Exactly 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin and left a trail of devastation. It remains one of the most destructive natural events in Australia's history.

Tracy flattened Darwin, killing 66 people. The city is still at risk of cyclones, and not enough has been done to mitigate it.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Darwin to mark the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy, Australia’s largest peacetime evacuation and reconstruction.

Cyclone Tracy and its total destruction of Darwin prompted a national overhaul of the National Construction Code. But some building industry experts argue it doesn't provide enough protection.

“Tracy was first detected as a depression in the Arafura Sea on December 20, 1974. “It moved slowly south-west and intensified, passing close to Bathurst Island on the 23rd and 24th. “Then it turned sharply to the east-south-east, and headed straight at Darwin, striking the city early on Christmas Day.

Before first light on Christmas morning, hundreds gathered at East Point Reserve to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy, including the nation’s prime minister, who said the disaster brought out the best in the NT and Australia.

A new memorial to the victims of Cyclone Tracy has been unveiled in Darwin, 50 years on from the devastating tragedy.

Hundreds of Cyclone Tracy survivors and their descendants have gathered in Darwin to mark the 50th anniversary of the disaster. On Christmas Day in 1974, the tropical storm killed 66 people and destroyed 85% of homes in Darwin.