Port Arthur is a small village and is best known for the well-preserved penal colony buildings of the nearby, World Heritage Listed, Port Arthur Historic Site. The Port Arthur Historic Site was established in 1830 as a timber station and was soon built into a small town to house and punish over a thousand of Tasmania’s most notorious convicts. This dark history contrasts with the beauty of the surrounding area.

Full of powerful stories of hardship and loss, it’s one of Tasmania’s most rewarding travel experiences. At night, ghost tours of the historic site are on offer. Rich storytelling and pathways through darkened ruins and heritage buildings reveal bizarre occurrences during Port Arthur’s history, baffling and alarming convicts, free settlers, soldiers and today’s visitors alike.

Coal Mines Historic Site You can find more early Australian convict history at the World Heritage-listed Coal Mines Historic Site, 20 km north-west of Port Arthur, where the harsh lives of repeat offender convicts who worked underground extracting coal are revealed. Entry is free. Visitors to this site should consider undertaking the 15 minute drive on a good gravel road to Lime Bay where a swim in the sheltered turquoise waters is hard to resist.

Port Arthur Historic site is just an 18 minute drive from Eaglehawk Pavilions.

Find out more - https://portarthur.org.au/

attractions

Eaglehawk Pavilions