Port Arthur, Part 1

Port Arthur, located on the remote Tasman Peninsula has become synonymous with the convict story of Australia, as too have the ghost stories that inevitably accompany places of such cruelty and harshness. I have been to Port Arthur twice – both times during the day. I have yet to experience the nighttime ghost tours, but you really don’t need to visit at night to get the shivers and feel the presence of something otherworldly.

Given the extensive history of the Port Arthur site and the numerous stories of spirits and paranormal activity, this will be the first of a two-part journey. I want to be able to do the site and the stories justice, but still keep the blog a quick and easy read.

So first, the history….

Port Arthur began as a penal settlement in 1830 and quickly grew to encompass activities like timber production and ship building to help keep the convicts busy (and allow the government to reap the rewards of their labour). The convicts were made to do hard labour, harvest and cut the stones and timber, and also build the very buildings they were indentured in.

Port Arthur buildings. Authors own photo, May 2023.

Inside a 'Separate Prison' cell. Author's own photo, May 2023

Named after Governor George Arthur, Port Arthur became the destination for the most hardened of convicts. These were commonly re-offenders or escapees from other penal colonies around the country as Port Arthur was known to have the strictest security measures available and was remote enough to discourage escape. Port Arthur also featured a ‘Separate Prison’, built around the theory of a panopticon, which isolated and inflicted a ‘new’ form of punishment on the convicts – this time psychological rather than just physical. It was truly a place of horrors for those incarcerated there. Alongside this, there was also a juvenile boy’s prison at Port Arthur, known as Point Puer.

Port Arthur sits on the Tasman Peninsula with Eaglehawk Neck being the only connection between the site and the mainland. Fences, guards and a ‘dog-line’ were put in place to act as a barrier to discourage potential escapees.

There are many places where you can find out more about the history of Port Arthur, so I won’t go into too much detail here. Good places to visit are:

·      https://portarthur.org.au

·      www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/places/world/convict-sites

·      www.dceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/places/national/port-arthur

·      https://eaglehawkneck.org/attractions/the-dog-line/

The Isle of the Dead....

A small island lies in Carnarvon Bay, just off the shore of the Port Arthur site. With a land mass of approximately one hectare (2.5 acres), this small piece of land is known ominously as the ‘Isle of the Dead’.

It was used by First Nations people to gather shellfish, but when the penal settlement moved in it became a place for them to bury the dead. It is believed that approximately 1000 people have been buried on this small piece of land, most without any surviving grave markers. The only headstones are those belonging to the free settlers and other residents of the area, but it is believed that only 10% of graves are marked.

There are guided tours that you can take of the island, and ongoing conservation efforts continue to this day to protect what is left after years of erosion and even vandalism. Thankfully, you don’t have to walk on any graves, there is a walkway around the island’s perimeter. An enthusiastic guide will tell you stories of the island, and those who remain on it to this day.

Grave stones on the Isle of the Dead, Port Arthur. Authors own photo.

The ghostly inhabitants of Port Arthur have been seen and reported for over one hundred years. There are spirits who are associated with buildings, and others that are seen out in the open grounds. Join me on the next blog post to explore some of the weel-known haunts of this historic site, while I share some of the stories that have been told by staff and visitors alike....