Earthquakes since 1841. "It is everyday stories of how you survived, what happened to you and how your life has changed. These figures compare to the 57 deaths and 9,000 injuries that had been reported as the official casualty tolls for the Jan. 17, 1994, quake. In response, the state created the California Earthquake Authority as a publicly managed, primarily privately funded organization providing basic residential earthquake coverage. [2] Damage to buildings and facilities was reported over an area of 9,000km2 (3,500sqmi). Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Omissions? Total damage $2.5million. Keep up to date with all the local news - sign up here. Standing motor cars rocked noticeably. The NSHA defines the level of earthquake ground shaking across Australia that has a likelihood of being exceeded in a given time period. Moment magnitudes, whilst a better measure of an earthquakes size, require data that isnt always available. Corrections? Minor damage was also reported in Perth, about 550km away. A popular place for locals, the Newcastle Workers Club suffered the worst of it, with the death of nine people. The earthquake was a brutal blow, individually and collectively, but Newcastle's powerful community bonds will cope with its effects. Stories. At 10.27am on Thursday, 28 December 1989, Newcastle was devastated by an ML 5.6 (MW 5.4) earthquake. and intriguing eucalypts. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The victims still unidentified are three people who died in the . At the time, it was obvious to everyone involved that the human impact could have been so much worse than it was. Damage cost $3.8million. Following the Northridge disaster, which was responsible for estimated damages in excess of $20 billion, the majority of insurance companies representing homeowners in California severely restrictedor completely stopped offeringnew policies because the law required them to also offer earthquake coverage. All Rights Reserved. By subscribing you become an AG Society member, helping us to raise funds for conservation and adventure projects. This was one of the most significant natural disasters in Australia's history. About every five years the pent-up stresses cause a quake of magnitude 6 or greater. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. "I was raised by a single mum and he was basically like my dad," Ms Tickle said. Mr Matthews said it was a "really big thing for me to go to the Earthquake Relief Concert". Australias fifth-largest quake caused little damage when it shook Meeberrie, a region that then had few residents. This page was last edited on 9 February 2023, at 00:09. "The photo that I'm holding in the exhibition is a photograph of the old Junction Motor Inn," Mr Douglass said. Three quakes of greater than magnitude 6 rattled Tennant Creek in one day, each about half an hour apart. Caused "serious damage" to Rockhampton, Bundaberg and, Caused considerable damage to the town of, Severe shaking, burst water tanks and cracked ground at Meeberrie homestead. Explore The 1989 Newcastle Earthquake Online History Unit which aims to engage NSW school students in Year 3-4 and beyond in the study of history. Geoscience Australia > News > Features > 30 years on Commemorating the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake This is the first of a series of earthquakes affecting the area over the next several days. It was little wonder, then, that state coroner Kevin Waller described the recent toll of trouble as "endless" when he arrived in Newcastle to inspect the shattered city. The impact had the room been full is unthinkable. Some dishes, windows broken. WE'RE living now with bushfire after bushfire, but the closing months of 1989 also had more than their share of disaster. km region, an area equivalent to over 160 times the size of the Sydney Harbour, The damage was most severe on soft sediments from the Hunter River, with shaking intensity of MMI VIII observed at many locations, Earthquakes are detected by instruments called seismometers, Geoscience Australia operate a network of about 100 seismometers located around Australia. at. The Newcastle, New South Wales, earthquake of 28 December 1989, Kevin McCue, Vaughan Wesson & Gary Gibson, Journal of Australian Geology & Geophysics. In the end, it took years for the visual impacts of the quake to disappear, but for those who lived through it, the memories are never too far from the surface. Against the tragic loss of life, tales of lucky escapes were everywhere. Although houses and other buildings were damaged in outlying areas, the bulk of the destruction was in the Newcastle CBD and Hamilton, where most of the streets sit on sandy flats and drained swamps that had been the mouth of the Hunter River in prehistoric times. About 9,000 people were injured, and the damage costs were estimated at $25 billion. "It was his first day on the job, and they were giving him the talk, like you do to new people," Ms Baird said. Damage considerable in specially designed structures; well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumb. The