In the early hours of Saturday morning, the earth beneath Victoria made itself known — a 4.8 magnitude earthquake near Leongatha, 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, stirring thousands from sleep and reminding a largely unaware population that the ground beneath their cities has its own long, restless history. The tremor, the state's largest since 2023, originated ten kilometres below the surface and radiated outward across eastern suburbs and regional communities alike. Scientists note that South Gippsland has always been among Australia's most seismically active corridors, and that Satur
4.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Victoria, largest since 2023
The ground beneath Victoria shifted just after two in the morning
Mark
So this was the biggest earthquake Victoria has seen in three years. What makes that noteworthy?
Mimi
It's the largest since 2023, yes. But the real story is that South Gippsland, where it hit, is one of Australia's most seismically active zones. This wasn't a freak event—it was the region doing what it does.
Luke
How do we know it was the largest since 2023? Is that from Geoscience Australia's records, or is there any ambiguity there?
Mimi
Geoscience Australia confirmed it. They have the instrumental record. The 2023 quake on the Great Ocean Road was 5.0, this one was 4.8, so it's definitively smaller than that one.
Mark
And the aftershock came 55 minutes later. How long should people expect to feel tremors?
Mimi
Mark Quigley said aftershocks could continue for weeks. That's the expert assessment.
Luke
But he's one source. Is that a consensus view, or is it his particular estimate?
Mimi
Fair point. The reporting attributes it to him specifically. I don't see other seismologists quoted on the duration.
Mark
What worries me is the historical context he mentioned—magnitude six or seven earthquakes in Gippsland's past. How far back are we talking?
Mimi
The source says "the geological record" but doesn't give specific dates or how recent those larger events were. It's clear they happened, but the timescale is vague.
Luke
Right. "In the past" could mean hundreds of years ago or thousands. That's a crucial detail that's missing.
Mimi
True. But Quigley's point stands: the region has capacity for much larger quakes than what we saw Saturday.
Mark
And if one of those happened now, what would the damage look like?
Mimi
He said it would cause widespread damage. The 2021 quake near Mansfield caused property damage and was felt 700 kilometres away, so we have some reference point.
Luke
But that was a 5.9, not a six or seven. We're extrapolating into territory where we don't have recent Victorian data.
Mimi
Exactly. Which is why Quigley's warning matters—it's based on the geological record, not recent experience.
Il Polso
- At 2:01am, thousands of Victorians were jolted awake as a 4.8 magnitude earthquake ruptured beneath Leongatha, sending tremors across Melbourne's eastern suburbs and as far as Venus Bay and Preston.
- Social media filled within minutes — residents in Narre Warren, Garfield, Heidelberg Heights and beyond sharing the same disorienting moment of shaking walls and uncertain ground.
- A 3.1 magnitude aftershock followed within the hour, and a 3.3 tremor had already struck near Yarram two days prior, signalling a region entering a period of heightened seismic unrest.
- Emergency authorities moved swiftly to rule out tsunami risk and reissue earthquake safety guidance — drop, cover, hold — for a population unaccustomed to significant seismic events.
- Earthquake scientist Mark Quigley cautioned that aftershocks could persist for weeks, and that the geological record shows Gippsland has hosted earthquakes of magnitude six to seven — events that, if repeated, would cause widespread damage across the region.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, the earth beneath Victoria made itself known — a 4.8 magnitude earthquake near Leongatha, 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, stirring thousands from sleep and reminding a largely unaware population that the ground beneath their cities has its own long, restless history. The tremor, the state's largest since 2023, originated ten kilometres below the surface and radiated outward across eastern suburbs and regional communities alike. Scientists note that South Gippsland has always been among Australia's most seismically active corridors, and that Saturday's shaking — unsettling as it was — belongs to a geological story far older and potentially far larger than any single night's disruption.
Just after two in the morning on Saturday, an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the magnitude scale ruptured near Leongatha, a town 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, jolting thousands of people across Victoria's eastern suburbs from sleep. Geoscience Australia recorded the tremor at roughly ten kilometres below the surface, and within hours had received thousands of felt reports from residents across the region — Preston, Heidelberg Heights, Venus Bay, Garfield, and beyond.
