25 December 1974
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) embarked upon its largest peacetime disaster relief operation to date on Christmas Day 1974. In the early hours of 25 December, Cyclone Tracy devastated the city of Darwin. Wind speeds were in excess of 160 knots (296 kilometres per hour), killing 49 people ashore and a further 16 at sea.
The response of Operation Navy Help Darwin was swift. RAN aircraft arrived the following day, Boxing Day, carrying:
- medical supplies
- relief workers
- the Navy clearance diving team.
At the same time, RAN ships began departing from all parts of the country, with 13 ships contributing to the relief effort. The initial priority was search and rescue. In addition, the RAN evacuated residents and took them to bases on the east coast:
- HMAS Kuttabul, HMAS Penguin and HMAS Watson in Sydney
- HMAS Moreton in Brisbane.
A shore command headquarters was established at Admiralty House to coordinate working parties. They were typically composed of 10 or 15 officers and sailors, depending upon the nature of the task. Throughout January, naval personnel spent 17,979 staff days ashore, with up to 1,200 ashore at the peak of the operation. Duties included:
- clearing 1,593 blocks
- cleaning schools, government and commercial buildings and recreational facilities
- installing generators
- rewiring houses
- repairing electrical and air conditioning systems
- reroofing and weatherproofing buildings
- maintaining and repairing vehicles.
Some parties worked to save rare plants in the Botanic Gardens. Hygiene parties disposed of spoiled foodstuffs from houses, supermarkets and warehouses. Personnel from Coonawarra supported civil relief organisations and staffed communication centres.