The Rutherford man could only describe the scene at Newcastle Workers Club, where nine of the 13 deaths took place, as unbelievable.

The amount of devastation in there was hard to believe, he said.

Quite a number of people were killed or trapped.

We knew where a number of people were. We had to search.

We were digging them out by hand, and then helping to safely get them out of the club.

Thursday marks the 28th anniversary of the 5.6 magnitude earthquake one of Australias most serious natural disasters.

Mr Varley was driving in Maitland at the time, so had no idea an earthquake had even happened.

But when he stopped and heard the word earthquake he decided to head down to the Rutherford station. It was there he realised the severity of what had happened.

They said to anyone they could find, get to Newcastle, Mr Varley said.

After teaming up with workmate John Presland, Mr Varley headed for the city.

Tighes Hill was the first place that really struck a chord.

The Tafe was on fire, Mr Varley said. Buildings across the road were collapsed.

We went to Hamilton Ambulance Station, even it suffered extensive damage and had been evacuated.

Mr Varley was sent to the Workers Club, where his rescue training was put to good use as he worked into the evening trying to pull people from the rubble.

Mr Varley said it was a dangerous job, but a vital one which potentially saved lives.

We were very aware of the dangers, there was always a risk of an aftershock, he said.

But it was important that we all did our jobs.

It was certainly a long day.

Looking back, Mr Varley said it was a remarkable experience, and fortunately one he hasnt had to go through again.

It was a really unusual event, he said.

It took a while for Newcastle to recover but we did.

Thankfully there has been nothing like it since.

Newcastle Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said reflecting on the earthquake highlights the resilience of the greater Newcastle community.

28 years on we acknowledge the significant impact of the Newcastle Earthquake, particularly the tragic loss of lives and livelihoods, she said.