CYCLONE TRACY CONCERTS

Spotted in   a  Darwin  record  shop  by  a Little  Darwin runner  was  the  above  sleeve  for  the  LP  record  of  the January  4, l975  concert   held  in the  Sydney Opera  House  to  raise  funds for  victims of Cyclone Tracy  which devastated the Northern  Territory  capital on  Christmas Eve  l974.

David Frost delivered a eulogy  and monologues  were provided by Dame Joan Hammond, Don Lane , Paul  Hogan and  Rolf Harris who also delivered Song For  Darwin . 

In the files  is a photograph  of Harris, of Tie Me Kangaroo Down ,Sport  fame,  giving a  didjeridoo  performance in Darwin  on  a  length  of  plastic  pipe  with   wrecked   houses  in  the background.   

On January 25 , 1975, Richard Bonynge conducted a  Darwin Relief Concert  at  the Royal Opera House, Covent Gardens, London .  The  idea was that of his wife, soprano Dame Joan Sutherland, who participated  together with a cast of Australian,  New Zealand and  British operatic luminaries,of which a  CD was made. Dame Joan  was photographed  after  the concert   with   Prince  Charles  in  the  Crush  Bar  at  Covent Gardens .

Darwin  marked  the  50th anniversary  of  Cyclone Tracy , Australia's most desructive  natural disaster , which killed   66 , made  41,000 homeless  and destroyed  or severely damaged   more  than  70 percent  of homes ,with a ceremony  attended  by  the Govenor-General, PM Albert  Albanese , the head  of  the  Australian  Defence Force .

(Cyclone. Tracy. Prince.)