Richmond and Port Arthur

I got so carried away in the blog about Bonorong that I forgot to write about the B&B we stayed at in Richmond! It is pictured here, next to the historic Richmond Bridge which was built by convicts in 1823 out of sandstone. The "Millhouse on the Bridge" was built in 1853 and was originally a steam driven flour mill. It was converted into a home in the 1920s and was renovated and turned into a B&B in 1997. It is absolutely georgous. we stayed in the "school room" which is pictured on their website www.millhouse.com.au . The town of Richmond hosts a population of about 1500. It boasts the oldest bridge in Australia (Richmond Bridge), the oldest Catholic church still in use today, as well as a Goal, and various other buildings built in the early 1800's.
On Sunday May 14th we headed towards the famous historic site of Port Arthur. On the way there we stopped at another Tasmanian devil park, but sadly it could not measure up to Bonorong.

Now for a history lesson about convicts in Australia In the South Eastern corner of Tasmania, on the Tasman Peninsula, resides the historic site of Port Arthur. Port Arthur is Australia’s most significant convict heritage and holds a deep history for punishment for difficult prisoners. Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania as it is known today) became home to approximately half the convicts shipped from England to Australia.
England, the mother country of Australia, decided to use Tasmania as a place to jail the more difficult prisoners kept captive in England. The jails in England were over populated and were taking up too much of its countries resources. Due to England’s poor economy and its high unemployment rate, the amount of crime was increasing. England wanted to make a statement to the public that if you committed a crime you would be punished severely. So convicts went sent to Australia.
Port Arthur’s history began in 1830 when approximately 150 convicts were first transported to the peninsula. With rough seas surrounding the peninsula, there was only one other way convicts could escape; Eaglehawk Neck is a thin strip of land that joins the Tasman Peninsula onto the mainland of Australia. Here on Eaglehawk Neck savage dogs were patrolled to keep the convicts on the peninsula where they belonged. This became known as the dog line.

If a prisoner was difficult then he would be put into solitary confinement. This could be up to 12 months at a time. The prisoner would have no contact with anyone, and on his 1 hour of daily exercise he was released from his cell with a hood over his head so he could have no eye contact with the prison officer. The prisoner would also have to wear padding on his feet so no noise could be made.
In total 12,500 convicts passed through Port Arthur between 1830 and 1853. Those that died were buried on the Isle of the Dead where nearly 2,000 convicts and free people are buried. The free people included soldiers, officials and their families. Conditions for the convicts were extremely harsh, contrasting with the relatively easy lives of the officers and their families. Exploring the historic site of Port Arthur, it is hard to imagine that prisons in England were less favorable. With moss growing on the inside of the cells and only a thin blanket to use for warmth, many convicts managed to survive these harsh conditions and eventually became the main population of the state of Tasmania.
This is a photo of the old hospital building ruins. The convicts built all the prisons, officer quarters, churches, and other buildings by hand. Talk about hard labor!