The Meckering Fault scarp is located within the most active seismic region on the Australian continent. This region is known as the South West Seismic Zone (SWSZ) and according to Geoscience Australia, their has been more than 12,000 earthquakes recorded in the SWSZ region since September 2001. Most of these events have been aftershocks of larger events and the majority of these tremors are very small and are known as micro seismic events.

A reconnaissance visit to the Meckering fault scarp took place between Sunday Oct 19th 2003- Thursday 23rd October 2003 A survey by air and road was undertaken of the region searching for a site that would be suitable for staging a site specific and remote artwork incorporating the placement of the earthquake simulator on the Meckering fault scarp. A site was found after surveying the scarp by light aircraft of the 15th October 2003.

The reasoning for selecting the region of Meckering as a possible site was based around the significance of the 1968 Meckering earthquake and the fact that Meckering is located in the most active seismic region of Australia.

"SWSZ Intervention" was the name of the work and it was concieved to take place on/or near the Meckering fault scarp for a duration of 37 days in late 2005. The intervention was to be started at 10.59am on the 14th October 2005 and end at 10.59am on the 19th November. 37 days as a memorial to exactly 37 years since the 1968 Meckering earthquake.

The conceptual and artistic motive behind this proposed work was to create a geo-physical feedback system; an experiment whereby the introduction of a machine (Earthquake Simulator) into an existing geological time frame might result in the collision of a new and harmonious combination. The earthquake simulator was to be controlled by globally and locally monitored seismic data.

Click HERE to read the original proposed draft posted online April 2003.

This web page will serve as an archive to the process involved with researching and finding the most signifiacnt site of intervention for placement of the earthquake simulator within the Australian landscape.