Port Arthur, Tasmania

Of course, any visit to Tasmania needs to include a nod to its rather notorious past as a penal colony. The history of convict settlement is evident throughout the state. We only had time to visit one site and we chose historic Port Arthur. Frankly, on arrival, it looked more like the setting of a Muskoka summer camp, but, the natural beauty of the spot couldn't hide its brutal past. Port Arthur was the prison for recidivists, those convicts who had been sent to Australia and who had then recommitted a further criminal offence.

The site was more than just a prison. By 1840 there were more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and civil staff who lived in the community there. The penal settlement was closed in 1877 and many buildings were destroyed by later bush fires, however, there are still over thirty intact historic homes and buildings as well as extensive ruins.


The homes of the professionals and free settlers were substantial and solidly built.

The Commandant's house occupied a prime waterfront site on a point of land.

There was a church where up to 1100 people attended compulsory services each Sunday.

In addition to the main prison, there was a large complex known as 'the separate prison'. This building was designed to deliver a new method of punishment to try and reform convicts through isolation and contemplation, rather than work and training.

The few women in the community had formal gardens in which to enjoy a convict-free space, as well as a separate beach.

This was the hospital.

After leaving the site, we drove back to Hobart enjoying the stunning scenery along the way.