Port Arthur

Much like the Grand Canyon where you can see pictures but until you see the real thing, you don't quite understand the expanse of all of it, so it is with Port Arthur. Built in 1830 by convicts as a timber-getting camp, by 1833 it began to be used as a punishment station for repeat offenders from all Australian colonies.

Its philosophy of discipline and punishment, religious and moral instruction, classifcation and separation, training and education broke many men but rehabilitated others. At one point, 2000 convicts, soldiers, and civil staff lived there, and the convicts built buildings, made shoes and clothing, made bricks, built furniture, and made ships. They also provided physical power to the carts that brought people to the area, which was a highly-sought-after job since it gave the convicts a change of scenery. It also had an area for isolation and a sanitarium for those who were broken by the system, where the care for the convicts seemed to be very compassionate, in contrast to some of the silent treatment they received in other areas of the camp.

As you can see, the rooms in the isolation area area quite small. Silence is demanded for the entire time they are there, and they stay in their rooms most of the time. For those who have misbehaved, they are sent to solitary confine where they are in complete dark for 23 hours, and then allowed out in a yard for 1 hour. Apparently a number of those men ended up in the sanitarium . . . for good reason. Once there, they received very compassionate care. One woman remarked that it reminded her a bit of Clinger in Mash who kept trying to get out by pretending he was crazy! Anyway, a bit more about Port Arthur in the next post.