October 13, 1874 Tsunami: Tasmania, Australia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Tasmania, Australia on October 13, 1874. 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
- October 13, 1874
- Source
- Tasmania, Australia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 43.328° S, 145.900° 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.
A tidal wave at Port Davey after an earthquake that shook houses (reference #14293)
Reference #7675:
On 13 October 1874 an unusual ebb and flow of the tide in Port Davey was witnessed. It was then followed by a local earthquake that was felt in Hobart Town and aboard a ship in the waters of Port Davey. If this report is correct it is unusual to have a tsunami occurring before an earthquake and therefore the two events may not be linked.
The Examiner, Thursday 29 October 1874: “The inhabitants of the port informed Captain Carver that on the morning of the 13th, and just before the arrival of the schooner and the occurrence of the earthquake, a tidal wave ebbed and flowed.”
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 Davey, Tasmania | Australia | 9 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1874The 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 5767.