Port Arthur

It makes me wonder at how 19th century convicts must have viewed the world.

Transportation for trivial crimes is (and was) widely condemned as grossly disproportionate and inhumane. 

Once in Tasmania, convicts faced brutal treatment and harsh conditions that were in many ways equally as inhumane as the original sentence of transportation. 

Yet once here they got fed meat every day, had clothing and shelter, and access to medical care - things they didn't have back in England. Furthermore, once they served their time, they had opportunity for employment in a wide variety of roles, plus they could own their own land - also things they didn't have back in England. Some convicts got both immediately on release, e.g. they were offered jobs as constables and were gifted a parcel of land on acceptance. 

Put another way, being transported was horrific, yet staying back in England was even worse, especially for orphans!

Yet at the time it is unlikely that convicts viewed it with such rose tinted glasses... 

Port Arthur was closed in the late 19th century and immediately became a tourist destination. We rounded off our Tasmanian Tour with a visit to this historic site. 
Mary enjoyed trying a kitchen accessory, colour matched to our fridge and dishwasher :
This was the first view fresh arrivals would see of their new home. I am guessing it wasn't quite so picturesque and manicured as it is today. 
The main dormitory. Note the individual cell size, which would have been tastefully decorated with bare brick walls and no significant ventilation :
We found the cottage given to one of my antecedents, William Smith O'Brien at the end of his sentence. William was an MP who then joined an Irish Nationalist party, and finally got transported for plotting independence from England. I felt an urge to cary the modern Mrs O'Brien over the threshold... 
 
Mary, on the other hand, felt an urge to preach... 

The back of the main buildings and the Commandant's Cottage gave an idea of the scale of the town. At it's height there would have been over 2000 people living here, with convicts, warders, families, staff, etc. 

We spent around 4 hours exploring the sights and didn't see it all, especially the surrounding walking tracks. 

All in all, an awesome finale to our Tasmanian Trip! Monday we're off to Adelaide and the delights of the mainland 

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