Tag Archives: Port Arthur

One More Thought on Port Arthur

It’s hard for me to visit Port Arthur without thinking about one more tragic part of it’s history that is only briefly mentioned on the tour. In 1996, when I was living in Melbourne, a man walked into the cafe at Port Arthur with a semi automatic rifle, killing 35 people and wounding 23. It made a huge impression on me back in 1996, mainly because things that just didn’t happen in Australia and especially not in Tasmania. Walking the same grounds with my family this year, that other families walked 19 years ago, really brought home the devastation caused by one man with a gun.

Now, I find myself living in a country where tragedies like this occur far too frequently and it breaks my heart every single time. Thankfully, a man-made tragedy of this scale has not occurred in Australia since the events of Port Arthur and it’s for one simple reason – they took immediate action to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. I only wish my adopted country would take the same steps out of respect for the people who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence – and to protect those of us who are still around.

This clip from The Daily Show is one of my favorites. I think it sums up the insanity of what we’re experiencing right now with the gun lobby.

I’m proud to come from a country where 35 people’s lives actually meant something and did not just become another forgotten statistic.

Rant over… for now.

Postcard from Tasmania: Exploring Port Arthur

I have vague recollections of visiting Port Arthur when I was a child of about 8 or 9 years old and I’ve always wanted to go back. It’s such a unique remnant of Australian history that I was excited to bring the boys along and teach them all about their convict ancestors – even if we failed to find any direct relatives in our search of the electronic records. I remain convinced, however, that we must have at least one or two criminals in our family history. It makes for a good Aussie origin story.

We were lucky that our visit was timed just days after they pulled scaffolding down from the ruins of the main prison. Apparently the facade was in danger of toppling over so they spent the past couple of years reinforcing the walls and they were kind enough to finish the work just before we arrived.

The first thing we did on arrival was to take a tour of the site with a Port Arthur guide. He gave us the lay of the land and talked about some of the history. It was nice beginning to the day and set us up well for many, many hours of walking around…

…But not before we took a short boat tour which gave us a chance to look back at the site…

…and circle the Isle of the Dead where they buried many of the colony’s inhabitants.

Soon it was time to return to dry land and explore all that Port Arthur has to offer – and that’s a LOT. We walked around for about 6 hours and I still feel as though we may have missed a building or two.

It was so interesting to walk into these old houses and try to imagine what life was like 150 years ago. They apparently canned a lot of jam.

After lunch we were treated to a little pantomime about a boy who was transported to Australia and sent to Port Arthur for stealing.

Very entertaining.

The most interesting building, in my opinion, was the separate prison. This is where they sent prisoners to solitary confinement. The entry had speakers playing sound effects of keys in locks and men walking around. It really set the mood.

The cells were cozy (although not in a good way). I found it interesting that they slept on hammock-like structures instead of regular beds.

By the time we reached the separate prison, Port Arthur had started to get a little more crowded. Good thing Thomas was wearing an orange and yellow version of his Were’s Waldo outfit. It made him easy to find in the crowd.

The separate prison also offered the opportunity to step inside the solitary cell. After the door is closed there is nothing but black silence. Needless to say, no one wanted to stay in there long.

We did spend a lot of time in the chapel, however.

Samuel gave me a demonstration of exactly how he was able to see over the pulpit. I love it when they work as a team.

Each prisoner was locked inside a box that was blocked on each side. It was designed for them to be able to see the priest but not each other. Needless to say, plenty of photo opportunities.

Just a few of the prisoners who spent time within these walls.

We escaped the separate prison (see what I did there?) and continued to walk around the grounds. I continued to take pictures so I apologize for this very photo-heavy post.

Love this photo of my Mum.

Some of the gardens were gorgeous and the perfect weather just made the experience all that much more enjoyable. I can’t imagine coming here in the winter.

I dream about a garden like this – and the 50 gardeners it would take to keep it weed-free.

What a wonderful experience and a must-see if you ever find yourself in the southern part of Tasmania. We managed to squeeze everything into a one-day visit but only because we arrived a couple of hours before they closed the day before. I think Port Arthur is a two-day attraction at the very least.

I also highly recommend the Port Arthur Holiday Park for accommodation. We stayed in a Waterview Cabin which slept 6 people and was, I think, about $120 a night. It was clean and modern and came with water views.

Finally, photographic proof that I was there before we hit the road to Hobart.

Postcard from Tasmania: Ghost Stories of Port Arthur

We arrived at Port Arthur late in the afternoon and took just enough time to check into our cute (and very clean) cabin at the Port Arthur Holiday Park before heading to the historic site. We had just enough time to tour the visitor center and learn a little about the prison’s former inhabitants before we ate dinner at Felon’s Bistro. Kei and I opted for the dinner and ghost tour deal, wisely choosing to have the boys accompany my parents back to the cabin after dinner.

I am fascinated by ghost stories – the spookier the better – so the opportunity to tour the grounds of Port Arthur after dark was just too great to pass up. The only drawback was that our early tour started a little before it was completely dark so the spooks may have had less of an impact than they would have by lantern light, at least at the beginning of the tour. I think Kei was secretly relieved (don’t tell him I told you that).

Our ghost tour guide came dressed in a Dryzabone coat and Akubra hat and I immediately had flashbacks to the first time I watched The Man from Snowy River. It seriously doesn’t get much more Aussie than that.

We headed out on our tour as the sun began to slip below the horizon. Our first stop was in front of the ruins of the Government Cottage that you can see in the photo above. Our tour guide walked us through a brief history of the penal colony, explaining that Port Arthur was the place where only the worst criminals were sent, often those with second or third convictions who had run out of second chances. That sort of history makes for some great ghost story fodder.

The chapel provided the setting for our first real ghost story. It was a tale about a group on a tour (just like us) who walked up the steps of one of the turrets and heard footsteps behind them but, of course, no one was there.

But the really spooky stuff began at the Parsonage, reportedly one of the most haunted buildings in the world.

It was almost completely dark inside the house while we listened to a story about the Parson, his wife and ten children. After the Parson’s death, his wife and children were left destitute and there are stories that the children still haunt the house. There was a particularly terrifying story about construction workers who stayed in the house overnight when one of them was attacked by an unseen spirit. We heard all of these stories by lantern light and it was hard not to imagine a ghost or two standing in our midst.

The day after our tour, Kei and I decided to share some of these stories with the boys as we walked around the site in the light of day. As we toured the Parsonage, my mum said she felt something touch her when she was alone in a room. We asked the boys if they did and they both swore they were nowhere near their Nan at the time of the incident. It was spooky… until Thomas confessed to the trick about 4 hours later.

We also discovered that sharing ghost stories with the overactive minds of two young boys was probably not a good idea. Of course we didn’t realize how bad it was until we found ourselves trying to calm down a terrified six year old at bedtime. Rookie parent move.

Next stop on the tour was the basement of the Surgeon’s residence where our tour guide managed to give a few people a heart attack by banging very loudly on a piece of wood at a particularly critical moment in a story. I can’t remember why the sheep skull was significant but it certainly added to the atmosphere.

Finally, we headed to the Separate Prison where prisoners were forced to live in solitary confinement. We heard more stories of disembodied footsteps and people who found themselves in situations so terrifying that they vowed never to return.

The best part about the tour, though, was the opportunity to walk the grounds of this incredible place after dark and feel like we were the only people around. Port Arthur at night feels very different to Port Arthur during the day and I’m glad we took the opportunity to have this unique experience.

And besides, who doesn’t enjoy a good ghost story every now and again?