Port Arthur

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We drove down to Port Arthur, and I for one was expecting a town with a historical settlement on the outskirts….as it happens the town is on the outskirts of the settlement, the town consisting of one bakery and one shop.
After paying for our orientation tour and boat cruise, you are given a Port Arthur booklet and a playing card that corresponds to one of the former inmates. Mine, the Seven of Hearts, turned out to belong to George Hunt who was originally transported from London at an unknown age for the crime of stealing a handkerchief. The original punishment was transportation to Van Diemen’s Land, however if you re-offended whilst serving your sentence you were transferred to Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula, so chosen because the only way on or off was through the narrow strip of land at the top - Eaglehawk Neck. The reason for his incarceration on the Pennisula was due to being a lunatic!
While we waited for our tour we took a look around the basement, which is designed for you to follow your “designated” prisoner Needless to say George had the worst of times and never found his way to the cushier of jobs. We then got to try on some ball and chains…! At eleven fifteen we all gathered in front of the clock with the moveable hands, which had been proclaiming the time as 11.15 for quite a while. Our tour guide Tracy, had many humorous comments to “liven” up the talk…however it is actually very interesting. The history is briefly outlined and all the various buildings pointed out in order that we know which to visit later. We also learn of escape attempts made and how the inmates were then punished - including being submersed in freezing water for the day and whipped with the cat’o’nine tails. To highlight prisoners’ desperation and stupidity….we learned about George Hunt and his escape attempt. Apparently he took off running towards Hobart one day , and coming to the border of the Tasman Penninsula sees the sentries. George then finds a dead kangaroo and anticipating problems strolling over the border proceeds to skin the kangaroo and wearing the skin transform himself into a kangaroo. He miscalculated the amount of food a sentry was fed though, and as soon as one of the guards caught sight of this extremely tasty looking kangaroo bounding across the border, he took a shot. George, with life being more important than escape threw off the skin and put his hands in the air. Naturally, the poor guard had the fright of his life and never looked at kangaroos in the same way! This stunt earned George a spin in solitary and as security was increased due to his escape also made him unpopular with his fellow inmates!
One of the buildings that you can visit is the rector’s house, who used to house the infamous rector who created the big divide between Catholics and Protestants due to his incessant bashing of Catholics from the pulpit. From his tenure on Catholic services were held on the third floor of the prison where previously the church had been non-denominational and simply a place to worship on Sundays for the prisoners.
We were also brought out on the bay on a short boat ride and the old mooring points pointed out. We also circled the island where many inmates were buried without markers.

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