We travelled to Port Arthur with our Kidsetter in tow. I must admit I had my reservations taking an 8-year-old Kidsetter here as I wondered just how gruesome the tales would be of it’s tumultuous past.
I discovered it’s all in the guide – we explored the ruins with our very knowledgeable guide named Helen whom bought everything to life for us and our Kidsetter making it a unique educational experience for him. It was beautiful to see his mind opening and asking the copious amounts of questions to our guide. Not one of them flawed her. To my surprise one of our Kidsetters’ questions about the wallpaper in the Commander’s house opened fascinating facts about the reason behind choosing that wallpaper.
The Port Arthur Historic Site is a place of national and international significance – part of the epic story of the settlement of this country. The penal station was established in 1830 as a timber-getting camp, using convict labour to produce sawn legs for government projects. From 1833 Port Arthur was used as a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the British colonies. By 1840 more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and civil staff lived in Port Arthur. Port Arthur was much more than a prison. It was a complete community. The convicts worked at farming and the industries, producing a large range of resources and materials. With the end of convict transportation to Van Diemen’s Land in 1853, Port Arthur also became an institution for aging physically and mentally ill convicts. The penal settlement finally closed in 1877.
Our present tourism industry is not as innovative as I’d imagined with all the wonderful experiential offerings available today, this is nothing new. Back in 1830, this was already occurring. London’s gentry folk would be invited to attend dinner at the commander’s house in Port Arthur and experience being served by a rehabilitated convict; the gentry folk would sit chatting anticipating not being harmed by the convict whom would be holding a large carving knife ! Yes, really ! Thankfully, the current tourism industry doesn’t offer any of these bizarre experiences.
We boarded a ferry to tour the Point Puer Boy’s Prison and the Isle of the Dead. The boy’s prison operated from 1834 to 1849 and was the first purpose built juvenile reformatory in the British Empire. Juvenile offenders were separated from the older convicts to protect them from potential criminal influence. Point Puer was renowned for it’s regime of stern discipline and harsh punishment, but all the boys did receive an education while some were given the opportunity of trade training. Most of the boys were ages 14 to 17 with the youngest just 9 years old. We were horrified to learn the 9-year-old had been sent here after stealing 3 boxes of toys. His mother wouldn’t let him in the house each day unless he had stolen something that day !
The Port Arthur Historic Site contains more than 30 historic buildings, extensive ruins and beautiful grounds and gardens; be sure to take your walking shoes – I didn’t ! We explored all the buildings and one happened to be a chapel. Well what does a musical 8-year-old Kidsetter do when he sees a miniature organ in the chapel just sitting there – well sit’s down to play his favourite Michael Jackson song ‘I’m BAD’. Very apt given where we were !
