Although Australia is not on a plate boundary we do still have earthquakes. These are caused by the pressures that build up from the tectonic plate boundaries around Australia. On average there are 80 earthquakes a year in Australia with a magnitude of 3 or greater1. Plotted below are earthquakes bigger than magnitude 3 that occurred in Australia from 1955 – 20141. The size of the circles gives an indication of the relative size of the earthquake.
Some significant earthquakes are also plotted in yellow.
Year |
Location |
Magnitude |
Damage/Description |
1902 |
Warooka | ML 6.0 | First recorded earthquake deaths in Australia |
1918 | Gladstone | ML 6.0 |
Damage in Rockhampton and Bundaberg |
1941 | Meeberrie | ML 7.2 |
Australia’s largest known onshore earthquake |
1946 | Bass Strait | ML 6.0 |
Caused local minor damage |
1954 | Adelaide | ML 5.5 |
3 injuries Major damage, Cost ~$90 million2 |
1968 | Meckering | ML 6.7 |
20 injured and cost ~$1.5 million2 |
1979 | Cadoux | MB 6.2 |
1 Injury, cost ~$3.8 million3 and caused a blackout in Perth |
1988 | Tennant Creek | Ms 6.3, 6.4 and 6.7 |
3 large earthquakes in less than 12 hours. Damaged SA to Darwin gas pipeline |
1989 | Newcastle | ML 5.6 |
13 Deaths, 160 injuries, 50000 buildings damaged. Cost ~$862 million |
2010 | Kalgoorlie | ML 5.0 |
Caused significant damage to historic buildings. Cost ~$4.5 million |
2012 | Moe | ML 5.4 |
Felt more then 300km away. Minor local damage |
1 From Insurance Council Australia, 2 From University of Western Australia, 3 From Geoscience Australia Database