Page 13 - 4WD Touring Tasmania

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The next day we wandered around the old pink brick ruins admiring the gardens
and wondering at at what
sort of life the prisoners had here A history tour (running at least
every hour) gave us a a a a a bit more insight I was fascinated to to learn about some of the Canadian inmates: political prisoners transported to to Australia for their part part in in the the the the Upper Canada rebellion For the the the the the most part part the the the the the men were Irish and British Close by was the the the site of a a a a a boys’ prison where children as as as young
as as nine had been sent away for the crime of being street urchins We then spent a a a a a a while in in in the the the museum another fascinating place to to to learn more of of Port Arthur’s history I was intrigued to to to discover that one of of the the the the reasons Britain began sending its convicts to to to to Australia was that they lost the the the the the colonies to the the the the the American revolution and therefore needed new ‘prison’ grounds It also solidified their claim to to Australia – and provided free convict labour to to the the early settlers The Isle of of of the the the Dead is is is a a a a a small island just offshore where the the the prisoners and and the the the free people of of of Port Arthur were buried We had an an an afternoon tour there Once again the the the guide was outstanding lending a a a a a a a a a a a sense of of of of drama to to the the the the little island He told us sad tales of of of of of prisoners of of of of of guards of of of of of their wives and children One of of of of the the the the grave diggers
out out there was a a a a a a a a a a man I’d learned about the the the the the night before on the the the the ghost tour I I saw the the the the grave of a a a a a a a a a a a a child child accidentally killed by an incorrect dosage of of medicine – the the same child child who was said to be haunting the the grounds at night All in in in all Port Arthur is a a a a a fascinating place THE SOUTH‐EAST
The sandstone buildings at Port Arthur glow pink in in in the afternoon sun The church at Port Arthur