December 27th 2024.
It has been 35 years since the deadliest earthquake in Australia's history, but one of the key individuals involved in the response to the disaster believes that there are still lessons to be learned. On December 28, 1989, at 10:27am, the city of Newcastle in New South Wales was struck by a 5.6-magnitude earthquake. In just six seconds, buildings crumbled, power lines fell, and the lives of 13 people were tragically lost. Another 162 individuals were left injured.
John McNaughton, who was the lord mayor of Newcastle at the time, vividly remembers the events of that day. He recalls that the city had a population of about 400,000 and most people can still recall where they were when the earthquake hit. McNaughton himself was on his sailing boat at Tea Gardens, and he felt the tremors before going ashore to buy some groceries. To his shock, the entire town was in chaos as news of the earthquake spread.
However, what many people didn't realize at the time was that the earthquake had its epicenter near the coast and had caused immense devastation in Newcastle. In the aftermath, McNaughton was urgently needed in the central part of the city, but his car was parked kilometers away. With the help of the police, he was able to rush to the scene in a paddy wagon with his son in tow.
Upon arriving, McNaughton discovered that the rescue operations were focused on the Newcastle Workers Club, where nine people had died and others were trapped under the rubble. The club was preparing for a rock concert that day, and it was estimated that about 2000 fans would attend. One of the toughest decisions McNaughton had to make during the chaos was to withdraw rescue teams from the site due to the unstable nature of the damaged building.
He recalls, "There was a massive brick wall that was leaning at a dangerous angle and starting to move." With survivors pleading for help from under the rubble, the police commander made the difficult call to pull out the search and rescue teams while heavy machinery was brought in to reinforce the wall.
Looking back on those dark days, McNaughton is filled with pride at how the community and authorities came together to help those in need. However, he is worried that Newcastle and the surrounding Hunter region may not be adequately prepared for another earthquake. Historical records show that the city has been hit by four major quakes since the arrival of white settlers in 1788 - in 1842, 1868, 1925, and 1989. McNaughton points out that, statistically, the city is closer to the next earthquake than it is to the previous one.
In the 35 years since the disaster, disaster plans have been developed, and emergency services have undergone extensive training to prepare for any future disasters. However, McNaughton believes that there needs to be more education for the community on how to respond in the event of another earthquake, especially in schools. He suggests implementing emergency protocols similar to those in some US cities, where parents are advised to park their cars away from their children's schools following an earthquake.
"We need to prevent them from clogging up the roads so that police and ambulances can reach the schools quickly," McNaughton explains.
In the aftermath of the Newcastle earthquake, 13 lives were lost, and 160 people were injured. The damage was extensive, with 50,000 buildings destroyed, 300,000 people affected, and 1000 left homeless. The estimated cost of the damage was around $4 billion in today's terms. The effects of the earthquake were felt over an area of approximately 200,000 square kilometers, with reports of movement reaching up to 800km from Newcastle. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Boolaroo.
Despite the devastation and loss, McNaughton remains hopeful for the future. He believes that with proper education and preparation, the community can come together once again in the face of disaster and emerge stronger than ever.
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