Port Arthur Historic Site sits on a beautiful harbour, at the southern tip of the Tasman Peninsula, 95 kilometres from Hobart. Between 1830 and 1877, around 12,500 convicts served their sentences in this brutal convict settlement. The area is now the World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site and is one of Tasmania’s most visited locations, a place to learn, wander, reflect, and try to imagine life in Australia’s harsh colonial era.
It’s hard to believe such an idyllic environment has such a horrible history. The pristine homes and manicured gardens of the soldiers and free settlers stand in stark contrast to the convict buildings such as the remains of the multi-story penitentiary and the isolation cells where the most severe punishment was doled out. Port Arthur has had many lifetimes and is now one of Australia’s most important heritage destinations.
Treat yourself this Christmas with the awe-inspiring sights and tastes of Tasmania with 11 days discovering Port Arthur Penal Settlement, Tasman Arch, Derwent Valley, Eaglehawk Neck, Bruny Island and more. We celebrate Christmas in Hobart with a long sumptuous lunch and spend New Years Eve in Launceston. You’ll be tempted by heritage, culture, taste sensations and glorious natural scenery whilst also visiting Cradle Mountain, Strahan and Launceston.
In 1830, Port Arthur was established as a small, punishment-oriented timber station where light and heavy labour was undertaken. Before long, shipbuilding and other skills were taught, and Port Arthur replaced the penal colonies at Sarah Island and Maria Island.
It was the ideal location due to its isolation and access to important natural resources such as timber, sandstone, and dolerite and there was enough land to create substantial crops for food and rations.
From 1833 to 1844, Port Arthur introduced a system of administration based on corporal punishment with convicts subjected to the cat-o-nine-tails, irons, or the cruel practice of sensory deprivation in solitary confinement. In later years, the settlement became self-sustaining through agriculture and skilled labour.
When transportation ended in 1853, convict numbers declined from around 1200 to just 500, with many of them aging and unproductive. The process of removing the convicts from Port Arthur was completed in 1877.
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Port Arthur Historic Site is set on a landscaped 40 hectares with over 30 buildings and ruins to explore. Entry includes an introductory walking tour where guides share the intriguing history of Port Arthur and the stories of some of its inhabitants. Visitors can also take a self-guided audio experience through the site.
Visit the iconic penitentiary, originally a flour mill before it provided solitary and dormitory accommodation for convicts, and the Separate Prison, a sombre place where prisoners were sent to be broken, both physically and mentally.
There is also much beauty at Port Arthur - the Commandant’s House, the roofless ruins of the Convict Church, and the peaceful heritage gardens. Entry includes a 20-minute Harbour Cruise around Isle of the Dead and Point Puer, where more than 3000 boys were imprisoned and the Port Arthur Gallery with interactive exhibits and displays. There’s also a gift shop and café.
Port Arthur Penal Settlement was named in honour of Lieutenant Governor George Arthur.
Port Arthur was an exceptional example of the 19th-century European strategy of using the forced labour of convicts to establish global empires. It also demonstrated the adaptation of the British penal system to Australian conditions.
From 1833 until 1877, those convicts deemed the most hardened criminals in the British system were sent to Port Arthur. It was also a place where repeat offenders and those with rebellious characteristics were sent to be reformed.
Escaping from Port Arthur was extremely difficult. Most convicts who escaped on foot were quickly captured. A few managed to swim past the ‘dog line’ controlled by officers at Eaglehawk Neck.
When the last convicts were removed from Port Arthur in 1877, the area was subdivided, and most establishments fell into private ownership. Many buildings were subsequently demolished, the destruction assisted by bushfires.
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