Popular myth says that the Beer Can Regatta started in 1975, after Cyclone Tracy, to assist in the post-cyclone clean-up of Darwin. Wrong…
Yes, it was an endeavor to clean up Darwin’s empty beer can litter, but the effort started earlier, with the first regatta on the 16th June 1974, six months prior to Tracy.
*One source said the litter was so bad, that you could find your way from Darwin to Katherine (330km) by following the trail of empty beer cans.