Port Arthur

Port Arthur is Tasmania’s top tourist attraction. It is on a very beautiful piece of land, the Tasman Peninsula.

The penal settlement was established in 1830 and it was here that the repeat offenders from all the Australian colonies were sent. It was a punishment station for serious repeat offenders and the regime was very harsh. It also contained some experimental correctional procedures and the modern asylum was set up at Port Arthur.

This was my first opportunity to enjoy some form of "culture" on this trip. There were a series of short plays presented at various venues at the Port Arthur penal settlement complex. The plays were entertaining and informative and illustrated the harsh life at the penal colony. This play was titled a Boy's Life, the story of a young boy sent out to Point Puer which was the juvenile part of the penal colony.

The above photo shows Andrew sitting in a isolated booth in the chapel at Port Arthur. Even in the chapel the prisoners were isolated, note the doors that separate the booths.