A group of engineers and earthquake scientists from around the world visited Meckering and York on Thursday, November 15 as part of the Australian Earthquake Engineering Society conference.
The AEES field trip allowed participants to study the impact of the 1968 Meckering earthquake and the measures being undertaken in York to mitigate the impact of any potential future earthquake events.
The group of 36 participants, who had travelled from all over Australia and internationally from China and Canada, commenced their visit at Meckering’s Memorial Park viewing the preserved sections of damaged rail and water pipe line.
The groups time in Meckering concluded with a guided tour conducted by Meckering local’s Alice and Graham Snooke, who accompanied the group out to the ruins of Salisbury House and the Fault Scarp Reserve where the 1968 Meckering fault scarp is still visible.
The group left with the only remaining bottles of the highly sought after Meckering Richter Ale, which was brewed for the recent earthquake 50th anniversary commemorative events.
The Meckering earthquake not only devastated the town of Meckering but also caused widespread damage to York, which is located only 38km from the earthquakes’ epicentre.
The town’s notable heritage buildings that are an important historical and tourism asset to the York community, prompted a joint project of the University of Adelaide and Geoscience Australia to develop earthquake mitigation strategies for masonry buildings in York.
An afternoon tea was hosted by the Shire of York subsequent to a walking tour to view some of the towns historic buildings and the structural measures applied following the Meckering earthquake and included the York Town Hall, Masonic Lodge, St. Patricks Parish Catholic Church and the York Post Office.
At 10.59 am on 14 October 1968, the town of Meckering was destroyed by an magnitude 6.5 earthquake.
The Meckering earthquake is the second largest recorded onshore earthquake in Australia and remains one of the most significant in terms of the damage to infrastructure and the subsequent cultural upheaval.
The 1968 Meckering earthquake was the first of nine historic earthquakes in Australia documented to have produced a surface scarp.