“Suddenly there was this terrible bang right on top of my house,” she said.

“It came as if it was on top of my roof.”

At the time Mrs Roberts had no idea it was an earthquake measuring 1.9 on the Richter scale, however she wasn’t alone.

As houses shook one resident ran from his dwelling scared a truck had struck it while another feared her house was being broken into.

But duty seismologist Steve Tatham from the earthquake monitors, Geoscience Australia, said a quake was recorded at 11.05 pm on Monday in Narromine.

Describing it as a “small event” the seismologist said their station in Cobar and seismic equipment at Parkes had picked up the vibrations.

While Mr Tatham said he checked nearby mine sites he eventually put it down to Mother Nature or an “inter-plate earthquake”.

He said the tectonic plate which Australia sits on was pushing north and clashing with other continental plates.

“It’s like a twig, the more pressure you apply, eventually it will snap,” he said.

“It’s certainly nothing to worry about, it was a natural geological process.

“We have seen the area between Dubbo and Narromine experience a number of small earthquakes over the years.”

Narromine is no stranger to seismic activity having recorded five earthquakes in the past four years measuring between 2.8 on the Richter scale and Monday night’s 1.9 in magnitude.

“No doubt there have been others but they might not have been felt or dismissed as something else,” he said.

This one was certainly felt with its epicentre being almost directly under the town proper.

Mr Tatham urged people to visit their website and fill in an earthquake report.

“The information people provide is very useful in maintaining an accurate database.”