Triabunna - Gateway to Maria Island

 

It seems heading to Triabunna was a good idea, in more ways than one. Our arrival was sweet and calm; we launched the dinghy and checked on-line for more information about this rural seacoast town. We figured this might be a good opportunity to get a bit more gasoline for the dinghy, do a little exploring, get a few groceries, have a chance to do some laundry and generally catch up on chores. Short delays like this are usually time well spent.

By sundown, the winds had increased to consistent 30 knots from the NW and our calm little anchorage was no longer calm. By the time we headed to bed a few hours later, the winds had backed to the west and were gusting in the high 40's. We hung tight. A sleepless night ensued. We took turns checking our position and making sure all was well. The wind howled and shrieked and rattled the rigging. It left us unsettled and wondering, as always, if there could be any more wind left ... but there always is. Sometime around 0500, the winds subsided and the rain began. We slept soundly for a few hours in the renewed calm. More of the same was forecast, but luckily no winds were as bad as the first night.

The winds remained fresh and I washed and hung out the laundry despite the frequent showers. I figured any rain would end up being another “rinse cycle” and everything would eventually dry which it did.

Just after noon, with a respite in the wind, we headed up the narrow channel into town. Triabunna is a scenic little port town and considered the largest township (not city) on Tasmania's east coast. The town's name is an Aboriginal word for native hen. A little trivia here...though we've seen lots of native Tasmanian hens scurrying about in our island travels, we did not see any in Triabunna.

Founded in the 1820's as a whaling station and supply depot/garrison post for the Maria Island penal colony, Triabunna is said to be Australia’s first rural municipality. We tied up the dinghy midst the crayfish boats and headed to the Tourist Info Center, just behind the marina. We got our orientation of the town and found out where all the important stuff was...gas station, grocery, old buildings, tourist stuff. We picked up our usual allotment of brochures and info pamphlets.

The town may be small (population: ~800), but it certainly is friendly. We lugged our gasoline and four 8 gallon diesel jugs to the gas station about ½ mile away. The owner called his daughter who arrived with a truck a few minutes later to give David and the full jugs a ride back to the marina. At the IGA, we were allowed to borrow a shopping cart to get our groceries back to the dock. Much easier for sure than lugging everything in bags and backpacks.

The coastal reserve Pelican Walk starts just beyond the marina and we took the short walk along Vicary's Inlet. We spotted black swans, herons, pied oystercatchers and Australasian grebes, but no pelicans.

We passed several historic buildings on our walk around town, including the Spring Bay Hotel (1838) and the Triabunna House (c.1840), that attest to the colonial roots of the town. There's a hardware store, a butcher and a pharmacy, a cafe or two and a takeaway place. Interestingly enough, there's also a Christmas shop which I can't believe does much business, but it was certainly crammed full of all things Christmas.

We think Triabunna has probably seen better days. It bills itself as “the Gateway to Maria Island”. The Maria Island Ferry docks here and that accounts for the tourists in town. Otherwise, we'd be hard pressed to figure out why people would visit. It's a friendly place, small and quaint, but there's not much here and most of the historic buildings are regretfully, a bit worse for the wear.

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Port Arthur Historic Convict Site: Part 2

 

Three short plays were presented each day and we managed to see all three during our two-day visit. All were representative of a prisoner's life, their treatment and the reasons they were incarcerated. Part of the dehumanizing process at Port Arthur was to assign prisoners an identification number which replaced their names. The plays seek to humanize the people who lived and died here by telling their stories and restoring their identities as much as possible.

We visited Puer Point by dinghy early one morning. Many people were originally “transported” from England and Ireland for minor crimes such as theft. Boys could be tried as adults at age 7 and theft of a toy was enough to warrant imprisonment at Port Arthur. Puer (Latin for “boy”) Point was established across the bay from the main settlement at Port Arthur as a reformatory specifically for juvenile delinquent boys. It was hard to believe that between 1834-1849, this lovely place with wildflowers in bloom and ducks swimming tranquilly in a marsh was once home to 3,000 boys, some as young as 9. A walkway leads past the scant remains of the buildings. David wandered into the old brick ovens, thick with cobwebs and a-buzz with flying insects.

