Memorial (East Point)
Memorial to Cyclone Tracy, December 24/25, 1974
The sculptural theme of the memorial is five fallen frangipani flowers that have been scattered by the wind of Cyclone Tracy.
Frangipani flowers reflect their dominant place in the treescape at the time of Tracy while their resilience – plant a branch and it will become a tree -reflects the spirit of the people of Darwin in rebuilding their city. Frangipani remain a favoured feature of Darwin.
The flowers are constructed of stainless steel and concrete, with interpretive information explaining the Cyclone Tracy event or for sitting and contemplation.
The small shade sculpture is inspired by the thousands of corrugated iron sheets stripped from Darwin homes by Tracy’s winds, shaping themselves around power and light poles throughout the damaged city and suburbs.
The East Point location
East Point was chosen as the site for the memorial because a map showing the path of Cyclone Tracy produced by the Bureau of Meteorology in 1975 shows it as the first point of landfall of Tracy.
The Memorial was designed by Techy Masero, sponsored by Remembering Cyclone Tracy Inc. with grants from the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments.
Library & Archives NT. (1974). The Stark residence. Ira and Faith Renton Collection
