Port Arthur was named after Van Diemen's Land lieutenant governor George Arthur.
It started as a place to cut down timber from the forests in 1830.
It is best known for being a penal colony.
From 1833, until 1853, criminals from United Kingdom and Ireland were sent to Port Arthur as convicts.
The prisoners were kept busy ship with jobs including building the prison, shoemaking, smithing, timber and brick making.
In the 1840s there were more than 1100 prisoners.
In 1842 the prisoners built a hospital and a big flour mill and grain store.
At the time it was built, it was the biggest building in Australia.
This was later turned into a cell block.
After 1853 convicts from other prisons in Australia were sent to Port Arthur if they did more crimes, or would not behave properly.

In 1864 they started building the Asylum to hold the prisoners who had become insane.
During the 1860s and 1870s the prisoners left at the prison were either too old, too sick, or insane to keep working.
The prison closed in 1877.

For many years, researchers could not work out whether or not the fossils discovered at Port Arthur were remnants of the dinosaur era.
Port Arthur was named after Van Diemen's Land lieutenant governor George Arthur. It started as a place to cut down timber from the forests in 1830. It is best known for being a penal colony. From 1833, until 1853, criminals from United Kingdom and Ireland were sent to Port Arthur as convicts. The prisoners were kept busy ship with jobs including building the prison, shoemaking, smithing, timber and brick making. In the 1840s there were more than 1100 prisoners. In 1842 the prisoners built a hospital and a big flour mill and grain store. At the time it was built, it was the biggest building in Australia. This was later turned into a cell block. After 1853 convicts from other prisons in Australia were sent to Port Arthur if they did more crimes, or would not behave properly.
In 1864 they started building the Asylum to hold the prisoners who had become insane. During the 1860s and 1870s the prisoners left at the prison were either too old, too sick, or insane to keep working. The prison closed in 1877.
For many years, researchers could not work out whether or not the fossils discovered at Port Arthur were remnants of the dinosaur era.
Port Arthur, Tasmania