Victoria Earthquake Explained: Magnitude 4.8 Near Leongatha, Depth and Where It Was Felt

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Leongatha in South Gippsland, Victoria, at 2:01 am AEST on Saturday 3 October 2026, at an estimated depth of about 10 km, and was felt from Gippsland to Geelong and Melbourne. Geoscience Australia (GA) recorded it as a local magnitude (MLa) 4.8 event. No injuries and no significant damage had been reported as of Saturday afternoon. This explainer is pinned to GA’s data as of 6:24 am AEDT on Sunday 4 October 2026.

What happened in the Victoria earthquake?

GA recorded a local magnitude 4.8 earthquake, labelled ‘Near Leongatha, VIC’, at 2:01:39 am AEST on Saturday 3 October 2026, at about 38.40°S, 145.86°E. GA’s record shows the event was manually reviewed and has a status of confirmed, using data from 64 seismograph stations. Early reports called the 4.8 preliminary; GA’s preferred value is now 4.85, shown as 4.8.

What time did it happen, and why do some reports say 2 October?

It struck at 2:01 am AEST (UTC+10) on Saturday 3 October 2026, which is 16:01 UTC on Friday 2 October, so outlets and web addresses that use UTC carry the earlier date. We use GA’s origin time as the only timestamp. Victoria’s daylight saving did not start until 2 am on Sunday 4 October, so the mainshock and first two aftershocks fall in AEST, and the latest aftershock in AEDT.

How strong was it, and why do agencies quote different magnitudes?

GA puts it at local magnitude 4.8 (MLa 4.85), while the US Geological Survey (USGS) lists 4.7 on a body-wave (mb) scale, so the two agencies describe the same event with a small gap between methods. Each uses its own measure and station network, so gaps of a tenth of a magnitude unit are common.

How deep was it, and where exactly was the epicentre?

GA lists a depth of 10 km, but its record carries zero stated uncertainty, which usually signals a fixed default depth, so we write about 10 km (estimated). The USGS also gives 10 km.

Place names vary. GA’s label is ‘Near Leongatha’. The national broadcaster and the local South Gippsland paper put the epicentre at Arawata, between Leongatha and Korumburra, and the USGS says 5 km north-north-east of Korumburra. Our calculation from GA’s coordinates gives about 5 km from Korumburra and 11 km from Leongatha. News reports say 130 to 135 km south-east of Melbourne; a straight line from GA’s coordinates to central Melbourne is nearer 100 km, so quoted distances depend on the reference point.

How many people felt it, and where?

GA’s felt-report page showed 21,491 reports at 6:24 am AEDT on Sunday 4 October 2026, up from 21,153 at 5:28 pm AEST on Saturday, so the total has kept rising. Early reports said nearly 18,000, and Saturday-afternoon reports said about 20,000 to 21,000. Residents described shaking and a loud rumble from Gippsland and Phillip Island to Geelong and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The USGS, which collects its own much smaller set, had 517.

In our analysis of GA’s report locations, the median report came from about 86 km away and about nine in ten from within 110 km of the epicentre. These are self-reported and carry no intensity rating, so they show how many people responded, not how hard the ground shook. A magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Sunbury in May 2023 drew 28,481 reports in GA’s database.

Were there aftershocks?

Yes: GA lists three smaller earthquakes near Leongatha since the mainshock, the largest a magnitude 3.1 about 55 minutes later.

Times are AEST except the last, which is AEDT. ‘Felt’ is GA’s report count as of 6:24 am AEDT on Sunday 4 October. A separate magnitude 3.3 earthquake near Yarram, roughly 85 km east by our calculation, was recorded at 9:43 am AEST on Thursday 1 October. GA lists it as its own event and we do not link the two.

Was anyone hurt, and was there any damage?

No injuries and no significant damage had been reported as of Saturday afternoon 3 October 2026, according to national news reports, though one resident described paint flaking from the walls of an old house. The newswire and both national broadcasters said there had been no reports of damage so far, and the local paper reported no word of structural damage. A GA spokesperson told local media a quake of this size typically causes little beyond items falling from shelves, and the Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat. We found no later reports of injury or damage as of Sunday 4 October.

How does it compare with past Victorian earthquakes?

On local magnitude it is the largest Victorian earthquake since the October 2023 Otway Ranges event, which is why reports call it the biggest in about three years, but it is not the largest on record.

These are GA’s local magnitudes. Its preferred figures for three of the events are moment magnitudes: Woods Point 5.9 (the figure widely reported), Otway Ranges 4.7 and Leongatha 4.3. Reports say the 2021 Woods Point earthquake was the state’s last to cause property damage. The February 2024 Leongatha event was about 20 km south-east of this one by our calculation. Reports describe South Gippsland as one of Australia’s more seismically active zones.

What should you do during an earthquake?

Victoria’s State Emergency Service (VicSES) said the earthquake was a timely reminder of the standard drill: drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture, protect your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops. A GA scientist gave the same advice, as reported by the newswire and a national broadcaster. For official guidance, check the VicSES and GA earthquake pages.

What could still change on this page?

Three things can still move: the felt-report total, GA’s list of aftershocks and any later report of damage. GA lists the mainshock as confirmed, and this page makes no prediction about further earthquakes. For another recent earthquake, see our explainer on what caused the Venezuela earthquake .