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PORT ARTHUR Tourism

About PORT ARTHUR

Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. Known for its harsh conditions, dark history and stark beauty, it is located approximately 60 km south east of the state capital, Hobart.

Arthur is located approx. 60km south east of the state capital, Hobart, on the Tasman Peninsula. The scenic drive from Hobart, via the Tasman Highway to Sorell and the Arthur Highway to Port Arthur, takes around 90 minutes and covers approx. 100km. Transport from Hobart to the site is also available via ferry or sea plane.

At the 2006 census, Port Arthur and the surrounding area had a population of 499.

Port Arthur Prison Colony site was named after Van Diemen's Land Lieutenant Governor George Arthur. The settlement started as a timber station in 1830, however, it is best known for being a penal colony. From 1833 until 1850s, it was a destination for the hardest of convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent here, a quite undesirable punishment. It contains one of the best examples of a ''Separate Prison'' system based on that at Pentonville prison in London, The Separate Prison (or sometines known as The Model Prison) was completed in 1853 and extended in 1855. The 80 cell prison was built in the shape of a cross with radial exercise yards around a central hall and chapel.

The penal colony was closed down in 1877 and today the precinct has become a major tourist attraction with a superbly preserved collection of penal colony buildings. Most visitors include a visit to the Isle of the Dead which became the burial place for both free settlers and convicts from Port Arthur in 1831.

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