount and this is the central point of my thesis and documentary, which also examine questions of the sustainability of Indigenous media. Success stories of Indigenous media are explored using examples such as the Warlpiri Media Association and Goolarri Media Enterprises in Broome.