1989 Newcastle earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1989 Newcastle earthquake was a Richter magnitude
5.6 earthquake
that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales
on Thursday, 28 December 1989, at 10:27 am. It was one of Australia
's most serious natural disaster
s, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160. The damage bill has been estimated at 4 billion (including an insured loss of about $1 billion).
The effects were felt over an area of around 200000 square kilometres (77,220 sq mi) in the state of New South Wales
, with isolated reports of movement in areas up to 800 kilometres (497 mi) from Newcastle. Damage to buildings and facilities was reported over an area of 9000 km² (3,475 sq mi).
, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle. Following the death of a woman in Broadmeadow from earthquake-related shock, the final death toll was raised to 13.
The earthquake caused damage to over 35,000 homes, 147 schools, and 3,000 commercial and/or other buildings, with significant damage caused to 10,000 homes (damage worth over $1,000) and 42 schools (structural damage), within the immediate Newcastle area.
The number of people in the city on the day of the earthquake was lower than usual, due to a strike
by local bus drivers. The earthquake struck in the middle of an interview by local television station NBN
with a union representative.
"The depths of the focus of the earthquake was about 13, 14 kilometres, whereas the ones associated with mining, they're actually right close to the mine, because that's where the stress release takes place".
Despite this, even the most recent earthquake codes required neither the adoption of earthquake resistant design regulations in Newcastle, nor the strengthening of old buildings, although they did encourage owners to provide more than the minimum strength.
Band The Porkers
and "Faultline" by Australian rock band Silverchair
, from 1995. Silverchair lead singer Daniel Johns
lost a childhood friend during the earthquake. Patrick Cullen's collection of stories, "What Came Between", begins with the earthquake.
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
5.6 earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
on Thursday, 28 December 1989, at 10:27 am. It was one of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's most serious natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160. The damage bill has been estimated at 4 billion (including an insured loss of about $1 billion).
The effects were felt over an area of around 200000 square kilometres (77,220 sq mi) in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, with isolated reports of movement in areas up to 800 kilometres (497 mi) from Newcastle. Damage to buildings and facilities was reported over an area of 9000 km² (3,475 sq mi).
Death toll and damage to buildings
The highest death toll and damage occurred at the Newcastle Workers Club, where the floor collapsed and nine people were killed and many more trapped beneath rubble. Another three people were crushed to death under collapsed awnings on Beaumont Street, HamiltonHamilton, New South Wales
Hamilton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. The main commercial centre is located around Beaumont Street and boasts a vibrant multicultural atmosphere providing an array of restaurants, retail, fashion and commercial outlets...
, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle. Following the death of a woman in Broadmeadow from earthquake-related shock, the final death toll was raised to 13.
The earthquake caused damage to over 35,000 homes, 147 schools, and 3,000 commercial and/or other buildings, with significant damage caused to 10,000 homes (damage worth over $1,000) and 42 schools (structural damage), within the immediate Newcastle area.
The number of people in the city on the day of the earthquake was lower than usual, due to a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
by local bus drivers. The earthquake struck in the middle of an interview by local television station NBN
NBN Television
NBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station was inaugurated on 4 March 1962 as the first regional commercial television station in New South Wales, and has since expanded to 39 transmitters throughout the northern half of New South Wales and...
with a union representative.
Facts
- Deaths: 13 total, including;
- 9 people who were killed at the Newcastle Workers Club
- 3 people who were killed in Beaumont Street, Hamilton
- 1 person who died of earthquake induced shock
- Injuries: 160 people were hospitalised.
- Damaged Buildings: 50,000 buildings were damaged; about 80 percent of these were homes.
- Demolition: 300 buildings were demolished including more than 100 homes, The Newcastle Workers Club, The Century Theatre and King's Hall.
- Human Effects: 300,000 people were affected and 1,000 made homeless.
- Cost: The total financial cost of the earthquake is estimated to have amounted to about A$4 billion.
- Felt Area: Estimated 800 km (497 mi) around the epicentre.
- Magnitude: 5.6 MLRichter magnitude scaleThe expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
; 5.4
Body wave magnitudeBody wave magnitude is a way of determining the size of an earthquake, using the amplitude of the initial P-wave to calculate the magnitude. The P-wave is a type of body wave that is capable of traveling through the earth at a velocity of around 5 to 8 km/s, and is the first wave from an... - Epicentre: BoolarooBoolaroo, New South WalesBoolaroo is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located west of Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area.It was at the epicenter of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake...
- Aftershocks: One aftershock (M 2.1 on the Richter scale) was recorded on 29 December 1989.
Cause
In early 2007 a United States academic claimed that coal mining in the region triggered the earthquake, although earthquake activity has been present in the area at least since white settlement first occurred. This is in addition to reports by the former head of Geosciences Australia's earthquake monitoring group, Dr David Denholm, who stated that the Newcastle earthquake was some distance from mining activity:"The depths of the focus of the earthquake was about 13, 14 kilometres, whereas the ones associated with mining, they're actually right close to the mine, because that's where the stress release takes place".
Despite this, even the most recent earthquake codes required neither the adoption of earthquake resistant design regulations in Newcastle, nor the strengthening of old buildings, although they did encourage owners to provide more than the minimum strength.
In popular culture
Songs about the Newcastle earthquake include "Earthquakin'" recorded in January 1990 by Newcastle SkaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
Band The Porkers
The Porkers
The Porkers are a ska punk band from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.Formed in 1987 as The Pork Hunts, the band was eventually forced to change its name to the less offensive-sounding Porkers in 1990 after their regular Newcastle venue refused to present them with their old name...
and "Faultline" by Australian rock band Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
, from 1995. Silverchair lead singer Daniel Johns
Daniel Johns
Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...
lost a childhood friend during the earthquake. Patrick Cullen's collection of stories, "What Came Between", begins with the earthquake.
External links
- News footage by NBN TelevisionNBN TelevisionNBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station was inaugurated on 4 March 1962 as the first regional commercial television station in New South Wales, and has since expanded to 39 transmitters throughout the northern half of New South Wales and...
, compiled a number of weeks after the quake. The footage shows the quake interrupting an interview, and also shows parts of the city on the day of the quake: particularly Hamilton, the Newcastle Workers Club, the city centre and inner-city suburbs. - Geoscience Australia: CCIP Project - Newcastle (Earthquake Risk in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie)