The earthquake was felt in Darwin about 12.30pm local time. According to Geoscience Australia, it originated in the Banda Sea - more than 800 kilometres north of Darwin - at a depth of 207 kilometres.

No injuries or damage have been reported in Darwin, but residents reported feeling a strong tremor and some people were evacuated from offices and hotels as a precaution.

The Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to Australia.

Indonesia's geophysics agency also said the deep quake did not pose a tsunami threat. While it was also felt in parts of Indonesia and in East Timor's capital Dili, there have been no reports of damage there either.

The Banda Sea quake was recorded minutes after a 6.1 tremblor in a thinly populated area 233 kilometres west of Papua province's Abepura town, at a depth of 20 kilometres.

Rahmat Triyono, Indonesia's head of earthquake and tsunami centre, said the Papua quake was followed by several smaller aftershocks, but there was no immediate report of major damage or injuries.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire". A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries, mostly in Indonesia.