It's been 50 years since the Northern Territory formed its first legislative assembly giving residents a say about who represents them in parliament. The historic milestone was celebrated this weekend with a who's who of former parliamentarians speaking about their memories of the time.
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00:00A dance to honour the Northern Territory's first Indigenous Minister and the first Territory-born
00:08Member of Parliament, Mr Tungatalem, his son Richard and family, helping mark half a century
00:18since the Territory voted in a parliament of its own in October 1974.
00:24Just nine weeks later, Cyclone Tracey delivered a challenge beyond anyone's imagination.
00:30We hadn't really had a chance to settle in.
00:34When Cyclone Tracey struck on Christmas Eve 1974, Dunwood was wiped out, as you know.
00:41Seventeen men and two women, the late Liz Andrew and me, and we were regarded by some
00:48people as rather an aberration, what is the world coming to?
00:52But when Tracey struck, we all grouped together and worked together, the whole 19 of us.
00:59Former Country Liberal Minister Roger Steele and Independent Member for Nightcliffe Dawn
01:04Lorry were members of that first new assembly and spoke about the fight to make sure Territory
01:10voices were heard post-Cyclone.
01:13Thousands of Territorians were being evacuated to become housed with interstate families.
01:19Of course, we needed assistance, but the voices for the parliamentarians, no matter
01:24from what party, who represented the people, had to be heard and it was a long and quite
01:30difficult fight, but we prevailed.
01:33And there was also a little-known story about the fight to rebuild the parliament's female
01:37toilets.
01:38So Liz and I got ladders and we got tarpaulins and we started to climb up to repair the roof.
01:45A very irate clerk appeared, being tipped off, glared at us and said, oh alright, then
01:50I'll get someone to put the roof on.
01:53Former and current members of parliament also reflected on the path to self-government four
01:58years later and the resilience of all those who called the Northern Territory home.