Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Bushnell, K: Cyclone Tracy Aftermath (1974)

play
clip Food and shelter education content clip 3

Original classification rating: not rated. This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

A public centre is set up as a temporary refuge for people displaced by the cyclone. Meals are provided along with medical services such as typhoid and tetanus vaccinations.

Curator’s notes

For those not evacuated from Darwin, the gathering centres set up like this one provided much needed relief and shelter. Close ups on the announcement boards show the menu for meals (including chicken paprika), screening times for movies, and availability of health services.

The sanitation and health conditions after the cyclone’s passing were of concern to those providing medical services. Typhoid and tetanus needles were the most common preventative needles given, with Darwin being a tropical climate in the middle of summer.

The close ups on people’s faces as they eat silently from paper plates and out of makeshift containers gives resonance to this clip.