Port Arthur Video
Australia’s Convict History
By: The OZtralia Producers
Port Arthur is a must see if you are going to travel Tasmania. As you know, some of the first residents of Tasmania were convicts. Port Arthur was built on the back of the first citizens of Australia.
The area first began in 1830 as a timber station as another timber station at Birches Bay closed. Port Arthur soon became a local necessity as shipbuilding facilities and a flower mill were built here. In 1848 the first Prison started at Port Arthur. The rest is history.
As Australia was a colony at the time, Port Arthur received a lot of inmates. The goal between 1850 and 1860 was to make Port Arhtur sustainable. Over the years though, the colonies stopped sending prisoners and numbers of inmates soon receded to the last being on the grounds in 1877.
Recognizing that Port Arthur could be a tourist site (everyone is a bit curious on how a prison works, right?) the Scenery Preservation Board was created at Port Arthur in 1916. Soon the National Parks and Wildlife took the helm to re-create the actual authentic “Port Arthur” experience.
Today funded by the Tasmanian government scene Port Arthur is very well done.
We would not be true if we did not mention Sunday April 28, 1996 where thirty five people were killed in and around Port Arthur after a man went on a shooting spree. He is not in prison serving thirty five life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Tags: Australia History, convicts, Port Arhtur, Tasmania, Tasmanian Goverment
