Port Arthur

Port Arthur today. And it takes a full day too! So what to say about it? I am struggling to find the right words to sum up the day. It is such a beautiful setting, and yet such terrible things have happened there. It's quite eerie.

Our admission included a port cruise, which we did first. Looking at the area from the water, you can really see (as was pointed out by the guide) how the 19th Century order of society and symbols of power were reflected in the complex. The convict building at the bottom of the hill, with the soldiers' accommodation behind, the Commandant's house above on the hill, and then beyond, the Church spire.

The cruise also took us past Point Puer, on the other side of the port. This is where juvenile prisoners were held, to keep them separate from the adult prisoners. The youngest of these boys was 9 years old. Most were between 14 and 17.
There is also an island in the Port, known as the "Isle of the Dead", which is where military & civil personnel, their wives and children and convicts were buried. Even in death, convicts were kept separate from the rest of the population, and buried in lower ground.

We had the audio kits for the self guided audio tour, and went around the site with them. These are a great device for tourist sites, allowing you to go at your own pace and walk around in the order of your own choosing. Many of the buildings were destroyed by bushfires in the late 19th century, but several remain.

In front of the Penitentiary building, there is a large flat area of ground. This was originally a part of the bay, but the authorities wanted a flat parade area, and so it was reclaimed to create the area that remains today.

There are gardens around the commandant's house, and on the other side of the community, around the "Government Cottage" which housed important visitors. These were recreations of English gardens. Looking across from the Commandant's house, there are two beautiful old gum trees in the foreground. I was struck by the juxtaposition of these on the english style landscape beyond.

A full and interesting day.