Omari Gates
Australia has seen its fair share of mass evacuations over the years, with natural disasters being the primary cause. The largest evacuation in the country's history took place in December 1974, when over 60,000 people were evacuated from Darwin due to Cyclone Tracy, leaving just 10,000 people to deal with the aftermath. In 2020, tens of thousands of people were urged to evacuate southeastern Australia due to devastating bushfires, with authorities warning that those who did not leave by a certain deadline would be entirely cut off from roads and rescue services.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of evacuation | December 1974 |
| Location | Darwin, Australia |
| Cause | Cyclone Tracy |
| Number of evacuees | 60,000 |
| Remaining population | 10,000 |
| Recent similar incident | January 2020 |
| Recent cause | Bushfires |
| Recent number of evacuees | Tens of thousands |
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What You'll Learn
60,000 evacuated Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974
Cyclone Tracy, a tropical weather depression, hit Darwin, Australia, in the early hours of Christmas Day 1974. The cyclone was one of the most destructive ever recorded in Australia, with wind gusts of up to 217 km/h, torrential rain, and flying debris. The cyclone caused severe damage to the city, destroying or severely damaging 70% of Darwin's homes and severing all public services, including communications, power, water, and sewerage. As a result of the cyclone, between 36,000 and 60,000 people were evacuated from Darwin, leaving just around 10,000 people, mainly adult males, to begin the massive cleanup.
The decision to evacuate was made to reduce Darwin's population to a "safe level" of 10,500 people, as advised by Dr. Charles Gurd, the director of health in the Northern Territory. The evacuation was necessary due to the lack of essential services, food, and shelter in the city. The rate of departures slowed down after the first two days, but the government offered full reimbursement of personal costs for those who evacuated.
The relief and rescue efforts in Darwin were led by Major-General Alan Stretton, Director-General of the Natural Disasters Organisation, and Rex Patterson, the commonwealth minister for the Northern Territory. The people of Darwin also received support from the surrounding communities, who provided food, fuel, rest, and mechanical aid to those fleeing the city. Additionally, the population of Alice Springs raised over $105,000 to assist the victims of Cyclone Tracy.
The impact of Cyclone Tracy led to the introduction of improved building standards across Australia, including requirements for buildings to be clad to protect them against flying debris and for roofs to be tied to foundations. By 1978, Darwin's population had recovered to its pre-cyclone levels, and the city had been almost entirely rebuilt. However, by the 1980s, up to 60% of Darwin's 1974 population had left and never returned. The events of Cyclone Tracy remain a significant moment in Australia's cultural memory.
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1,000 tourists and residents evacuated by the Australian Navy in 2020
In January 2020, around 1,000 tourists and residents were evacuated by the Australian Navy from the East Gippsland town of Mallacoota, Victoria, which had been cut off by bushfires. This was one of the largest evacuation operations in the country since the northern city of Darwin evacuated over 35,000 people in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
The HMAS Choules naval vessel, supported by the training ship MV Sycamore, evacuated the 1,000 people, along with their pets, from Mallacoota to Hastings, on Western Port. The journey was expected to take around 17 hours. Those who wanted to leave on the ships registered through a formal process with Victoria Police and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), who coordinated the evacuation.
The mass evacuation of Mallacoota was part of a larger exodus from several towns on the southeast coast of Australia, a popular tourist area during the summer holiday season. Authorities urged people to leave as extreme heat was forecast for the weekend, which would further stoke the fires. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that the priority was "fighting fires and evacuating, getting people to safety".
The bushfires in Australia during this period resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people. In addition to the 4,000 stranded in Mallacoota, the towns of Batlow and Batemans Bay were also evacuated, with residents facing power outages and a lack of access to drinking water and phone services. The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, declared a state of emergency, giving authorities the power to forcibly evacuate people and take control of services.
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3,000-4,000 faced evacuation by sea from Mallacoota in 2020
In 2020, Australia experienced one of its largest emergency movements of people due to the bushfire crisis. The bushfires ravaged areas of the south-east coast, and the mass evacuation of communities in New South Wales and Victoria was necessary.
