Magnitude 3.8 earthquake felt near Melbourne for first time in more than 120 years

Residents were woken just before midnight to what sounded “like a car crash” as a rare earthquake shook the area.

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake that hit a Melbourne suburb overnight has broken a more than 120-year record.

The earthquake woke people from their sleep at 11.41pm on Sunday with people rushing to social media to report feeling a big shake at the epicentre in Sunbury and as far away as Hobart.

Sunbury is jus 36 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.

It is the largest earthquake within 40km of the capital city in more than 120 years, according to a tweet from seismologist Adam Pascale.

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake hit Sunbury just before midnight on Sunday. Picture: Geoscience Australia

An earthquake with a magnitude 4.5 was reported in 1902.

Victoria SES confirmed that no injuries or damage had been recorded as of midnight.

No injuries or damage have been reported as yet. Picture: Seismology Research Centre

Melbourne residents flocked to social media within minutes of the impact to share their shock over the midnight wake-up.

“One solid “boom” and mild-medium shake, minor rumbling [in the] Essendon area,” one user tweeted.

Just looked back at my security camera from the #Earthquake

As you can see kitty is not impressed. #melbourneearthquakepic.twitter.com/TWdf9mGDVW

— Cait (@1080hertz) May 28, 2023

“After the one in lockdown ‘21 I am sure parts of my house started to separate, will keep an eye out for further movement,” another person said.

One person shared video from her home CCTV system which shows her cat running downstairs after the first quake.

Now our place has even more character. Hope everyone is ok! #earthquake#Melbournepic.twitter.com/I5As29uolO

— Julia Steel (@julessteel) May 28, 2023

Called a friend after the #melbourneearthquake and she said “I was going to run outside but then I realised I don’t have pants on. I think I might put pants on.” 😂

— Alicia Byrne (@AliciaB22) May 28, 2023

#melbourneearthquake sitting up in bed reading. A thump on the wall behind my head. A fleeting thought ... car smashed into our building? ... then a massive boom & the apartment building (old school 4 flats) swayed once, twice then a further, smaller shimmer. Then nothing.

— The Interesting Times Gang (@moralconstraint) May 28, 2023

As of 3am on Monday, Geosciences Australia had received more than 21,000 felt reports from resident across Melbourne’s suburbs, wider Victoria - and even some as far south as Hobart.

“It was pretty scary with thundering noise in Glenroy. Although my 2 months old bub kept on sleeping,” a third wrote.

More than 21,000 people reported feeling the tremors including some as far away as Hobart. Picture: Geosciences Australia

“Was enough to wake me from a deep sleep. A loud noise like an explosion, deep rumbling, the sound of windows rattling, then utter silence. Over very quickly,” a Reservoir resident said.

Felt the earthquake in my high-rise apartment in Melbourne CBD. I had just gone to sleep and was dreaming i was on a bumpy train. Building shook. Last time it happened in lockdown i had just started a Zoom presentation with 200 people and the power went out! #melbourneearthquake

— Paul O'Halloran (@paulohalloranIR) May 28, 2023

yeah the epicentre was in Sunbury apparently, not too far away! heard the same about not feeling it but I can’t fathom it — I thought a car had gone through our wall 😅

— Jake Colosimo (he/him) (@b0nestorm) May 28, 2023

A number of people compared the earthquake to the most recent memorable quake during the city’s longest Covid lockdown in September 2021.

The massive 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Woods Point- 180km east of Melbourne - though tremors were felt as far as 700km away.

A damaged building on Chapel Street in Prahran in inner Melbourne after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit 700km away. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Brick facades in the centre of Melbourne crumbled to the ground with a total of 46 buildings damaged across the city.

Originally published as Magnitude 3.8 earthquake felt near Melbourne for first time in more than 120 years