Residents reported their homes shaking about 9.30pm yesterday in Townsville, with small tremors felt by residents as far north as Cairns and south as Mackay.
The earthquake was recorded 17 kilometres from Townsville at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to Geoscience Australia.
More than 5000 people reported feeling the tremors.
Some reported feeling like there was an “explosion”.
Townsville resident Jethro Gifford told 9news he heard the loud crack of an earthquake from inside his home.
”Sounded like an explosion at the front of the house, a loud bang, followed by a second or two more of rumbling,” he said.
“The whole neighbourhood was in front of their houses trying to figure out what was going on.”
“Such a strange feeling to suddenly have this weird force racing beneath you, making your home shudder, and then some kind of explosion,” Townsville resident Barbara Hannay said.
CCTV footage shows homes trembling as the earthquake hit.
There were no reports of major damage and authorities warned aftershocks were a possibility.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed there was no tsunami threat to the Australia’s mainland, islands or territories.
A smaller 3.3-magnitude earthquake was also felt in Muswellbrook, NSW about 10pm.
Only 189 reported feeling tremors from the quake, which had a depth of 1 kilometre.
