Port Arthur Historic Site-Part 1

Today is the day we did the biggest thing at Port Arthur. We headed to the Historic Site, where the old Port Arthur penal settlement existed. Much of it is receiving significant restoration and work to ensure its continued tourism.
While we waited for the introductory tour, we looked through the gallery and an exhibition about the colony and people who were there.
When we got our tickets we were given playing cards featuring the images of convicts and civilians who were at the penal settlement, and part of the tour involved trying to find the story of the person on the card. By the end of the day, Millie was disappointed that she couldn't find the man on Daddy's card, but we did find the story in the gallery of the people on each of our cards.
After the introductory tour we were left to make our own way around the site. Though the tour guide referred to fire that destroyed much of the timber structure of the site in the late 1800s, but it wasn't until much later that we were able to fill in that story.
For our own tour we started with the Paupers Depot and Hospital, on to the Guard Tower and Officers Quarters and then to the Commandant's Residence.
The residence has been well restored and there is a lot to see there, down to an interesting style of wallpaper used throughout the residence, and Millie liked the Grandfather clock in the entry.
We then moved on to the main Penitentiary which has a lot of incredible history, from the types of inn mates who were housed there, the type of living conditions they endured and how the different types of crimes and their behaviour would determine the luxuries and the liberties they were given while incarcerated.
Next post, more of the Port Arthur Historic Site.Read more