Two tragedies at the top and bottom of Australia brought death and destruction to the country 50 years ago. As both of them approach commemorations, what were the losses and the lessons learned from Cyclone Tracy and the Tasman Bridge disaster?
The storm hit Darwin on 24 December 1974; the impact of the freighter Lake Illawarra brought down Hobart’s main bridge only 12 days later.
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Dr Tom Lewis OAM is a military historian. His books Cyclone Warriors – the armed forces in Cyclone Tracy, and By Derwent Divided are both available at avonmorebooks.com.au.
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