Tas That Was
Tas That Was – Earthquake at Port Arthur
Did you know that an earthquake occurred at Port Arthur in the late nineteenth century?
On 27 January 1892, an earthquake occurred at Port Arthur.
The Tasmanian Mail reported:
“The inhabitants of this port were much alarmed by a violent shock of an earthquake. It began as a low rumbling at 2.45 a.m., followed by a slight shock, the rumbling increasing in intensity for something like 10 or 12 seconds, when the second and heaviest shock occurred. There vibrated and shook in an alarming manner, and many … rushed out of the verandahs in fear. A large brick wall [at the Parsonage] is badly damaged and ready to fall.”
Bibliography
- Cameron, David W. (2021), Convict-Era Port Arthur: Misery of the Deepest Dye, Penguin Random House, Australia.
- Weidenhofer, M (1981), Port Arthur: A Place of Misery, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
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Tas That Was is a column that includes:
- anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
- historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
- documentaries about locations in Tasmania.
If you have an anecdote or photograph you’d like to share with us, please send it to submit@tasmaniantimes.com.