Melbourne and other areas of Victoria were shaken by an earthquake that sparked stories of houses shaking and moving, but no reports of serious damage.
The Geoscience Australia website crashed as people flocked online to find out what had happened.
The US Geological Survey said the 5.2-magnitude shake was centred 10km southwest of Moe in southeast Victoria, about 135km from Melbourne.
The 40-second quake hit about 8.55pm local time (10.55 NZT).