The Isle of the Dead, also across the bay, is a tiny, treed island that served as the settlement's cemetery. Convicts, military and civilian officers and their family members were buried here between 1833 and 1877. It was an eerie feeling to see row upon row of gravestones … some leaning, some crumbling. We wandered respectfully and quietly among them, reading the stones, wondering what their stories were and how their lives had ended. Of the 1,646 graves recorded, only 180, those of prison staff and military personnel, are marked.

The prison closed in 1877. Many of the buildings are believed to be haunted. Screams are said to be heard from cells and rocking chairs and objects can be seen moving. Ghosthunters International did a segment here and verified paranormal activity. We visited the Parsonage, said to be the “most haunted” of all the buildings on the site. We didn't see or hear anything paranormal, but in a black-walled, dimly-lit room, with a minister's sermon playing in the background, it certainly felt creepy.

We ended up spending two full days at the Port Arthur Convict Site including our side trips to Isle of the Dead and Puer Point in the dinghy. It is wonderful, eerie and sobering all at the same time. The cheapest admission price is $32 and includes two consecutive days entry, an orientation tour and a short harbor cruise. Several other activities including after-dark ghost tours are available for additional cost. We would definitely add Port Arthur to our recommended must-see list when visiting Tasmania.

For more reading on this subject, the crew recommends For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke, written in 1874. It's a free Kindle download.

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Port Arthur Historic Convict Site: Part 1

port arthur lock

We'd heard and read about Port Arthur. We'd seen pictures. Nothing, however, could have prepared us for our first views of this historic site as we made our way around the Isle of the Dead and headed towards Mason Cove. A picture-perfect expanse of golden, sandstone buildings lay before us on a green hillside surrounded by thick dense forest … an artist's pallet. Everything appeared so very beautiful, grand and pastoral from our vantage point … a castle or a huge mansion ... until you realized that this was once considered the harshest penal institution in the British Empire.

port arthur penitentiary

Originally founded in 1830 as a timber station, in 1833 Port Arthur, because of its isolated location, became the site of one of Australia's most shockingly cruel and brutal prisons. Now part of a World Heritage Site, this open air museum showcases the remains of the convict-built buildings which once served as their prison. In conjunction with interpretive guides, plays, museums and tours, the convicts' stories are told, providing distinctive personalities to the men and boys who served life sentences here.

port arthur convict cards lottery of life

“Transportation” was a common occurrence in England in the 19th century. Rather than hang, many prisoners were offered the option (or not) of being transported to Tasmania, among other fine localities to serve their sentences. A random playing card was provided with our admission ticket, each of which corresponded to the life of an actual prisoner who had been incarcerated at Port Arthur. We followed instructions which led us through The Convict Gallery interpretive center and allowed us to play “The Lottery of Life”. If we'd been sentenced to Port Arthur, David would have spent his life working in a blacksmith shop and I in the carpenter's shop, if I had been a male.

portarthur convict lottery

There are more than 30 historic buildings on this 300+ acre site. One of the most outstanding structures is the main penitentiary itself which housed 600+ inmates. This prison was envisaged as “a place of terror” by its builders. Now roofless and windowless with reinforced brick walls, it's easy to conjure up images of leg irons, cat-o-nine tails, inhuman treatment and hopelessness as you wander through. Most of the inmates were repeat offenders, sent here as incorrigibles from other Australian sites. However political prisoners such as Irish activist, William Smith O'Brien, were also incarcerated here.

port arthur penitentiary

The gothic-style non-denominational Church embodied the importance of religion in the attempt to reform the convicts. Capable of holding up to 1100 people, attendance and participation was compulsory. For some, it was the only social interaction with another human during the week. Much of the creative carving and stonework was done by the boys.

port arthur church

The ruins of the hospital sits on the top of the hill and reminded us of a movie set … all facade and no depth.

port arthur separate prison

Though corporal punishment in the form of flogging was the norm here, a new theory of psychological punishment was also carried out on the worst prisoners in the “Separate Prison”.

port arthur separate prison cells

Here men were kept in solitary confinement in small, dark cells. Total silence was observed at all times, even by the jailers. Involuntary coughing or sneezing brought more punishment. Bread and water were the only rations. Prisoners were required to wear a hood over their heads. Next door to the Separate Prison was the Asylum...no comments necessary as to the results of sensory deprivation.

Port Arthur: Part 2 tomorrow.

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