Port Arthur is one of the best known places in Tasmania, and would have to be well up there in the list of places in Australia that people know. The Port Arthur Historical Site preserves the majority of what remains of the old convict penal settlement that existed on this site from 1830 to 1877. It is a large site and planning to spend anything less than a full day is going to deprive you of much that the site has to impart. We spend basically two full days here, and even then we didn’t get to everything. I know, we were doing it at photographer’s pace, but even so. Lots here to see and do.

History

As with any historic site, I guess, this place has gone through several stages of existence. The Port Arthur historic site contains relics and information from all these eras, from its start as a convict camp through to it’s current existence as a historic site.

The Convict Era

Most of the buildings on site date from the convict era. The earliest surviving buildings are from 1833, although a timber cutting camp existed on the site prior to that time. Building works continued on the site up to the late 1850’s although convict transportation ceased in 1853. The site continue to operate a as a penal settlement until 1877, when it was closed.

Many of the buildings were dismantled after the end of the penal settlement era, and those that weren’t were mostly badly damaged or destroyed when a bushfire swept through the site in 1897. That fire destroyed much of the wooden interiors of the buildings, leaving only the masonry wall standing. Without the internal structures to support them, over the years these building deteriorated further. The surviving buildings are stabilised to make them safe to visit and are conserved in their current state. Interpretational signage assists in bringing the former interiors alive.

Carnarvon Township

After the convicts were moved out, a number of civilians formerly working at the site remained, living around the site. Others moved to the location. The township of Carnarvon was born amongst the remains of the penal colony. The remaining intact buildings from the convict era mostly owe their continued survival to the fact that they were put to use in the post-convict era. Thus, a number of houses from convict times remain, as they continued to be lived in.

A number of new buildings and features were added to the site during this time as well. These included a police station and a church (the original church having burnt out during the bushfire). To commemorate the locals who lost their lives in the first world war, locals planted a Soldier’s memorial avenue. Several houses were also added. As the site grew as a tourist destination, a few of the houses were adopted to be boarding houses and hotels.

A place of more tragedy

In 1996, Australia’s largest modern massacre occurred at the Port Arthur historic site and in the surrounding region, when a lone gunman killed 35 people and injured 19 others. Twenty of the dead were killed in a cafe on the site, and that location has been converted into a permanent memorial for the people that died in the tragedy.

The Commandant’s House

Once the house of the most important person on site, this building grew from a small cottage to a large and moderately grand house over the years. It saw subsequent use as a boarding house, which would have made good use of it’s many rooms.

Servant’s accommodation

The Commandant had convicts available, but there were also household servants, and the suggestion is that these were not convicts. Like any influential person, there were a range of servants who took care of the cooking and cleaning and many other functions of a large house. Servants were a step up from the convicts, but their accommodation was hardly fancy. There was space above, accessed through a ladder in the corner, for sleeping.

The same can be said for the kitchen staff, who may have lived above the kitchen, or above adjoining rooms anyway. The furnishing of this room suggests that the servants probably ate in the kitchen. I guess life as a servant might not have been too bad – at least you got food and a comparatively warm place to sleep.

Commandant’s accommodation

Life for the Commandant and his family was definitely grander. Big rooms, big beds, and privacy were the order of the day. Meals served in the dining room, and a comfortable sitting room to entertain the guests.

Shipbuilding yard

I presume the ready supply of timber close by was the incentive for commencing shipbuilding at the site. Ships were the primary form of long-distance transport where waterways were available, so there was presumably a high demand for ships. In any case, at its peak Port Arthur had more than 70 people working here, and two slipways as well as construction sheds for smaller boats. All the steps necessary to build ships were undertaken here, from bending the timbers through to forging the nails. Only two houses remain on the site, and the remains of the lime kiln.

Links

• Port Arthur Historic Site (website)

Disclaimer

We attended the establishments and locations mentioned in this post as full fee-paying guests. Our hosts were not advised that we are semi-professional photographers or bloggers before or during our visit. It is our understanding that the tours and information we received were as normally provided to any member of the public.

The views expressed in this post are mine and mine alone, and any errors in it are also all mine. Any recommendations made in this post are unpaid and are based entirely on my experiences during my visit. Your experience may differ, and I cannot be responsible for that.

The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority do no permit commercial photography at their sites without prior permission. I did enquire about getting permission but the costs were going to be prohibitive given the very slight chance of any sales. They do permit photography for sharing with family and friends and did give permission for me to use my photographs from the sites on this blog. These images are provided for your information and enjoyment only, and are not for sale or other use.