Field Trip Part 2

On Wednesday we went to Port Arthur, Australia’s first convict settlement. It was for repeat offenders, so some of the people’s initial crimes were minor like stealing silverware, but they continued to repeat those crimes so they got shipped here. They were sent here mostly for their labor rather than to punish them.

When we first got there, we were given a playing card that corresponded to a real convict who went through Port Arthur. Then, we could follow them through the exhibit and see what their life was like. At the entrance, there was a sign that said “All cheerful, contented, cleanly, obedient, industrious, and cheerful prisoners please move this way,” with the arrow pointing straight into the wall (above). My prisoner (above) was sent to Port Arthur for military desertion, and while there he received 782 lashes and 267 days in solitary confinement. Crazy stuff. I got to further simulate being a prisoner with these leg irons (above). They were quite heavy, and some convicts had to do hard, manual labor in them.

After the museum, we went on a walking tour and were able to explore the grounds on our own. We went to the Separate Prison, which is where they put prisoners for solitary confinement (prison hallway, above). They were really insistent on these prisoners not having any human contact. So insistent that in church they had to stand in stalls that prevented them from seeing anyone but the priest (above). It was pretty hard core.

What was really weird is that if you put aside all of the sick and twisted history of Port Arthur, it was quite a beautiful place (all brick buildings, above). The buildings were mostly made out of this orangey brick. There was a brushfire about 100 years ago (I don’t remember), so a lot of the buildings are just ruins of what they used to be. So it was my closest experience of the ruins my friends in Europe get to see on their field trips. There also were pretty gardens on the grounds, a replica of what the free people at Port Arthur enjoyed to take their minds off of the horrible things they were doing to the prisoners (flowers, above).

Then we went on a cruise of the Port Arthur harbor (us on the boat, above). We went around the Isle of the Dead (island with trees, above), where they buried all of the people who died at Port Arthur. There are more than 1,000 people buried on that island, which seems impossible to me because it looks so small.

After Port Arthur, we went to Remarkable Cave (that is the real name, I am not lying). It is so remarkable because while it just looks like a normal cave (closest picture to text, above), the opening on the other side of the cave is in the shape of Tasmania. The picture above the orange flower shows the opening, and above there is a map of Tasmania so you can compare.

We continued to hike to Maingon Blowhole, a really deep hole formed by erosion (looking down to the bottom, above). There was some beautiful coastline with pretty orange rocks and turquoise waters (above). We posed for a photo op in front of the water (above).

At night we went back to Port Arthur for a ghost tour. Sadly, it was not as scary as the one in Fremantle because nothing jumped out at us and our group was too big. It was interesting to hear the stories, but to me it seemed like nothing more than stories. I guess I shouldn’t be so skeptical the next time I go on a ghost tour.