Fans of history and geography, of course, have heard of a place called Port Arthur. Where is it located, what is it and what features does it have? In all this we will try to understand our article.
General information
So, we are interested in Port Arthur: where is it and what is it. As a rule, it is understood as an old fort, which was sheltered near the town of the same name in Carnavon Bay (Tasmania, Australia). It is located on an area of forty hectares and has a very poor reputation. The reason for this glory lies in the fact that he used to serve as a prison for high security convicts, which was almost impossible to escape from. Today, the fort is used as a museum. And although part of the colony’s structures was destroyed and rebuilt, the rest is perfectly preserved and can tell a lot about distant and troubled times.
Port Arthur (where he is located, we have already found out) is now included in the UNESCO list of protected sites as a famous monument to the history of hard labor prisons. The chambers, churches, hospitals and hospitals of the institution have retained their original appearance, and therefore have a high historical value.
A bit of history
Where is Port Arthur located and what is it, the reader already knows. It all started in 1830 with a logging station: new lands and settlement colonies needed a building tree. To use the fort as a male prison for notorious villains decided three years later. Criminals from all over the British Empire were brought here , and it was thanks to their work that Australia, as a colony, was self-sufficient. The heyday of hard labor was in the forties of the nineteenth century, and in 1877 it officially ceased to exist.
We already know where Port Arthur is, but we have not yet talked about the life of prisoners. This prison quickly earned the title of hell on earth. Many of the convicts intentionally killed their friends in misfortune or the guards, since this was the only way to get rid of the torment in Australia (the authorities sentenced them to death). The prison was well guarded, but escape attempts did occur. True, not many managed to escape into freedom and hide, most of the convicts were caught and sent back.
Today every year about 250 thousand tourists come to the famous Port Arthur colony.
Port Arthur Description
The whole complex is quite large. The most popular attraction is the hard labor prison - its ruins are located right next to the bay. There was a time when a mill was operating here, working exclusively at the expense of the labor of prisoners, chained. But this idea was abandoned, because the performance was very low.
Behind the penal servitude stands the commandant's residence. This is one of the first structures in the fort, and it was rebuilt more than once. Several rooms have been carefully restored and furnished with original furniture, which allows you to find out how the authorities of such a sad institution lived. After the prison was closed, a hotel was established in the residence, operating until the thirties of the last century.
Another attraction of Port Arthur is the garden, broken down on the site of the original garden of the 19th century after a thorough analysis of all information about it. Thus, the museum staff managed to restore the original appearance of the place intended for walking ladies. The plantings extend right up to the ruins of the church and occupy a whole hill.
There is another gloomy place near the fort - the island of the Dead, or a prison cemetery. A small patch of land, remote from the coast by only two hundred meters, was the last refuge of many inhabitants of Port Arthur. Tourists can see this attraction only with a guide, and the tour on the island itself takes about an hour.
A separate group tour should be booked for visiting Point Puer, a prison for juvenile delinquents. Although the children were kept separately from adult prisoners, their living conditions were almost the same. For fifteen years this colony for boys operated, where they worked hard, were engaged in construction from the age of nine. A trip here takes two hours.
Tours and tickets
Everyone can see Port Arthur (where the city and the fort are located, we wrote above). There are several types of tickets for visiting the complex:
- "bronze", which allows you to stay in the fort for one day, includes the cost of a study tour (30 minutes) and a short boat trip;
- “silver” also includes an audio tour, lunch, a trip of your choice (“Point Puer” or “Isle of the Dead”);
- "gold" allows you to stay in the fort for two days, visit both the prison cemetery and the children's colony (two snacks and lunch are also included in its price);
- evening pass allows you to get to the museum complex at the end of the day, enjoy dinner and a unique tour of ghosts.
It is worth noting that there are no separate tickets, only one pass to the territory of a huge museum.
Some more features of the town
The Port Arthur Museum is not the only attraction in the city. It has some more interesting places to visit, not related to the history of hard labor. For example, the Memorial Garden, created in memory of people who died in 1996. Then a mentally unhealthy man opened fire on residents of the city, as a result of which 35 died and 23 more were seriously injured.
On the territory of the fort, the gallery "Lottery of Life" is open. The visitor can choose a card with the name and description of the fate of some prisoner. Heading along the gallery, you can trace his fate.
Instead of an afterword
Today Port Arthur Fort is a history to know from which to learn lessons, otherwise the future may remind you of the mistakes of the past.