According to Geoscience Australia, the magnitude 5.2 quake occurred shortly after 2:30am in a remote area of the Orana region, approximately 90 kilometres north of Nyngan and 160 kilometres southeast of Bourke.
Roughly seven minutes later, a 4.2 magnitude aftershock was recorded, followed by a 3.7 magnitude tremor around 5:30am.
Senior Seismologist Trevor Allen noted that hundreds of people reported experiencing the tremor via the Geoscience Australia website.
“This is a significant earthquake,” Dr Allen said.
Most of the reports came from Dubbo, located about 200 kilometres southeast of the epicentre, with some even coming from Sydney, nearly 500 kilometres away.
Despite the quake’s size, no damage has been reported so far.
“Given that many reports are from locations distant from the epicentre, the ground shaking described has been relatively mild. So, we wouldn’t expect significant damage,” Dr Allen explained.
Locals React to the Quake
Many people shared their experiences on the ABC Western Plains Facebook page, with hundreds commenting.
Reports included rattling windows in Condobolin, shaking doors in Walgett, squeaking beds in Bugaldie, wooden ducks falling off shelves in Narrabri, and creaking homes in Bingara and Warialda.
In Trundle, some believed nearby grain trucks were passing, while in Dubbo, residents were awakened by a 30-second rumble.
People in Wee Waa and as far as Maitland felt the quake, with one person mentioning a shaking wardrobe. Another in Dubbo described their home shaking and pets reacting wildly.
Rare for the Region
Dr Allen explained that, while Australia lies far from tectonic plate boundaries, the continent still experiences stress within its ancient crust.
“These stresses accumulate along existing faults, and when the pressure exceeds a threshold, it results in an earthquake,” he said.
Western NSW is not typically known for seismic activity. Only 12 quakes have occurred within 200 kilometres of this weekend’s event in the past 25 years. A comparable tremor last occurred in the nearby Coonamble Basin in 1961.
Aftershocks may continue for several days or even weeks, though they are expected to decrease in intensity and frequency.
Dr Allen encouraged anyone who felt the earthquake to submit a report to Geoscience Australia and follow basic earthquake safety guidelines: “Drop, cover and hold.”
“This advice exists because injuries and fatalities often come not from the collapse of buildings, but from falling non-structural items—like shelves, air conditioning ducts, and similar fixtures,” he added.
