Port Arthur by Day and Night

Once again with little to no plans (this was very unlike us) we made our way down the Southeast Peninsula to Port Arthur for a day of sight-seeing and historical enrichment.   We dropped our bags at the nearby deluxe campsite (with full indoor kitchens with room for at least 7 families), grabbed food for dinner later and headed to Port Arthur’s Historic Site, the hub of Tasmania’s and Australia’s convict history. 

We purchased a day ticket to explore the grounds on our own and booked 2 spots on the ghost tour for later that night.  We were in turn, handed two cards from a 52 deck that would match us up to convicts that had lived (and served time) there over 150 years ago.  Upon entering the main interactive exhibit, I learned that my convict (John Langworth, the Ace of Diamonds) was arrested for stealing two saddles, was sent to Port Arthur for being a violent and uncontrollable man and was sentenced to life during which he acted as an overseer of the other convicts.  Martin’s convict on the other hand (the Queen of Spades) had stolen some sheets, was sentenced to life and worked as a carpenter on the grounds…how fitting, Martin the carpenter and me in management – what are the odds!

We spent the next 2 hours touring the grounds, learning about life as a convict in the mid to late 1800’s and gasping at the true horror of it all including the “silent” or “separate” prison where convicts were forced into separation and complete silence for up to 10 years…One gentleman ended up there for 7 years for stealing a (as in 1) silver spoon. 

Inside the silent prison 

In sharp contrast to its history, the grounds were beautiful, and had it not been for the tragic and somber past, it would have been the perfect place for a holiday. 

 The main building

  
Later that evening, we enjoyed a ghost tour of the grounds, hearing about the original person and all of the “encounters” that have followed since at each of the haunted locations. We heard about the various murders that occurred in the now empty church, the ghost of the angry parson, the children of the hospital, the roaming lady in blue and the surgeon’s basement.  While we didn’t see any ghosts, the stories of the encounters were entertaining and the 4 candle lanterns that provided our only source of light throughout the tour helped to increase some heart rates while hearing the stories. 

The Church by Night