Port Arthur Historic Site

Port Arthur, on a green peninsula southeast of Hobart, is the best preserved of Australia's convict sites and part of a World Heritage listing that records the vast system by which Britain transported convicts to the far side of the world in the nineteenth century. Once a feared penal settlement, chosen for its isolation because the narrow neck of land connecting the peninsula could be easily guarded, it is now a large open-air historic site where dozens of buildings, some restored, some standing as ivy-clad ruins, are set among lawns and gardens running down to a quiet bay. Visitors can explore the great ruined penitentiary, the church, the separate prison built around a harsh new theory of silent isolation, the officers' houses and the museum that tells the human stories, both of the convicts and of those who guarded them. The beauty of the setting sits in poignant contrast to the hardship it once held, and a harbour cruise and the Isle of the Dead cemetery complete the picture.

History

The settlement began as a timber station in 1830, and from 1833 to 1877 it received the convicts judged the most hardened of all those transported; boys were held at Point Puer, the British Empire's second prison for boys. Even before the prison closed in 1877 some saw its potential as a tourist attraction, and in its place grew the town of Carnarvon; bushfires in 1895 and 1897 gutted the old prison buildings. In 2010 UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List among the Australian Convict Sites (Wikipedia, Port Arthur, Tasmania).

Highlights

• The Penitentiary - the great ruined convict prison building above the bay.
• The Separate Prison - the model prison built on the theory of silent isolation.
• The church and gardens - the ruined church and the grounds running to the water.
• The harbour cruise - the boat trip past the Isle of the Dead cemetery.

When to go

November to April brings the mildest Tasmanian weather for exploring the grounds; the site is open year-round, and winter is atmospheric but cold. A ticket usually covers two days, allowing a return, and evening lantern-lit ghost tours run for those who want them. Allow at least half a day, ideally more.

Good to know

It is a large site that rewards time, with a lot of walking between buildings across the grounds, so allow half a day at least. As a place of past suffering it is sombre as well as scenic, which the site handles thoughtfully. It is 90 minutes from Hobart on winding roads. Entry is charged and, for the full experience with cruise and tours, adds up, though the standard ticket covers the main site over two days.

Nearby

The dramatic sea cliffs and blowholes of the Tasman Peninsula are close; Hobart and its harbour are 90 minutes away.