SES Hedland Hedland State Emergency Service 
QuakeSmart – Western Australia State Emergency Service
The Western Australia State Emergency Service (WASES) is the control agency for earthquakes in Western Australia, which means that we are responsible for planning for earthquakes and for managing responses if an earthquake does occur.
An earthquake is the shaking and vibration at the surface of the Earth caused by underground movement along a fault plane, or by volcanic activity.
Unlike other countries such as Japan, New Zealand and Indonesia, Australia does not lie in close proximity to a tectonic plate boundary where large earthquakes can occur. However, communities in Australia can still experience damaging and deadly earthquakes. The largest earthquake to affect Australia in recent times was the Newcastle earthquake in 1989, which killed 13 people and injured 160.
We’ve put together some important information that can help you learn more about earthquakes, including what to do before, during and after one.
- Earthquake Definitions.pdf (213 KB)
- Earthquake Facts.pdf (736 KB)
- Earthquakes in Victoria.pdf (375 KB)
- What to do in an Earthquake.pdf (507 KB)
You can also use the sub-navigation to view more pages in this section, or click on one of the questions below.
- How do earthquake notification systems work?
- How can I prepare for an earthquake?
- What should I do if an earthquake happens?
- What is an emergency plan and what should it include?
- What should I put in my emergency kit?
Download the Emergency Toolkit which will help you before, during and after an earthquake emergency.
- Emergency Toolkit.pdf (546 KB)
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QuakeSafe Teacher resources
For lesson plans and activity ideas about earthquakes, visit our Teachers section.