Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy is fast approaching, and I'm calling out to Territorians who are survivors of that night of 24 and 25 December 1974 and also those that responded and rebuilt Darwin. On the weekend, I was lucky enough to meet two of the responders: Greg Read, who was a sparky who came up to help us get the power back on, and also Ray (Jesse) James, who was a sailor on HMAS Melbourne during the Cyclone Tracy response.

I've commissioned two commemorative coins, one for the survivors and one for those who responded and rebuilt. As well as the first responders, I know of the following ADF units that responded: in the Navy, we had HMAS Melville, HMAS Coonawarra, HMAS Balikpapan, HMAS Betano, HMAS Flinders, HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Brisbane, HMAS Stuart, HMAS Hobart, HMAS Stalwart, HMAS Supply, HMAS Vendetta, HMAS Brunei, HMAS Tarakan and HMAS Wewak and also the 817 and 725 naval aviation squadrons; with the Army, we had the 7th Military District, 121 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, 125 Signal Squadron, the 7th Signal Regiment, 711 Supply Company, 7 Transport Movement Group and Darwin Workshop Platoon; and, with the Air Force, we had 36, 37 and 34 squadrons.

Thank you to all those who responded to Cyclone Tracy. Please email my office to register your interest in receiving a commemorative coin.