Port Arthur Historic Sites, Tasmania
Description
World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site is the most intact convict era site in Australia, and provides a compelling insight into our colonial past. World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site is located on the Tasman Peninsula, a 90 minute drive south east from Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart. It is the best-preserved convict settlement in Australia and among the most significant convict era sites in the world.
Port Arthur began its European history as a timber-getting station in 1830. By 1833 the station grew to become a place of secondary punishment – a prison settlement for men who had reoffended within the Australian colony. Its geographical location made it almost inescapable, and its reputation was designed to discourage convicts from misbehaving. This was an industrial prison and an experiment in prison reform, with a population of over 2000 people at its peak. Discipline was harsh, hours of work were long and food was basic, but the convicts turned out ships, clothing, shoes, bricks, timber and plenty of other products for export.
Misdemeanours were greeted with tough consequences; at first with the lash and heavy leg irons, and later with the introduction of separate, silent treatment.
Furthering the experiment, Point Puer Boys’ Prison was established across the bay as the first separate boys’ prison in the British Empire. Operating from 1834-49, it would receive boys as young as 9 years old, but was plagued with operational problems and closed down after just 15 years.
Transportation ended in 1853, signalling a swing in attitudes towards convictism and the growth of a new, free society. Port Arthur began to see a change in demographic among its inmates as the men began to age and their health failed. Port Arthur’s prison chapter finally shuddered to a halt in 1877, after 47 years of operation and roughly 12500 sentences served.
Australia entered a period of deliberate amnesia regarding transportation and its human price. Port Arthur was renamed Carnarvon, buildings were sold and in some cases torn down, and bushfires tore through the heart of the settlement in 1895 and 1897. Yet a level of curiosity remained, and from the moment the prison closed it blossomed into the beginnings of Port Arthur’s appeal as a major Tasmanian tourist attraction. With no roads to the area, initial visitation came by steamship, and visitors flocked to the bustling little township whose history had been immortalised in Marcus Clarke’s For the Term of his Natural Life.
Today, the Port Arthur Historic Site can best be described as an open-air museum, with 100 acres of gardens and grounds, and including more than 30 buildings and ruins. Offering guided tours, cruises and a myriad of cultural experiences, Port Arthur is in the top four most visited attractions in Tasmania
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facebook.com"And now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..." Port Arthur was not just home to convicts and soldiers. Many officers and civil servants were permitted to bring their wives and children with them. Life in the colony was not easy however and for those that departed this life all to soon found their final resting place on the Isle of the Dead. Ms Gibbons found her namesake here https://www.instagram.com/paulaa.g/ and with over 1,000 bodies buried here, perhaps you will too. #discovertasmania
Some stories are timeless. Port Arthur Historic Site is one of 11 sites that make up the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage serial listing, each contributing a piece to the story of forced migration from one side of the world to the other and how a new nation was formed from hardship, inequality and adversity. #worldheritage This image of the Convict Church was elegantly captured in black and white by https://www.instagram.com/roo_meister/
This new year there are many paths to choose from, which will you choose? Image shared by https://www.instagram.com/aaigram/ #discovertasmania
“Silence is the most powerful scream.” – Anonymous The Separate prison - a place of isolation and contemplation. This is where re-offending convicts were stripped of their identity, given a number and placed in solitary cells, separated by thick sandstone walls designed to keep the men in complete silence . These men ate, slept and worked in their cells for 23 hours a day and allowed just one hour of exercise, alone in a small high-walled yard. The silent regime was designed to achieve the most intense social isolation and control. Warders patrolled the corridors in felt slippers, using sign language to ensure that the prisoner heard no sound. This haunting image shared by www.instagram.com/astridvanabel
Lempriere & Brownell - one of the short performances included free with your site entry pass to Port Arthur from now until Easter. #schoolholidays #hobartandbeyond
Going LIVE with an original Performance of Lempriere & Brownell by Turin Productions at Port Arthur very soon
Whatever your belief, the team at Port Arthur Historic Sites would like to wish you all a happy & healthy holiday season! The forecast is looking great for Christmas Day and we will be open from 9am-3pm with tours starting at 9:30am and the last tour running at about 2pm. We will be in full swing on Boxing Day with normal operating hours including our traditional Boxing Day Woodchopping Carnival and a series of activities for the whole family. Check out our website for more information http://portarthur.org.au/activities/ Image: www.instagram.com/mavick
We're incredibly proud to have had the Honourable Will Hodgman Premier of Tasmania formally reopen the Visitor Centre at Port Arthur Historic Sites, Tasmania today. The new centre features a brand new restaurant - 1830, where you can enjoy fresh local produce with views out over the World Heritage site. The popular Port Arthur Café has been expanded to include different styles of service with additional outdoor dining making it quick and easy to grab a delicious snack or hot meal. The new retail shop is the perfect stop before Christmas with high quality gifts and keepsakes crafted by local artisans specially designed for Port Arthur. There is a dedicated space for walkers embarking on the Three Capes Track to pack and prepare for their adventure. Even more exciting is the introduction of 52 new character cards in a state-of-the-art interactive gallery inviting you to delve deeper into the who, what and when of Port Arthur’s fascinating and layered history We are open Christmas Day from 10-3pm and normal opening hours all through the holidays with additional activities for the whole family and performances included in your entry pass. We look forward to welcoming you, your family and friends! Special thanks to Vos Construction, Rosevear Stephenson, JAWSArchitects, Exsto, Hype tv, Red arrow, Aegres, Poco People, Julie Hawkins, Captain Blueberry Illustration, Sam Lyne and Brain & Poulter. Photos by Alastair Bett
The Diamond Princess stopped by Port Arthur today where we welcome passengers and crew for a great day exploring the site and Tasman Region. Here’s some of our team with the crew welcoming passengers to the Historic Site.
“Where flowers bloom so does hope” – Lady Bird Johnson Port Arthur was a place of punishment; but it was also a place of hope. It's purpose was to reform the worst offenders and provide them with trades that would help them to make a life for themselves, and ultimately help to grow the new colony. This blooming hydrangea in Civil Officers Row was shared by www.instagram.com/ruby.wt #discovertasmania
“Whatever good things we build end up building us” – Jim Rohn A different view of the Convict Church at Port Arthur that was completed by convict labour in 1837. This church played an important role at the penal settlement as religion was part of convict reform. Convicts, soldiers, women and children all paid their weekly compulsory visit here and in the height of its operations over one thousand people attended compulsory services each Sunday. Thank you for sharing you image www.instagram.com/monsieur307 as you discovered more about the role of religion and reform at Port Arthur. #discovertasmania
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