We returned to the Port Arthur Historic Site the next morning to explore the parts of the site we did not get to the previous afternoon.
The Government Gardens at Port Arthur were first developed in 1846/47 by Commander Champ. The gardens today are a reconstruction of the originals which were laid out as a place where visitors and residents and their families could get some fresh air away from the presence of the convicts.
After the site was closed in 1877, the original garden fell into neglect until reconstruction began in 1991. The reconstruction was achieved using photographs, drawings and descriptions from the mid-19th century. The plants used today were varieties present at the Queens Domain in Hobart during the late-19th century including those familiar in England, such as violets and foxgloves, to more exotic plants from Africa, South America and Asia.
The Government Cottage was built to accommodate government officials and other important visitors to Port Arthur. The Cottage was burnt down when a bush fire devastated Port Arthur in 1895 and was not rebuilt but has been preserved. Next to the Cottage is the Church which played an important role in the reform of the convicts. The Church was destroyed by fire in 1884 but has also been conserved so that the work of the convicts who built it can be appreciated.
In addition to the Penitentiary that housed the better behaved prisoners, the site had the Separate Prison. The Separate Prison was opened in 1849, supposedly modelled on Pentonville Prison in London, and was designed to deliver an alternative to corporal punishment. The convicts were locked in their cells 23 hour each day with one hour allowed for exercise. Those who continued to offend were sent to the punishment block within the Separate Prison.
The Separate Prison has been restored which brings the building to life for visitors.
It is reported that the convicts in the Separate Prison had to undertake some form of labour in their individual cells. When they did leave their cells, the convicts had to wear a hood to hide their face. They weren’t allowed to communicate with anyone and were referred to by their number rather than name. The Chapel was interesting as the wooden cubicles held one convict who, due to the construction, could not see the person in front or on either side of them. As they were led into the Chapel hooded, they could not see anyone and were not allowed to make any noise. The corridors of the Separate Prison had mats laid on the floors so that the convicts did not make a noise as they walked around the Prison. This was all part of the sensory deprivation treatment they were subjected to.
The Guard Tower sits above the site and was built by 1836 with flanking walls to secure the military barracks and allowed the military guards to have a good view of what was going on across the site.
After a morning at Port Arthur, we drove the 140 miles to Wineglass Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula.
Copyright: Words and photos John Cruse 2025