Our Family Travel Logs: Port Arthur, Tassie Devils and Lavender

Friday, February 6, 2015

Port Arthur, Tassie Devils and Lavender

Port Arthur is about 1.5hr from Hobart on the southern end of the Tasman Peninsula. To break up the journey we stopped in at the Tassie Devil Park and saw a few being fed - vicious screaming creatures! Then we stopped at the Port Arthur Lavender Farm for lunch and watched some lavender being distilled - the huge barrels only produce a small quantity.

Port Arthur is of course infamous for its history as a convict site where men and boys were sent to be reformed through labour 'to grind rogues into honest men'. It is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and an open air museum. It was named after George Arthur, the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land. The settlement originally started as a timber station in 1830, but it is best known for being a penal colony.

From 1833 until 1853, it was the destination for the hardest of convicted British criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent here.

In addition Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system. It was one example of the 'Separate Prison Typology' which signalled a shift from physical punishment to psychological punishment. Prisoners were hooded and made to stay silent, this was supposed to allow time for the prisoner to reflect upon the actions which had brought him there. Many of the prisoners in the Separate Prison developed mental illness as a result. The prison was closed down in 1877 and not long after became a tourist attraction with some old ex convicts providing tours according to our guide.