Recent Tsunamis affecting Australia
Records of Tsunamis affecting Australia
There have been over fifty recorded incidents of tsunamis affecting the Australian coastline since European settlement. Most of these tsunamis have resulted in dangerous rips and currents rather than land inundation. The largest tsunami impacts have been recorded along the northwest coast of Western Australia:
- In 1977 a tsunami travelled inland to a point six metres above sea level at Cape Leveque, WA.
- In 1994 a tsunami travelled 300 metres inland in the Onslow-Exmouth region of WA.
- In 2006 a tsunami affected parts of the WA coast, particularly at Steep Point where a tsunami travelled 200 metres inland.
The table below lists the records of tsunamis affecting the Australian coastlines since European settlement. Please note that the list may not be exhaustive. If you have firm evidence to support additional past events to be added to the list, you are welcome to contribute through Feedback.
| Date | Australian region where tsunami effects were recorded | Source Region | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8-11, 1805 | NSW (Norfolk Island) | Unknown | Many houses damaged and one totally swept away |
| December 31, 1852 | TAS | Unknown | Remarkable sudden rise and fall of the tide noted at Port Arthur and Hobart |
| January 23, 1855 | TAS | New Zealand | A very sudden rise and fall of the Derwent river noted as far as New Town Bay |
| February 6, 1858 | TAS | Unknown | An extraordinary flow and ebb of the tide noted in New Town Bay |
| August 9, 1866 | NSW | Unknown | |
| August 15-21, 1866 | NSW | Unknown | |
| August 5-13, 1867 | NSW | Unknown | |
| August 15, 1868 | NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, WA | North Chile | The ebbing tide reversed and waters returned to Sydney Harbour with great force. Ships swung at anchor and boats washed ashore in Newcastle. Jetty washed away in Long Bay Tasmania |
| October 16, 1868 | NSW, QLD | Central Chile | |
| December 24, 1868 | VIC | Unknown | |
| August 11, 1869 | NSW | Unknown | |
| August 12, 1870 | NSW | Unknown | |
| October 13, 1874 | TAS | Unknown | A tidal wave at Port Davey after an earthquake that shook houses |
| May 5, 1877 | NSW, QLD | North Chile | A series of waves recorded at Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour |
| May 15, 1879 | NSW | Unknown | A series of waves recorded at Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour |
| September 21, 1880 | NSW | Chile | A series of waves recorded at Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour |
| December 25, 1882 | TAS | Unknown | Four successive waves with the third being three or four feet high reported at Stanley |
| August 27, 1883 | WA | Indonesia | Result of Krakatoa eruption |
| August 28, 1883 | NSW, WA, TAS | Indonesia | Result of Krakatoa eruption |
| January 6, 1885 | WA | Unknown | |
| February 2, 1895 | NSW | Unknown | Ships in Newcastle harbour dragged their anchors |
| January 17, 1899 | NT | Unknown | A six foot tidal wave noted at Charles point |
| November 11, 1922 | NSW | North Chile | |
| June 26, 1924 | NSW | Macquarie Island | |
| June 17, 1929 | NSW | New Zealand | |
| February 3, 1931 | NSW | New Zealand | |
| February 13, 1931 | NSW | New Zealand | |
| March 2, 1933 | NSW | Japan | |
| April 1, 1946 | NSW | Aleutian Islands | |
| September 9, 1948 | NSW | Tonga trench | |
| August 24, 1951 | NSW | Taiwan | |
| November 4, 1952 | NSW | Kamkatcha, Russia | |
| November 4, 1953 | NSW | Solomon Islands | |
| March 11, 1957 | NSW | Aleutian Islands | |
| November 8, 1958 | NSW | South Kuril Islands | |
| May 23, 1960 | NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC | Central Chile | Slight to moderate damage to boats in harbours at Evans Head, Newcastle, Sydney and Eden |
| March 29 1964 | NSW, TAS | Alaska | Drastic alterations in the motion of the tides noted |
| July 26, 1971 | QLD, NSW | Bismark Sea | |
| July 20, 1975 | NSW | Solomon Islands | |
| January 14, 1976 | NSW | Kermadec Islands | |
| April 20, 1977 | NSW, QLD | Solomon Islands | |
| April 21, 1977 | QLD | Solomon Islands | |
| August 19, 1977 | WA | Sunda Islands | Land inundation reported at Cape Leveque, Dampier and Port Sampson |
| May 8, 1986 | NSW | Aleutian Islands | |
| May 23, 1989 | NSW, TAS | Macquarie Island | |
| October 19, 1989 | NSW | California, USA | |
| June 3, 1994 | WA | Java | Fish, rocks and coral carried two to three hundred metres inland along parts of the coastline near the Northwest Cape. |
| May 15, 1995 | NSW | New Caledonia | |
| December 26, 2004 | NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA | Sumatra | Major Indian Ocean tsunami. 35 people rescued from rip currents, boats damaged in marinas (especially in WA, but also including as far as Tasmania), some limited and localised inundation of immediate foreshores in a small number of WA coastal towns. |
| May 3, 2006 | NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC | Tonga | |
| July 17, 2006 | SA, WA | Java | Affected parts of the WA coast particularly Steep Point (WA). Widespread erosion, extensive vegetation damage and several campsites destroyed. Evidence of inundation up to 200 metres inland. |
| April 2, 2007 | NSW | Solomon Islands | Dangerous rips and currents reported at Coffs Harbour |
| July 15, 2009 | NSW, TAS | New Zealand | |
| February 28, 2010 | NSW, QLD, TAS | Chile | 50cm wave at Norfolk Island, 42cm wave at Gold Coast QLD, 29cm wave at Port Kembla NSW, and a 28cm wave at Southport TAS |
| March 11, 2011 | NSW, TAS | Japan | 56cm wave at Norfolk Island, 35cm wave at Port Kembla NSW, and a 23cm wave at Spring Bay TAS. Unusual currents noted at Port Kembla and Sydney Harbour. Several swimmers washed into a lagoon at Merimbula NSW |
Tsunamis through history
Destructive tsunamis have occurred in all of the world's oceans and seas. For detailed information on all major tsunami events, please visit the International Tsunami database.