coroner's office put the total death toll at 51 today, although the circumstances surrounding some deaths were not known. Theearthquake's epicentre was approximately 15 kilometres from Newcastle's central business district. The battle is on to save whats left of This page is not available in other languages. The Newcastle earthquake of Thursday, December 28, 1989, was the biggest tragedy in terms of impact, and its injury toll, at more than 160, was certainly the highest. "And seeing how it's aged and seeing how it still stayed relevant to telling those stories; hopefully it continues to have relevance for another 10, 15 or so years.". The 1989 Newcastle earthquake was an intraplate earthquake that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales on Thursday 28 December. Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; most masonry and frame structures destroyed with foundations. Minor damage in Picton. Newcastle, NSW (Magnitude 5.6) 28 December 1989 One of Australia's worst natural disasters, this quake killed 13 people and hospitalised 160. sauvignon blanc marlborough lidl newcastle earthquake 1994 deaths. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of buildings were damaged, with many red-tagged as unsafe to enter and many more restricted to limited entry (yellow-tagged). It killed 13 people, injured more than 160 and damaged 50,000 buildings, making it one of Australia's worst natural disasters. Red indicates quakes greater than magnitude 6 in size. The earthquake caused 13 fatalities; 160 people were injured. The earthquake's epicentre was approximately 15 kilometres from Newcastle's central business district. Here are the 10 most significant in recent history. Little damage due to the remoteness of the area. Citizens of Adelaide woke at 3.45am to the first earthquake to hit the city in almost 100 years. Although the earthquake did not measure very high on the Richter scale, it was shallow and that is why it shook Newcastle more than a deeper earthquake. 1,000 homes and 50 other buildings damaged. The Newcastle earthquake became a trigger for a significant reworking of the Australian Standards for earthquake design, Mr Douglass said. Felt in Swan Hill near VICNSW border, Minor damage including fallen chimneys and fallen shelve items. Nine people were killed and many more were trapped beneath the rubble. Make miniature mechanised minions with teeny tiny tools! The quake was caused by the sudden rupture of a previously undocumented blind thrust fault. The earthquake claimed 13 lives: 9 people died at the Newcastle Workers Club, 3 people were killed in Beaumont Street Hamilton, and one person died of shock 160 people were hospitalised 50,000 buildings were damaged (approximately 40,000 of these were homes) 300 buildings were demolished 300,000 people were affected and 1,000 were made homeless The damage bill has been estimated at A$4billion (or $8.5 billion in 2018, adjusted for inflation), including an insured loss of about $1billion (or $2.1 billion in 2018, adjusted for inflation).[2]. Fifty thousand building were damaged of those, 40,000 were homes. The regions where violent quakes occur most often are south-western WA, the Flinders Ranges in SA, and across a wide area from Tasmania to northern NSW. The Hunter Valley region has a long history of earthquakes in the written record, with the earliest occurring in the 1840s. At 10.27am on Thursday, 28 December 1989, Newcastle was devastated by an ML 5.6 (Richter magnitude) earthquake. How does the Community Remember the Earthquake? In 1989 Justin Collins, pictured holding an image of signage outside an earthquake-affected music venue, was the singer in Housequake. Not only were classrooms empty at holiday time - Tighes Hill technical college and five inner city schools alone suffered $30 million worth of damage - but most businesses in town were on skeleton staff during the Christmas to New Year break. January 17, 1994, at 4:31 AM this Northridge earthquake struck Los Angeles, California. "I believe that this simple exhibition is the best thing that I've ever done in my career and it's the only exhibition that I have ever signed," she said. The Newcastle Earthquake occurred on 28 December 1989 with a magnitude of 5.6M. 2 ). The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 1989 damage at $862 million, with the 2011 estimated normalised cost of $3240 million. Geoscience Australia uses citizen science to help calibrate these models by using data submitted through the online reporting system. The people of San Francisco were having a normal day but at 5:13 a.m the earthquake struck. Felt across North-eastern Victoria, 5.0 aftershock two days later. On Thursday the 28th of December, 1989, an earthquake hit Newcastle with a magnitude 5.6. at 10:27 am. Another memorable image from the exhibition, according to Ms Baird, shows an 18-year-old police officer, Simon Joice. The fact that the quake occurred on a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and in the early morning hours when most people were home in bed was critical in reducing the number of casualties. Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Widespread minor damage. Fifty people were injured in this quake, which was centred off the coast between Beachport and Robe, but was felt throughout southern SA and south-western Victoria. [2] The shock measured 5.6 on the Richter magnitude scale and was one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160. This estimate is based on. Broken Windows at Mountt Hotham Ski Village. However, it is important to remember that large earthquakes can occur anywhere in Australia, and without warning, even where the mapped earthquake hazard may be low. Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes every year, although most are so small they arent felt. The percentage of buildings completely destroyed was relatively low in light of the strength of the ground motions. Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse. In Adelaide, crowds panicked and suffered injuries as they rushed to the exits of swaying buildings. The tremor left 13 people dead and hundreds of people injured and needing hospital treatments. Unstable objects overturned. The bus drivers quickly returned to work, running shuttles to empty the city of shoppers and workers as the rescue crews, the army and the SES moved in. On 28 December 1989 at 10:27am, an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale hit Newcastle. The Indo-Australian plate, on which our continent lies, is colliding with the Pacific plate in the east and the Eurasian plate to the north. Newcastle earthquake, 1989 On 28 December 1989 at 10:27am, an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale hit Newcastle. It's been 25 years since Newcastle became the focus of the world's attention when an earthquake destroyed buildings all over the city and caused 13 fatalities. Fears the first night that up to 10 more people might be still be trapped proved thankfully wrong. For this reason, not all Australian earthquakes have estimates of, The Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale is commonly used to describe the damage and felt effects of an earthquake at a given location, An interactive history of Australian Earthquakes can be found in Geoscience. No injuries were reported. It was an aftershock of the 6.1 quake two days prior. Quake memories: city remembers fateful day. It remains one of Australia's worst natural disasters, claiming 14 lives, hospitalising 160 people and causing $4 billion in damage. Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened. "The school had been badly damaged and it was finally being demolished. 4ha, then estimated at a total cost of $3.8 million. Perth, 180 kilometres (112mi) away experienced some swaying of tall buildings but no damage was reported. Felt by all, many frightened. Since this time, the region has experienced five earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or larger; the most recent being a magnitude ML 5.1 (MW 4.7) earthquake near Ellalong in August 1994. It is important to remember that large earthquakes can occur anywhere in Australia, and without warning, even in regions of low levels historical seismicity. "I don't know if someone took [the photo] with an ironic twist, but there's all sorts of [band names] like Housequake and Big Bam Boom.". Julie Baird said, while some of the images such as Ms Tickle are sad, the images represent how everyone's earthquake experience was different. "There was a nice little moment where they were, potentially for some of them, looking at the image of themselves on that day for the first time in maybe 25 or 30 years. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Buildings shifted off foundations. Another important factor was that the building and safety codes in Los Angeles had been strengthened following a powerful quake in the San Fernando Valley in 1971 (also called the Sylmar Earthquake). The extent of the property damage in an area so well-prepared for earthquakes was staggering. At 10:27am on Thursday, December 28, 1989 an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck Newcastle. The two most common are: the local (replacing the old Richter) magnitude scale, which uses the largest shaking amplitudes measured at seismometers. Most of those awnings had been originally supported by posts, removed in the 1920s as transport moved from horses to cars. In much the same way that the days after the quake often merged into a blur for those involved, so some images of post-quake demolition have become mislabelled as quake damage. Damage slight. Field mapping and satellite observations following moderate-to-large magnitude earthquakes can tell us about the extent and effects of ground deformation. More broadly, geological mapping can also teach us a lot about how very large pre-historical earthquakes have affected the landscape in which we now live, and how they have the potential to do so again in the future. 160 people were killed and 330 were injured, mainly due to the shallow depth of the earthquake. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.