Truly Horrible History: Macquarie Harbour Penal Station

[@richardrichards5982]

Macquarie Harbour is one of the most stunning places in Australia. Sarah Island is close to the mouth of the Gordon River. The convicts were forced to use this river as the transportation for cut huon pine logs. Even in the depths of winter they were forced to get into the river and push the logs along (so in waters approx 3-8 degrees C). I have paddled this river up to the confluence of the Franklin River and then back to Sarah Island. I highly recommend this paddle to anyone. PS: The huon pine logs are really a very dense heavy log, so many of the logs pushed along by the convicts just simply sank to the bottom of Macquarie Harbour. This is the primary source of huon pine as a boat building timber. Logs possibly dating back to 1824 are still on the bottom, but in pristine condition. They fetch huge money as a timber for boat building.

[@brankog7]

amazing, cheers

[@keithdrower9120]

It is a truly foreboding place. Enormous beauty captured by horrific isolation and despair.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Ive been to Sarah Island. The Huon Pine slips where they built ships still exist. Most of the buildings were destroyed by locals in the early 20th century in an attempt to free themsleves of the convict slur. Natural flora has now retaken most of the island, it would have been interesting to see how it was in the convict days.

[@Matt-yv2sr]

The things that showed up in photos on Sarah island were troubling such a dark highly charged place of suffering ...yet so beautiful!!

[@paulrummery6905]

The story of the English transportation system, their institution of punishment, degradation and notion that the breaking of the individual was wholesome under God is worth understanding, especially if you are Australian. In my life of reading the English science of, & investment in punishment stands out as a modern horror story. Read about Alexander Pearce. He was at Macquarie harbour. I've been to Port Arthur as a boy and the place felt soaked in pain.

[@Real_History]

It was certainly a grim story. Alexander Pearce is on my list of videos to do. I put a visual reference to him in at the end of this video as well. I’ve also been to Port Arthur. You are right. It is an eerie place, doubly so given more recent events. There is an excellent book on the settlement called “Misery of the Deepest Dye” by David Cameron, who also wrote one of my reference books for this video.

[@homebrandrules]

"the place felt soaked in pain" ABSOLUTELY PERFECT DESCRIPTOR. !!!!!

[@denisegore1884]

Hobart was called Hobart Town during the convict era.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Enjoyable, thanks!

[@taynecooper7747]

Having grown up on the West Coast, Macquarie harbour was always a place for fishing and getting away, such a beautiful place and such a history

[@bugmouthready529]

Anyone who likes to read have a look at "The Ship That Never Was" a fascinating account of tne last ship launched at Sarah Island ant the "non mutiny" which occurred.

[@ashleytidd-w9i]

Yes,good read.

[@saltydog3099]

Yes the book is by Bryce Courtenay's son Adam, he has several Australian early history books that are also well written and have a heap of information about our former colony....

[@alexjones7043]

I just went on the gordon river tour and went to sarah island. Suffice to say it really makes you appreciate what everyone went through to make Australia what it is today.

[@homebrandrules]

thankyou, 1of my relatives, arrested for poaching and subsequent battery of the arresting game ward was sent to norfolk island, where he became lost to history, his brother, also arrested for the same charges was not sent to N.I. some speculation is that on route to australia, the brother sent to N.I. copped some extra charges onboard his vessel. the other brother is my great great grandfather, who,s son, my great grandfather i met, he died at 92/93 when i was 4 or 5.

[@JasonLuther1]

I appreciate your content.

[@Real_History]

Thanks!

[@brontewcat]

It was truly hell on Earth. Thanks for the video. I think you did great job n describing its horror.

[@suecollins8199]

People consider Pt Arthur was horrific but forget Sarah Island was much worse....😢

[@user-cr4pz5yg7y]

As usual, prison employees and wardens should be prisoners themselves. Im sure a few prisoners were bad men, but not as many as the staff.

[@Real_History]

In fairness, unlike modern prison staff, the guards didn’t get to choose where they were posted or what their actual duties were. The regiment that was initially responsible for manning the station had fought in the Napoleonic Wars only a few years earlier before it was deployed to the New South Wales colony. As for Cuthbertson….yeah

[@barbaraparsons6643]

Listen to A Tale they won’t believe. A song by Wedding’s Parties Anything.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Right there's another one, don't you frown, Chew the meat and hold it down, It's a tale they won't believe, When I get down to Hobart Town.

[@belindasmith9638]

This was so informative, thanks Please do Blaxland Lawson and Wentworth 😮

[@suecollins8199]

I am greatful that my convict GGG grandfather who arrived @ Hobart Town in 1828 was sent to Maria Island rather than Sarah Island. In 1832 when Maria Island convict station was closed, he was on the last ship to depart there with Major Daunt Lord. Then, for unknown reasons my GGG GF was assigned to Pt Arthur... After many 'tickets of leave' he was eventually free but died a lonely death @ Broadmarsh in the 1850's. He was buried @ St Mark's C/E Pontville graveyard in 1850's in an unmarked plot. Approximately 10yrs ago some our descendants gave him a plaque there in the sandstone wall adjacent to the church building. 🎉

[@adanedwardspencer6891]

It's terrible to think that the British Government could be so cruel to another human being, whatever they have done, & many convicts were punished for the most simple offences, & I could imagine how hated the convicted men felt towards their captors, & it was found, that "grinding bad men good"did not work, & being at Macquarie Harbour would surely send men insane, & it just goes to show, that you can't treat human beings like animals, or they will behave like animals, British brutality at a truly horrific place.

[@mikew3194]

Speak up sonny! I can't hear this over the sound of my bowels erupting

[@davidcollins7473]

Soothing voice

[@surendersingal2192]

Thank you sir for explaining brutality by both the police n convicts of Tasmania. Never heard any such brutality before. Good day.

[@homebrandrules]

you havent heard of isis ?

[@joezephyr]

And what was the production of the convicts when they worked there? Timber gathered would have built most of the existing colony.

[@forthleft]

Ty,

[@theklopec4042]

How very horrible.

[@David-d4k9k]

These are the chained convicts that ‘invaded’ Australia.

[@chloeew4627]

But only the indigenous had it bad 😂😂😂

[@BGone-mb7wz]

@3:13 Tasmania is NOT a part of 'continental Australia', it's an ISLAND STATE - which should have made that fact OBVIOUS.

[@Real_History]

If you listen closely, you will hear me say “Australian continent”, as opposed to continental Australia, and you might be surprised to know that Tasmania is generally considered part of the Australian continent because it sits on the same continental shelf. The commonly held idea that the Australian continent is confined to the mainland is actually technically incorrect. So while it is OBVIOUS that Tasmania is an ISLAND STATE, that fact does not exclude it from being part of the Australian continent. In future, perhaps it might be worth doing a little googling before coming at me or anyone else with this level of snark. Going out of your way to be snarky while being wrong just makes you look stupid. In any case, I sincerely hope that this wasn’t the only thing you got out of this video.

[@suecollins8199]

​@@Real_History 100% agree. People who don't know their geography forget that Tasmania & the 'Big Island' (aka the mainland) were once joined.....😊

[@shutup.commer]

​@Real_History While you are completely right about the continental shelf part, generally the mainlanders do everything possible to distance themselves from us Tasmanians! I call Tasmania the real mainland personally. ...but yeah, old mate above was just being a douche! Well researched btw.

[@drivingschool11]

Convicts are convicts. o mercy!

[@AndrewCox-y4l]

Yes but 2,600mm in 300 day a year

[@gwyndixon7023]

Oh dear....it's the Great Australian BIGHT!!! Not BITE.

[@Real_History]

@@gwyndixon7023 you are correct. A minor spelling error.

[@Rapture_Ready_Rabbit]

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[@theshrivelstein7118]

When Thylacines roamed the land.

[@umbro12]

Still there, seen one in 73, Hellyer gorge, picnic area, another one in 89 in back of Scottsdale,

[@horationelson57]

Please, let's ditch this silly word, 'indigenous'' with the apt Aborigine. After all I am a white Australian, indigenous to Sydney, but not an Aborigine.

[@brankog7]

You’re an English Australian indigenous to England migrated to Australia

[@brucescott8116]

You don't have a good grasp of the English language, do you.

[@KeithLedger-k4s]

I have talked with numerous elders and most agree that the whites brought here as slaves by the colonists are now indigenous to this land and soil. It’s the GOVERNMENT that has no jurisdiction as it’s a foreign corporation. These facts will manifest themselves to the population over time.

[@ray.shoesmith]

lol 😂 "Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced."

[@homebrandrules]

@@ray.shoesmith after how many generations since ones ancestors first arrived in a place do they become indigenous to that location in your opinion ?