17/06/2026
Murchison Earthquake Anniversary. 97 years ago in 1929 an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude on the Richter scale struck Karamea and the wider Buller region including the town of Murchison. Unfortunately in Murchison a number of people died as a direct result of the earthquake. In Karamea no one died directly, however George Pettit died a few weeks later due to injuries caused by the earthquake. There were warning signs as people in the Karamea District had heard mysterious booms in the mountains and out to sea for a time beforehand. In the early hours of the morning a couple of shakes were felt. The main event occurred around 10.15am destroying roads, telephone lines, burning down homes due to their chimneys collapsing (or at least putting them out of plumb). The Karamea Harbour was destroyed. The ground sunk 3 feet. And according to one local it was reported that a 3 foot tsunami came in too. The smell of sulphur, waterspouts, liquifaction, and large cracks in the ground were everywhere. And the constant shaking was terrifying. A mist also hung over the District just to add to the event. Karamea was a maritime town before 1929. For lots more photos and memoirs come visit the museum. We will be open this Friday 1pm. Last chance to visit the museum for a short while.
Entry is $10 or $8 if you have a Gold Card.
