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WA earthquake rocks southern Wheatbelt

Posted October 10, 2007 13:00:00

Updated October 10, 2007 13:29:00

The quake in WA's southern Wheatbelt
affected towns and properties in a 140 kilometre radius. (User submitted: Mari
Walker)

Audio:
Broome Hill resident Grant Taylor talks about the earthquake in WA's
south west. (ABC News)

Map:
Kojonup 6395

An earthquake, which authorities describe as the biggest in four
decades, has been recorded in Western Australia's southern Wheatbelt.

The quake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and was centred just south of
Katanning.

It was felt by people hundreds of kilometres away, from the nearby towns of
Katanning and Kojonup, to Cowaramup and Margaret River in the South West, all
the way to Perth.

GeoScience Australia's duty seismologist, Spiro Spiliopoulos, says it is the
largest quake to hit the Great Southern in decades.

"It is the biggest earthquake in about 40 years so it is unusual in that
regard," he said.

Dr Spiliopoulos says tremors were even felt in some high rise buildings in
Perth, more than 270 kilometres away.

Retired Kojonup farmer Chris Evans says he noticed the quake just before
8am.

"The floor moved quite noticeably through the whole house," he said.

"I was sitting in the office chair on carpeted floor and I could feel it
moving up and down."

Broome Hill resident Grant Taylor, whose house suffered minor damage, says he
heard a deafening boom just before 8am.

"Mainly down one end of the house. There are some big cracks in the
brickwork," he said.

Bridgetown resident, Clive Smith, says, at first, he was not sure that he was
experiencing an earthquake.

"I thought maybe the house was falling apart so I actually went under and
checked the house because we've got a dodgy stump in one corner," he said.

"I was so relieved to hear that there had been an earthquake and it wasn't my
imagination."

Tags: earthquake, regional, katanning-6317, kojonup-6395

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