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Victoria has been rocked by the largest earthquake in its recorded history, but authorities say the state was lucky to escape with no reported injuries and only minor damage.

The magnitude 5.9 quake hit about 9.15am on Wednesday and was centred between Mansfield and Rawson in the state's northeast, according to Geoscience Australia.

The 10km deep earthquake was felt across Melbourne and as far away as Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide.

Six aftershocks have since been registered between 2.4 and 4.1 on the Richter scale, and further tremors are expected in coming days and possibly months.

There have been more than 100 calls for assistance, with 55 of those in metropolitan Melbourne. Most were for minor structural damage to chimneys, facades and older buildings.

State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch says it was "fortunate" the epicentre of the quake happened in a largely unpopulated part of regional Victoria.

"If that had occurred in one of our more urban and populated areas, we could be seeing quite a different result," he told reporters.

No major structural issues have been found after checks of rail lines, roads and dams.

Some building damage has emerged in metropolitan Melbourne and areas near Mansfield, with Beechworth hospital losing power and the cross at St Patrick's Church in Wangaratta falling down.

Among the buildings damaged is the facade of a Fitzroy building on Brunswick Road and the exterior of Betty's Burgers on Chapel Street in Windsor.

Mr Wiebusch said the time of day and lockdown restrictions may have prevented passers-by from being hit by the falling debris.

No one was inside the restaurant when the earthquake hit, managing director Troy McDonagh told AAP.

"We're out for months, it's structural, it looks like the top's come away, we need to get engineers in to assess it and then the works will need to be completed," he said.

Lynne Myers of High County Apparel in Mansfield, where the quake emanated, told AAP it was a frightening few minutes but there was no damage.

"Everything shook, the roof shook, boots fell off the shelf and I just ran outside," she said.

Craig Luelf from the All Seasons Mansfield resort said he was outside the town hospital when he felt "waves of the ground moving".

"At first, I thought the car was having a few issues and then realised all of a sudden that everything was moving," he told AAP.

"My father's neighbour is at the top of a hill and he could see the waves of the ground moving up the hill."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is currently in Washington DC, said he had spoken by text with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews following the earthquake.

"It can be a very, very disturbing event for an earthquake of this nature," he told reporters.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has met with Mr Morrison in the US, spent time as a teaching assistant at Timbertop near Mansfield in 1983.

"I was very sorry to hear you had an earthquake, in Mansfield, which I know well. I remember I used to go to a pub at a place called Merrijig which is near Mansfield," Mr Johnson told Mr Morrison, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Any federal response to the emergency will be handled by acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

The earthquake was originally recorded as a magnitude 6 but was later revised 5.8, then 5.9 on the Richter scale.

© AAP 2021

The largest earthquake in Victoria's history has damaged buildings, with the tremors felt across Melbourne and as far away as Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide.

The magnitude 5.9 quake was 10km deep and centred at Mansfield, a small town on the foothills of Victoria's alps, at around 9.15am on Wednesday, according to Geoscience Australia.

There has been six aftershocks since, between 2.4 and 4.1 on the Richter scale and further tremors are expected for some time after.

"What we have seen as a result of the 5.9 earthquake that affected Victoria today is a range of minor structural damage, we have had just over 100 requests for assistance, 55 in the metropolitan area, largely related to minor structural damage to chimneys and facades on buildings," State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch told reporters.

"Chapel Street, we saw a wall collapsed there and we saw a facade collapse in Brunswick Road in Fitzroy which are probably the two more significant, but there have been a range of chimneys and other minor structural damage across the state."

Helicopters were sent up to assess damage.

However, reports of damage have emerged from the Mansfield township and within metropolitan Melbourne, and the Beechworth hospital lost power, Deputy Premier James Merlino told reporters.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Seismology Research Centre Chief Scientist Adam Pascale said aftershocks could continue for months, although people may not feel them.

"A magnitude 5.8 makes this the largest onshore earthquake in Victoria in recorded history," he told AAP.

"We expect those aftershocks to continue for months probably."

Buildings in Melbourne shook and movement was felt in Geelong and even at Canberra's Parliament House, Sydney's CBD, northern Tasmania, parts of Adelaide and other areas in South Australia.

Among the buildings damaged is the exterior of Betty's Burgers on Chapel Street in Windsor

No one was inside the restaurant when the earthquake hit, managing director Troy McDonagh told AAP.

"We're out for months, it's structural, it looks like the top's come away, we need to get engineers in to assess it and then the works will need to be completed," he said.

Kim, who was working in the kitchen at Nguyen's Hot Bread in Windsor, opposite Betty's Burger, said it was a scary situation.

"It was very loud, I thought the building had collapsed, so I came outside and I saw smoke everywhere and luckily no one was under the building," she told AAP.

Lynne Myers of High County Apparel in Mansfield, where the quake emanated, told AAP it was a frightening few minutes but there was no damage.

"Everything shook, the roof shook, boots fell off the shelf and I just ran outside," she said.

Craig Luelf from the All Seasons Mansfield resort said he was outside the town hospital when he felt "waves of the ground moving".

"At first, I thought the car was having a few issues and then realised all of a sudden that everything was moving," he told AAP.

"My father's neighbour is at the top of a hill and he could see the waves of the ground moving up the hill."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is currently in Washington DC, said he had spoken by text with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews following the earthquake.

"It can be a very, very disturbing event for an earthquake of this nature," he told reporters.

Any federal response to the emergency will be handled by Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

The earthquake was originally recorded as a magnitude 6 but was later revised 5.8, then 5.9 on the Richter scale.

© AAP 2021

Australia's tourism and trade minister believes international borders will be open in time for Christmas.

Dan Tehan, who is preparing to jet off for a range of overseas meetings with counterparts, said the nation was on track to lift travel restrictions this year.

"I do empathise with the Australians who have been denied the opportunity to travel overseas this year. It's another reason why everyone should get vaccinated," he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

"We have to stick to the national plan that will see our international border open up - at this rate by Christmas at the latest."

More than 45,000 Australians are stranded overseas with the figure rising in recent months due to reduced passenger arrival caps.

About 4700 are considered vulnerable.

Mr Tehan said the government was considering travel bubble arrangements with other countries, similar arrangements with New Zealand established earlier this year.

"That will mean there will not be the restrictions on 14-day quarantine that otherwise would be the case for people returning to Australia," he said.

"What those quarantine arrangements would look like will depend on the negotiations with the travel bubble of the particular country."

Mr Tehan said he hoped to see home quarantine arrangements established across the country, as a way to speed up a return to eventual overseas travel.

Trials in South Australia have used facial recognition and location technology to ensure people were at home.

"Ultimately we've still got a little bit of work to do on that, but that's basically the plan that we're look at as we head to that 80 per cent national vaccination rate," the minister said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said the federal government leaving arrival caps to states and territories was absurd given it was responsible for customs, immigration and borders

"It is terrible that people are stranded. We need to fix it," he told ABC radio.

He said federally run purpose-built quarantine centres with state support were the answer.

Home quarantine is expected to be in place on a larger scale before quarantine hubs in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are up and running.

"Get people home, get them to quarantine safely and fix this problem," Mr Albanese said.

"This is a tragedy for people who are stranded overseas. It's also a tragedy for people here who want to see their loved ones."

© AAP 2021