Port Arthur
Tasmania · Australia
Continuing our journey, we arrive at Port Arthur Historic Site. As we enter the Port Arthur Historic Site, there is a wealth of information and history to take in and to explore. Your entry includes a complimentary Harbour Cruise around the Isle of the Dead, ‘The Port Arthur Experience' a podcast that provides a fascinating introduction to the site, and complimentary site talks throughout the day led by Port Arthur’s expert guides . Discover the grim and violent history of the early Australian Penal system and get a sense of the isolation experienced by the convicts in this “inescapable prison”. With around 2.5 hours here, you have time to walk among the main penitentiary; see the solitary confinement cells and many more buildings in this World Heritage open air museum.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Port Arthur Historic Site
Welcome to the Port Arthur Historic Site, a place of profound historical gravity and haunting beauty. Situated on the rugged Tasman Peninsula, this former penal settlement is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site and perhaps…
Listen in the app2The Penitentiary — From Granary to Prison
The imposing ruin before you is the Penitentiary, the most iconic structure at Port Arthur. Interestingly, it did not begin its life as a prison. …
Listen in the app3The Separate Prison — The Discipline of Silence
As ideas about punishment evolved, Port Arthur became the site for one of the most chilling experiments in penology: the Separate Prison. Constructed in 1848, this building was modeled on the 'silent system' used at Pentonville…
Listen in the app4The Hospital and Medical Legacy
Perched on a hill overlooking the settlement are the ruins of the Hospital. In the 19th century, Port Arthur was a high-risk environment. …
Listen in the app5The Commandant’s House and Victorian Village
In a sharp contrast to the stark utilitarianism of the prison buildings, the northern end of Port Arthur resembles a quaint Victorian village. This area was built for the officers and their families, who lived a life that…
Listen in the app6Point Puer — The Boys' Prison
Across the water from the main settlement lies Point Puer, the site of the first purpose-built reformatory for boys in the British Empire. Between 1834 and 1849, more than 3,000 boys—some as young as nine or ten—passed through…
Listen in the app7The Ghost Tour — The Supernatural Side
As the sun sets over Port Arthur, the site takes on a different, more eerie character. For over a century, there have been reports of supernatural occurrences here, making the Port Arthur Ghost Tour one of the site’s most popular…
Listen in the app8Closing
Our journey through Port Arthur brings us to a point of deep reflection. This site is a powerful reminder of the complexity of human history—a place where absolute cruelty was enacted in a setting of 'absolute glorious beauty.'…
Listen in the app
What is Port Arthur?
Port Arthur is a place in Tasmania · Australia with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Tasmania · Australia |
|---|---|
| Type | Nature |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -43.1388, 147.8507 |
| Last updated |