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one convict. Within the grounds are prison buildings and homes of those operating the
prison. Combined with the walk are boat tours that cruise past the Isle of the Dead.
One-day tours from Hobart are available from a variety of companies, or, if you wish to
make your own way, TassieLink operates a bus from Hobart to here every weekday
afternoon. In addition, there are services on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings in
summer.
Along the route, a point of great interest is Eaglehawk Neck, which really is worth
stopping for. If you go to Port Arthur with a tour, you will usually have the opportunity to
look at the scenery here. In convict times, this is where soldiers and dogs guarded the
Tasman Peninsula to ensure that escape from Port Arthur was almost impossible. At this
point the isthmus is only one hundred metres across. A chain was run across and dogs
tied to the chain. Then, since the only possible escape route was via the sea, a rumour was
circulated that the waters were infested with sharks. Even so, in 1843 the bushranger
Martin Cash and two of his friends did manage to escape from here.
Now, though, the point of interest is not the dogs, but the natural scenery. There are four
natural wonders here within the space of a few hundred metres. They are labelled the
Tasman Arch, a natural bridge across which one can walk; the Devil's Kitchen, where the
waves rush in through a narrow gap producing a cauldron of churning water at the foot of
a deep enclosed chasm; the Blowhole; and the Tessellated Pavement, caused by wave
action. The scale of these natural phenomena is most impressive. There are also walks,
and the Officers' Quarters from the convict days remain, now used as a small museum.
There is accommodation available here, including a backpackers hostel.
Port Arthur had become almost self-sufficient by the 1840s, but when transportation lost
favour, and new young convicts ceased to arrive in the 1850s and 1860s, that selfsufficiency
was gradually lost. In 1877 the prison was closed. Thereafter buildings such
as the church and penitentiary were destroyed by fire and by vandalism, and other
constructions suffered from those seeking building materials. The settlement was
renamed Carnarvon, but in 1927 it reverted to Port Arthur. In 1979, the state and federal
governments decided to spend $9 million on restoration and development work, since
when it has won many awards.
Entry is now through the Visitor Centre, newly constructed in 1999 at a cost of a further
$4.5 million, although access can also be gained at some other points around the fortyhectare
enclosed site. The Centre and grounds are open from 8:30 until dusk, but certain
buildings have shorter opening hours. Tours are available from 9:00 and are included in
the price of admission.
Passing through the Visitor Centre, one finds oneself in the role of a nineteenth-century
criminal, being sentenced to transportation and then entering the ship and emerging in
Port Arthur. One is given a prisoner identity card, relating to the circumstances of an
actual past prisoner, and invited to trace his history and discover what became of him.
Within the grounds are approximately thirty buildings, some restored and some just ruins,
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