On social media, accounts arrived quickly: houses shaking, the sudden uncertainty of whether what you felt was real, then the collective confirmation that it was. It was Victoria's largest recorded earthquake since 2023, and a significant seismic event by recent standards. Within an hour, a 3.1 magnitude aftershock followed. A 3.3 magnitude tremor near Yarram had already struck two days earlier, suggesting the region was moving into a period of elevated activity.
The Bureau of Meteorology ruled out any tsunami threat, while the State Emergency Service used the moment to remind the public of earthquake safety protocol: drop, cover, protect your head and neck, hold on. Mark Quigley, an earthquake scientist at the University of Melbourne, explained that a section of rock roughly two by three kilometres in size had slipped between five and ten centimetres underground in a matter of seconds — releasing the energy residents felt as shaking. South Gippsland, he noted, is among Australia's most seismically active regions, and aftershocks could continue for weeks.
Quigley also offered a longer view: the apparent rise in earthquake frequency likely reflects better technology and awareness rather than a true increase in events. More sobering was his historical perspective — the geological record shows Gippsland has experienced earthquakes exceeding magnitude six, possibly reaching seven. Such an event, he said, would cause widespread damage. Saturday's tremor, significant enough to wake a city, was a modest entry in a landscape shaped by far more powerful forces.
Just after two in the morning on Saturday, the ground beneath Victoria shifted. At 2:01am, an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the magnitude scale ruptured near Leongatha, a town 130 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, jolting awake thousands of people across the state's eastern suburbs. Geoscience Australia recorded the tremor originating roughly ten kilometres below the surface, and within hours the agency had received thousands of reports from residents describing the moment their houses shook.
On social media, the accounts came quickly. A man in Narre Warren posted that the quake had woken him. Another resident in Garfield reported their house shaking. The tremors radiated outward across the region—Preston, Heidelberg Heights, Venus Bay, and dozens of other suburbs all felt the movement. For most people in Melbourne, it was the kind of sudden, disorienting experience that leaves you uncertain whether what you felt was real or imagined, until you see others online describing the exact same moment.
This was Victoria's largest recorded earthquake since 2023, when a 5.0 magnitude quake struck near the Great Ocean Road. The state has experienced larger tremors in recent years—a 5.9 magnitude event near Mansfield in 2021 caused property damage and was felt as far away as 700 kilometres from its epicentre—but Saturday's quake marked a significant seismic event by recent standards. Within an hour, a 3.1 magnitude aftershock followed. On Thursday morning, before the main event, a 3.3 magnitude earthquake had already struck near Yarram, about 80 kilometres east of Leongatha, suggesting the region was entering a period of heightened seismic activity.
The Bureau of Meteorology quickly ruled out any tsunami threat. Victoria's State Emergency Service used the moment to remind the public of earthquake safety protocol: drop to the ground, take cover beneath sturdy furniture, protect your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops. It was a practical reminder of preparedness in a state where most people rarely experience significant seismic events.
Mark Quigley, an associate professor of earthquake science at the University of Melbourne, explained what had physically occurred: a section of rock roughly two by three kilometres in size, situated about ten kilometres underground, had slipped between five and ten centimetres in a matter of seconds, releasing the energy that residents felt as shaking. He told the ABC that South Gippsland, where the epicentre was located, ranks among Australia's most seismically active regions. Aftershocks, he cautioned, could continue for weeks.
Quigley pushed back against a common misconception—that earthquakes are becoming more frequent. The apparent uptick in recent years, he suggested, likely reflects better recording technology and greater public awareness rather than an actual increase in seismic events. But he also offered a sobering historical perspective. The geological record shows that Gippsland has experienced much larger earthquakes in the past, some exceeding magnitude six and possibly reaching magnitude seven. Such an event, he said plainly, would cause widespread damage across the region. Saturday's quake, while significant enough to wake thousands and prompt safety reminders, was a relatively modest tremor in a landscape shaped by far more violent seismic forces.
Citazioni salienti
South Gippsland is one of our more seismically active parts of the country. We know it's an area where seismicity is common, and we know we would expect aftershocks from an earthquake of that magnitude.— Mark Quigley, associate professor of earthquake science, University of Melbourne
We know from the geological record we've had much larger in Gippsland in the past, larger than six and possibly as large as magnitude seven which I can assure you would cause widespread damage should they occur.— Mark Quigley, University of Melbourne
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