Best of Tasmania
Port Arthur Historic Site: Tasmania's World Heritage Convict Precinct
Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula, about 90 minutes from Hobart, is one of Australia's most significant historical places and part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Listing. The site preserves the ruins of the former penal settlement that housed thousands of convicts transported to Van Diemen’s Land from Britain and Ireland between 1830 and 1877, when the penal settlement operated (it was established in 1830). Key structures include the Penitentiary, the Asylum, the Model Prison, the Church ruins and the Isle of the Dead cemetery accessible by boat cruise. Entry includes a guided walking tour and a harbour cruise. The historic ghost tour, run on most evenings, is a popular addition. Booking in advance is recommended, particularly in summer and school holidays.
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Port Arthur Historic Site
Australia's most significant convict heritage site, set on a dramatic peninsula on the Tasman coast, a UNESCO World Heritage area with 30 buildings and ruins to explore.
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Isle of the Dead, Cemetery Tour
A guided boat tour to the small island cemetery where over 1,100 convicts and free settlers were buried, one of the most atmospheric heritage experiences in Australia.
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Ghost Tour, Nightly
A guided lantern-lit ghost tour through the Port Arthur penitentiary and ruins at dusk, part history, part theatre and entirely memorable.
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Penitentiary and Model Prison
The core buildings of Port Arthur, with self-guided and guided tours explaining the separate system of prisoner discipline and the 11,000 convicts transported here.
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Tasman Peninsula Drive (Scenic)
The drive from Hobart to Port Arthur passes Eaglehawk Neck, the famous tessellated pavement and the Tasman Arch, allow 90 minutes to stop at all three.
More Best of Tasmania
- Bay of Fires: Tasmania's Iconic Orange-Lichen Coast
- Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay: Walking the Hazards
- Tasmania Wildlife Encounters: Wombats, Devils and World-Class Nature
- Weekend Getaways in Tasmania: Freycinet, the Overland Track and Cradle Mountain
- Where to Stay in Tasmania: Accommodation Guide for Visitors
- Cradle Mountain: Walking, Wildlife and the Tasmanian Wilderness