THE SQUIZ
Oh c’mon, universe… After COVID lockdowns, violent protests, and taking away the AFL grand final for 2 years – enough’s enough. If you’re in Australia’s southeast, be on the lookout for all things old testament after an earthquake was detected near Mansfield, Victoria at 9:15am yesterday. It was the largest recorded earthquake in the state’s history and one of the largest in eastern Australia since European settlement.

WHAT HAPPENED?
The first earthquake was magnitude 5.9, and it was felt 190 kilometres away in Melbourne and regional Victoria, as well as in Sydney, regional NSW, Canberra, Adelaide, and northern Tassie. Experts say it was fortunate the epicentre was in a less populated regional area. According to the State Emergency Service, the initial quake was followed by 6 aftershocks with magnitudes in the 4s, 3s and 2s. Authorities said there is still the chance of significant aftershocks, but they are unlikely to exceed the original magnitude-5.9 quake. Rescue services logged 100 requests for assistance, most relating to structural damage to buildings in metro Melbourne. But what happened in Melbourne’s inner city, on camera at the ABC, and in some homes – you can see the effects were varied…

UMM AUSTRALIA DOESN’T HAVE EARTHQUAKES…
Umm yes we do. Like, 100 every year… As for quakes of a significant magnitude and in areas where people live, not often. According to Geoscience Australia, magnitude-5 earthquakes can occur every one-to-2 years, and magnitude 6 earthquakes every 10 years. Australia’s largest recorded earthquake was magnitude 6.6 in 1988 at Tennant Creek in the Top End. The deadliest was the devastating 1989 Newcastle earthquake – a magnitude-5.6 quake that led to the deaths of 13 people. The good news is we’re not on a fault line like our neighbours Indonesia and Kiwiland, and that’s why we rarely see the really big ones. As the ABC explains, we’re in the middle of pavlova…s, we’re in the middle of pavlova…