Life Behind Bars: The Dark Secrets of Port Arthur

Port Arthur was a penal colony located on the Australian island of Tasmania.
It operated from 1830 until 1877 and housed some of the most hardened criminals from Britain and Ireland.
Surrounded by water and deemed inescapable, it was considered one of
the harshest prisons of its time, because of its isolation and use of
psychological punishment. A narrow isthmus connecting it to mainland Tasmania was guarded by a line of dogs, chained together to prevent any escape attempts.
Port Arthur was known for its innovative methods of rehabilitation, such as the Separate Prison, where prisoners were kept in solitary confinement and silence. The prisoners had to wear hoods and communicate only by gestures. Many prisoners in the Separate Prison ended up in the nearby Insane Asylum.
Port Arthur was named after George Arthur, the lieutenant governor of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) from 1823 to 1836.
Port Arthur was also a center of industry, producing ships, bricks, shoes, and other goods with convict labor. The prison dockyards were so successful that they had to close down after private shipbuilders complained that they could not compete with the quality and price of the convict-made ships.
Port Arthur is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tasmania, attracting over 250,000 visitors each year.

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