As Day 7 dawned we set off to drive the 60 or so miles to Port Arthur which is south of Hobart. We had pre-booked entry tickets for the Port Arthur Historic Site which is a must visit for those interested in the history of Tasmania. The site is large so we had allowed a whole day for our visit, split over an afternoon and the next morning. There are guided tours which are best booked in advance as they are popular.
The Port Arthur penal station was established in 1830 as a timber acquisition area. The convict inmates of the site were deployed to produce sawn logs for use in Government projects. From 1833, the site became a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the Australian colonies.
Presumably, like many other penal establishments of its time, Port Arthur was built on a philosophy of discipline and punishment, religious and moral instruction, classification and separation, training and education. This system broke many men, whereas others left rehabilitated, educated and with skills.
By 1840, in excess of 2,000 convicts, soldiers and civilian staff lived on the site and it was a major industrial settlement. It produced a range of goods including worked stone, bricks, furniture, clothing, boats and ships.
With transportation to Van Diemen’s Land ceasing in 1853, the site at Port Arthur changed to become an institution for aging, as well as physically and mentally ill, convicts. The site was finally closed in 1877 at which time many of the buildings were dismantled or destroyed. Tourism began to the site almost immediately after closure and continues today.
Port Arthur was recognised as a place of historic interest in 1916 and by the 1920s some of the period buildings had become museums, hotels and shops. In 1971, the National Parks and Wildlife Service took over the management of the site and by the 1980s parts in private ownership were acquired and conserved by the State Government. In 2010, this site and 10 others were included on the World Heritage List as the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage property.
Something we were not aware of until we visited the site was the tragic event that unfolded on 28 April 1996 on and around the area of the site. A gunman took the lives of 35 people and wounded 19 others. There is a memorial plaque at the site dedicated to the deceased and injured. It is situated in the memorial garden where the massacre started – within the original tea shop. The massacre resulted in a fundamental change to the gun laws in Australia.
The Port Arthur Historic Site is on the coast and just off the shore in the bay is the Isle of the Dead. The reason for the name is that there is a small cemetery on the island which is the final resting place of 1,000 convicts, military and civilian officers, and women and children. The deceased were buried there between 1833 and 1877 with the convicts being buried in a separate area to the others. Originally the convicts were laid to rest without headstones, whereas the other people buried there did, but this was rectified in 1850 when some of the convicts were given headstones.
It is possible to go on a guided cemetery tour on the Isle of the Dead but places are limited so booking in advance is advisable. Part of the ticket we purchased included a harbour cruise which takes one out into the harbour and around the Isle of the Dead, but if one wants to actually visit the cemetery a separate ticket needs to be booked.
We had not managed to see all parts of the site in one afternoon so we had allowed the next morning to come back and complete our visit. The tickets sold to us covered two consecutive days which was ideal considering the size of the site.
Copyright (other then visitor map): Words and photos John Cruse 2025