Port Arthur

Port Arthur, inlet of the Tasman Sea on the south coast of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia. It is known for the settlement established there in 1830 by George Arthur as the major site for punishing transported convicts who had further transgressed. A model reformatory for boys also existed from 1835 to 1849 at Point Puer, a rocky headland in the inlet. Although transportation of convicts ceased in 1853, the complex functioned for another 24 years, and altogether some 12,000 to 14,000 prisoners were there at one time or another. The partially restored ruins of the penal colony, including a church built by convicts (1836–40) and the spot called “Isle of the Dead” (with many unmarked graves, mainly of convicts), are now prime tourist attractions. Port Arthur is accessible from Hobart, 63 miles (101 km) northwest, by the Arthur Highway. The whole Tasman Peninsula is registered as part of Australia’s National Estate (places preserved as part of Australia’s national heritage). On April 28, 1996, a gunman killed 35 people at the convict site.