Port Arthur is a small town in Tasmania, Australia, located 60 km east of Hobart. It is best known as the site of Australia's largest penal colony.
The prison opened in 1833 as a place to send convicted British and Irish convicts who had reoffended since being sent to Australia. It had some of the strictest measures in the British penal system and was compared to Alcatraz due to its surrounding water and reputation for being inescapable.
At its peak the prison held up to 1,100 prisoners. It closed in 1877 and today visitors are drawn to the Port Arthur for its history, to tour the remaining preserved buildings and to hear the eery stories of the haunted site.

Getting to Port Arthur

Port Arthur is a 90-minute drive from Hobart via the Tasman Highway. There is also a range of tour companies in Hobart that specialize in day tours to Port Arthur.

Port Arthur Historical Site

The Port Arthur Historical site stretches over 90 acres. You can take an introductory guided tour of the grounds, a harbour cruise, a tour of the Isle of the Dead or Point Peur, or a guided ghost tour at night. There is also a museum, a convict gallery with records from convict times, and a research room where you can find out if you have any convict ancestors.
There are more than 30 buildings in various conditions at the site. These include the penitentiary, the separate prison, the Commander's residence, the church and the hospital. All the buildings were built by the prisoners -- each brick made by hand.
The Port Arthur colony was one of the first that made the switch from physcial to psychological punishment. The separate prison contained 80 separate cells where prisoners were kept for up to a year without ever seeing another prisoner and were made to stay in silence to reflect on their crimes. Pads were places on their feet so they would make no noise, and hoods placed over their heads when taken out for their exercise. Many prisoners became mentally ill during their time at Port Arthur and eventually an asylum was built to house them.
Port Arthur housed the British Empire's first boys prison at Point Peur for boys aged 9 and16 who were arrested for such offences as stealing toys. These boys were given a basic education and taught trade skills.
The Isle of the Dead is a small Island where all who died at the colony were buried. It is believed to have up to 1,646 graves but only 180 are marked -- those of prison staff and military.

Port Arthur Massacre

The Port Arthur Historical site is also where Martin Bryant killed 35 people and wounded another 21 before being captured on 28 April 1996. This massacre is one of the worst in Australia's history and led to a national ban on semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. Bryant is now in prision, serving 35 life sentences. There is a memorial at the Port Arthur site to remember those who lost their lives.

The Ghost Tour

Historical ghost tours operate nightly and run for about 1.5 hours. You'll be led through the historical buildings by lantern and hear stories of those who lived, worked and died at the site. These tours are not for the faint hearted and the tour guides have eery stories of their own experiences at Port Arthur that will give you goosebumps. There have been many incidents at Port Arthur, including sightings, sudden drops in temperature and photographs developed that are not so easily explained.