Port Arthur and the Convict trail 27th June 2007

Today we drove to the south - east of Tasmania to a place called Port Arthur. This is were the first of the convicts on second time offence's were sent to serve there time. It was a prison for second time males. They were treated like slaves for a industry of timber and later ship building. It started off with a total of just 300, of which were prisoners, the army and their families. The settlement was started by Lieutenant Collins in 1830 and was the British empires major penal settlement.

We took a guided walk around the ground that was really interesting and some of the places were eirey. After that we got a tour of the port area which showed us the island of the dead, the island for the graves of the convicts. As well as the island for the first British boys prison. It was the first time the British were to ever separate the boys from the men. They thought that the men were teaching the young boys their bad ways.

We then got of the boat and walked the old mill that was converted into a prison building for the best and worst behaved. The best behaved got the top floor with hamac type beds while the worst got a cell on the ground floor that was only big enough for a 1 bed and 1 shelf. We visited the army's area and the commodore's house. Then went on to the hospital and separate prison that was built later. The separate prison was built to house all the bad offenders that kept on re offending inside the prison. They stopped whipping these people and put then in solitary confinement from 3months to anything like 20 years. They decided that whipping didn't work so they started working on their minds. Which sent some crazy and they had to build an asylum from all this inmates then.

We found out that the Rev. house was the most haunted of all the building still standing. Hannah didn't want to go inside, but I thought come on. So I followed a woman in and it was a bit eirey as I could hear what sounded like monks singing. I walked around the house loosing the woman. I found a room that was playing the music and also telling a story of the Rev. and how he treated all the inmates badly and beating them. After leaving the room feeling as though someone was watching me I headed for the back door. As I got to the doorway that woman I followed in stepped into the door frame and scared the crap out of me. I told Hannah and she laugh at me and we then visited the church that has not been consecrated, because the commodore wanted a place for all inmate no matter what religion to pray.

After a really great day we went back the motel with pizza and relaxed eating watch TV. Planning on going up to Launceston tomorrow in the north of Taz. Going up the Heritage highway.