12 Photos to Inspire Your Visit to Port Arthur

Posted on December 17, 2018 by

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Looking down at the penitentiary

Port Arthur is a significant location in Australian history.

First, it is the best preserved convict site in Australia and is World Heritage Listed. 

Second, it was the site of the 1996 massacre where 35 people were killed and 23 were injured. 

It is a very interesting place to visit. As a convict settlement, it started as a timbre yard before it became a prison for those convicts who committed further crimes upon arriving in Australia. Some of the stories are heart breaking, and on a wet, cloudy, miserable day it develops a sad and painful atmosphere. On a bright, sunny day that feeling disappears, and the contrast of colours is mesmerizing. 

I’m sure I’ll write a longer blog post on Port Arthur at some stage detailing our two day adventure through the ruins and our ghost tour of the most haunted sites on the site, but for now these photos and my commentary will have to do.

Looking down at the penitentiary
The Penitentiary was originally built to operate as a flour mill, but it wasn’t very productive, so it was turned into a prison.

Inside the dining room of the old medical examiner's office

The mental asylum at Port Arthur surrounded by grey cloud
According to records, the mental asylum was cold and dark inside, instead it was empathetic and relatively modern treatment methods were used to treat patients.
Emma standing on a ledge, leaning back against a guard tower at port Arthur
Looking for the guards I’m sure were after me for climbing up to the ledge of this guard tower.

Flipping my hair in a doorway with the view of the guard tower at Port Arthur

The view from the doorway out into the courtyard at the Silent Prison
This is the view into the courtyard at the silent prison.
A black wall covered in small white photographs of past prisoners
This wall was covered in photographs of those men who were imprisoned in the silent prison. In this prison no talking was allowed. Prisoners had to wear socks over their feet so that when they walked to the outdoor courtyard or into the church, they made no noise.

Standing in the old water fountain

The_Government_Gardens (1)

Dramatically posing in the government gardens

Standing in the middle of the Port Arthur Church
This church was one of the first buildings built on the site. It is also supposedly haunted.
Point Puer Boys Prison surrounded by ominous grey clouds and deep water
Point Puer Boys Prison, surrounded by ominous grey clouds and deep water, was where they sent young boys 12-16 years old to ‘reform’ them.

Have you been to Tasmania or to any other Australian Convict sites? Let me know!

Related

15 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Tasmania

Exploring Cradle Mountain

Tasmanian Bucket List Experience: MONA Museum

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About Me

Emma standing in front of some graffiti art on the MONA Ferry

Hi there! I’m Emma, an Aussie with a bucket-list and a goal to check every item off my list. Join me on my bucket-list adventure as we experience as much of the world as possible.

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