Cooks Hill was badly damaged when at 10.27 am on 28 December 1989 , Newcastle experienced an earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale which killed 13 people , injured 162 and destroyed or severely damaged over 25,000 buildings , many of which had to be subsequently demolished . It was the first in Australian history known to claim human lives
earthquake
1989 Newcastle earthquake
Cooks Hill, New South Wales