Planning an Australia Trip? Don’t Forget Port Arthur in Tasmania

Australia has a lot of interesting stories about the history of the country. It is known that there are some horror stories of Port Arthur in Tasmania, which was a penal settlement in the 19th century. The location was great for a convict settlement to be built, and now it is one of the most interesting historic sites to visit.

Brief History of Port Arthur in Tasmania

In the beginning, in 1830, the penal settlement of Port Arthur was a small timber station. Then, it was used as a settlement for British convicts as they could not be transported to America anymore after the American War of Independence.

Throughout history, Port Arthur had become an industrial prison. Convicts were forced to be productive by getting timber from around the settlement. It was very punishing but also profitable as it supplied the needs of building materials for many places.

Some convicts were just small robbers, but they had done their crimes before, so they had to be sent to Port Arthur. Some convicts were famous in the history of Port Arthur, along with soldiers, servants, shipwrights, and commandants.

Those people are Robert Young, William Thompson, Henry Singleton, Margaret Dalziel, William Champ, William Riley, David Hoy, and Mark Jeffrey. They all had their own stories, but the one who had the most known one is Martin Bryant for the tragedy on Sunday, April 28, 1996.

Martin Bryant was a Hobart man who carried out the infamous shooting rampage at Port Arthur. He randomly killed and injured a lot of people in some places on and around the historic site. This devastating tragedy forced the government to make new strict laws about guns.

The tragedy still saddens some workers of Port Arthur who have lost their families and friends, so there is a Memorial Garden for visitors to learn about the tragedy without talking about it with those workers.

Things That You Can Do in Port Arthur in Tasmania

With the huge area that Port Arthur covers, this historical site offers many varieties of tours both during days and evenings. These tours are the commandant’s tour, the escape from Port Arthur tour, the isle of the dead cemetery tour, the wheel of fate, and, the most interestingly spooky one, the Port Arthur ghost tour.

The Port Arthur ghost tour is perfect for those seeking a thrilling paranormal activity. Visitors will be guided for a two kilometers walk around Port Arthur with lanterns in darkness. To make things scarier, it is believed that the souls of thousands of people who died there have never left the haunted area.

How to Get to Port Arthur in Tasmania

Port Arthur is located in the Tasman Peninsula. It is less than 100 kilometers from the capital of the Tasmania island state, Hobart. The historic site can be visited by car or public transport from Hobart.

From the city of Hobart, a drive takes about 90 minutes via the Arthur Highway. Some beautiful views of the Tasman Peninsula can be enjoyed along the way. Moreover, visitors can also board the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from the mainland, then take a five hours journey across Tasmania with its pretty scenery.

How Much Do You Need to Go to Port Arthur in Tasmania

Money is obviously needed for any trip to be used for transportation, accommodation, consumables, souvenirs, and of course, entry fees. For a trip to Port Arthur, at least $50 is enough as the ticket price for adults is $47 and $22 for children.

That $47 ticket can be used for two days of Port Arthur exploration. The ticket also includes many basic facilities like an entry to the Port Arthur Gallery, a basic Walking Tour complete with a guide, a Harbour Cruise, and access to a lot of buildings, houses, gardens, ruins, and walking trails.

For other activities, the ticket prices start from as little as $20 until up to $350, depending on the tours. Therefore, it is better to prepare more than $500 to get the full experience of the historic site of Port Arthur.

Port Arthur in Tasmania is a historic site worth visiting in the country. Moreover, for those interested in more history-themed vacations, there is also one of the best historic sites placed on the mainland called the Australian War Memorial Museum.