The Victorian coastal inlet of Mallacoota was one of the 20 towns that were isolated by the fires. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people faced impending food and water shortages as they waited to be evacuated by sea. The town was cut off by an out-of-control bushfire, and roads in and out were expected to be blocked for weeks. The fires had spread at an unprecedented rate, and by New Year's Eve, the town's residents and holidaymakers were forced to shelter on the foreshore as the fire approached.
The Australian Defence Force coordinated the evacuation, and the Navy was called in to assist. HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore were deployed, and about 1,000 people and their pets were evacuated by sea. The journey from Mallacoota to Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula took about 17 hours. The evacuation was dubbed Operation Genesis by the group of senior emergency services personnel involved in planning the operation, referring to the books of Genesis and Exodus in the Bible.
The bushfires in Mallacoota were sparked by dry lightning on 30 December 2019, and by the next day, the blaze had travelled more than 20 kilometres in five hours overnight. By 9 am on New Year's Eve, the fires were edging towards Mallacoota, and the sky was red and thick with smoke. The town was isolated, with only air and sea access possible. The evacuation of Mallacoota was the biggest maritime evacuation in Australia's history.
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100,000+ urged to leave NSW, Victoria and South Australia in 2020
In 2020, tens of thousands of people were urged to evacuate parts of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria due to devastating bushfires. The mass evacuation was among the largest emergency movements of people in Australia's history. The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, declared a state of emergency, giving emergency services the authority to undertake forced evacuations and road closures at short notice. NSW Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers stated that they had no capacity to contain the fires, and people needed to get out of the affected areas.
The bushfires also impacted South Australia, with residents in towns such as Mallacoota, Victoria, facing impending food and water shortages as they awaited evacuation by sea. The fires trapped tens of thousands of people attempting to flee, causing hours-long gridlocks on roads. The number of people who fled is unclear, but it was expected to be comparable to the 60,000 evacuated from Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
The bushfires caused significant destruction, with nine people killed in NSW and Victoria since Christmas Day, and 17 deaths since the season began. About 150 fires continued to burn in both states, and conditions were expected to worsen. The entire Kosciuszko National Park was evacuated, and surrounding towns were warned that they could not be defended.
In addition to the bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic also led to a significant number of people leaving NSW and Victoria. In the financial year ending in 2022, 40,600 people left NSW, more than double the number during the first year of the pandemic. Another 30,000 people were predicted to leave NSW by the end of June 2023. In Victoria, 35,600 residents left during the first two years of the pandemic.
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Tens of thousands stranded while attempting to flee in 2020
In January 2020, tens of thousands of people were stranded while attempting to flee southeastern Australia as bushfires ravaged the coast. The mass evacuation of communities in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria was among the largest emergency movements of people in the country's history.
The fires, fuelled by high temperatures and strong winds, threatened several towns and led to a state of emergency being declared in NSW, giving authorities the power to forcibly evacuate people. The NSW Rural Fire Service said that the major cause of ignition during the crisis was dry lightning, though disinformation spread on social media and by government MPs that an "arson emergency" and environmentalists were to blame.
In the town of Batlow, residents were advised to leave by Friday morning due to forecast fire danger in the Kosciuszko National Park and surrounding areas. The entire park was evacuated, and authorities warned that conditions were likely to be so severe that surrounding towns could not be defended. One evacuee reported that after 10 hours of driving, they were turned back at a highway closure and forced to head in the opposite direction.
At the Victorian coastal inlet of Mallacoota, between 3,000 and 4,000 people faced impending food and water shortages as they waited to be evacuated by sea. HMAS Choules Commander Scott Houlihan said that leaving by boat was the only way out of the town. Naval ships and helicopters rescued thousands trapped by the blazes, with HMAS Choules ferrying about 1,000 people to safety.
The number of people fleeing the bushfire crisis remains unclear but is expected to compare to the 60,000 people who were flown out of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
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Frequently asked questions
The exact number of people who evacuated Australia during the 2020 bushfires is unclear. However, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people were stranded while attempting to flee.
The number of people who fled during the 2020 bushfires is expected to compare to the 60,000 people who were flown out of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974. This was one of the largest emergency movements of people in Australia.
The bushfires were caused by a combination of factors, including dry lightning, extreme heat, and drought conditions.
