January 30, 1853 Tsunami: Tasmania, Australia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Tasmania, Australia on January 30, 1853. The water rose as high as 0.9 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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
- January 30, 1853
- Source
- Tasmania, Australia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Maximum water height
- 0.9 m (3.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 43.170° S, 147.270° E
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.
The Secretary read a note from Mr S K Davie at Oyster Cove giving an account of a sudden rise of tide to the height of three feet perpendicularly when about half-flood, and of a recession as remarkable, followed by the ordinary rise and fall in its usual course, about noon on the 30th January last. The water is described as having approached in the manner of a Bore. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oyster Cove, Tasmania | Australia | 6 | 0.9 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1853The 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 6120.