December 15, 1873 Tsunami: Southeast Australia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Southeast Australia on December 15, 1873. 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
- December 15, 1873
- Source
- Southeast Australia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- 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 the afternoon of the former day, the tide, then at ebb, was noticed to suddenly rise and rush up the river with great velocity to a height of from one and a half to two feet. It receded just as suddenly, leaving in several places along the banks large numbers of fish behind it. These sudden ebbs and flows were continued during that and the following day at intervals varying from 10 minutes to half an hour, the water in the river being in the meantime unusually thick and muddy, while the ocean outside was if anything smoother than usual." (reference #14280)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Fairy | Australia | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1873The 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 6127.