A quiet regional town was rocked on an otherwise ordinary afternoon. Locals had no warning—just an unexpected jolt that rattled nerves and knocked items from shelves.

Within minutes, social media lit up with confused residents asking the same question: “Did you feel that?”

Cars trembled in parking lots. Inside homes, the shaking lasted only seconds, but the unease lingered much longer. Some reported power flickers, others said their internet went down just as the ground shifted beneath them. For many, the sensation felt like an impact—like something massive had struck nearby.

As emergency services began fielding calls, it became clear this wasn’t an isolated incident. Hundreds of people across the region logged their experience online, describing what they heard, saw, and felt. From children in classrooms to workers in offices, no one expected the sudden disruption to their day.

Only later did experts confirm the source: a 3.5 magnitude earthquake had struck near the town of Appin in New South Wales, just 70km southwest of Sydney. Recorded at a shallow depth of only 2km, the quake triggered aftershocks as far as Menangle. Geoscience Australia reported nearly 500 firsthand accounts within the first hour.