December 31, 1852 Tsunami: Tasmania, Australia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Tasmania, Australia on December 31, 1852. The water rose as high as 1.2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- December 31, 1852
- Source
- Tasmania, Australia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Maximum water height
- 1.2 m (3.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
On 31 December 1852 at Port Arthur and New Town Bay the tide was seen to rise several feet and fall again twenty minutes later. (reference #7675)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Bay (Port Arthur), Tasmania | Australia | 1.2 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| New Town, Tasmania | Australia | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1852The 1800sTsunamis of AustraliaThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 5768.