The prison at Port Arthur

One of Tasmania's claims to fame, if you can call it that, is a prison where people from England were imprisoned. The Hobart airport is east of town, so Dave and I decided to drive further east and south to the see the ruins of the prison. (Mike took a taxi into town.) The village of Port Arthur was established in 1830 as a timber camp, and in 1833 it became a "punishment station" for repeat offenders from all over Australia, most of whom were "transported" from England for various offenses that weren't severe enough for capital punishment. By 1840, 2000 convicts, soldiers and staff lived in Port Arthur in numerous buildings, some of which still exist as ruins and some of which were completely dismantled. The prison shut down in 1877. The first photo shows the setting of the prison on an inlet, and the other photos show the variety of buildings that are strewn over a broad hillside.