Page 8 - Palm City Spotlight - August '23

Page 8, Palm City Spotlight

traveL

Tasmania’s Gulag Peninsula The Convict Precinct just
a little farther into the cove
Previously submitted by the contains the penitentiary that
late Don Kiselewski, MCC, was formerly a granary and
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens flourmill. The first two floors
Travel Leaders housed 136 convicts each in a
Imagine if you will, being separate room, and the fourth
very cold, hungry, and without floor held 348 men sleeping
a job or a place to live. Imagine dormitory style. The third
that not only you but also floor was the mess, library and
thousands of people – almost Catholic chapel. In 1897, the
the entire country – are in the building was gutted by fire;
same boat. Such was the case however, one can still walk The Penitentiary at Port Arthur. The remains of the hospital stand on the hill.
in England in the early 19th through the shell.
century. It appeared as though crime was the only way out. Not The “Separate” Prison
so much committing the crime, and the benefit of the loot, but was built in 1849. It was
instead, the prospect of being caught and sent to prison. A prison a round building, designed
far from the shores of the British Isles … and, a prison where to completely isolate
one might get the chance to continue life in a new country. prisoners from each other
Such was the case with many of the prisoners that and the guards, in solitary
were sent far from the confinement and total silence.
British Isles to serve out Instead of flogging, this type
their prison sentences. of incarceration was supposed
Many committed what to reform a prisoner’s mind.
we might think of as The Health and Welfare
petty crimes, such as Precinct contains the remains
stealing a silver spoon of the hospital (1842), the
or candlestick or a lace paupers’ mess (1864) and the
handkerchief. However, asylum (1865) … perhaps for The Convict Church built in 1836 to 1867. The church was never consecrated because it was
during this great the inmates of the Separate used by different denominations.
depression in England, Prison. The paupers’ mess
these offenses got them a and dormitories that once stood in this area were provided for Bonorong Animal Park lets you get up close and personal
boat ride to the other end the ex-convicts who were too old or infirmed and relied on the … even with the famed Tasmanian Devil.
of the world – Australia. government for assistance. I often ask those who travel with us in our group tours to
Geographically, Standing above the entire site is the guard tower (1835), Australia what they considered the highlight of their trip …
the Tasman Peninsula the most dominant feature of the Military and Administration not surprisingly, the No. 1 answer has been “Port Arthur.”
(Gulag Peninsula) was Precinct. The military compound here housed the soldiers Need I say more?
ideal for the purpose and provided an area to eat and play sports, and acted as a The late Don Kiselewski wrote from his personal experiences,
of containing those parade ground. Many of the military had families with them on having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans, seas
sent there. There are assignment at Port Arthur. The Commandant’s office was the and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel Leaders,
two bottlenecks in the first exposure the new prisoners had when they reached the site. his family owned and operated agency, is located at Mirasol
length of the peninsula, The guard tower stands with They were lined up in front of the building, roll was taken, and Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road, Building A, Suite 102-6,
one at Dunalley, but a prominent view of the entire the rules of the settlement were read to them. Palm Beach Gardens. The agency has been serving the travel
most important was prison facility. Two small churches are located in the Religious Precinct. needs of the South Florida area for over a quarter of a century.
the narrowing of the The larger church (1836 to 1867) built by the prisoners was Contact them at (561) 694-9696 or Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
landmass at Eaglehawk Neck. At this point, the lower end of never consecrated to any religion and used by all. Fire gutted
the peninsula was squeezed to 100 yards between the Norfolk the church in 1884. The smaller wooden church, St. David’s,
Bay and Tasman Sea. Keeping the prisoners contained was consecrated in 1927 and is still used for regular worship
became easy … all it took was a line of vicious dogs chained by the Anglican Church.
at intervals along the end of Eaglehawk Neck. The Commandant’s residence grew from a simple wooden
The center of the lower portion of the peninsula is pierced by cottage (1833) to a many-roomed complex, through a series
Carnarvon Bay, shown on maps as Port Arthur. Located in a cove of additions up the hill behind it. Behind the house stood the
on the western side of the bay is Port Arthur, the settlement named Semaphore, a large tower that passed information through visual
by Captain John Welsh and his surveyor in 1828. The prison signals. This was the quickest way to signal a message to Hobart.
took its name from the port located at the cove, named Russel In 1833, Rev. John Manton selected Opossum Island as a
Cove during the convict period, however later it was changed to burial place for the decreased of Port Arthur, changing the name
Mason Cove. During the convict days, Port Arthur’s access was to Isle of the Dead. Some 1,000 burials took place here before the
by sea … it wasn’t until 40 years after the last prisoner was sent close of the settlement in 1877. Convicts and ex-convict paupers
to Port Arthur that the road down the peninsula was completed. were buried in unmarked graves in the lower part of the island.
In 1832, just four years after Captain Welsh named the Graves of free people were on the higher ground, marked by
port, prisoners started arriving. They continued to do so for elaborate headstones cut by convict stonemasons.
the next 21 years. In 1840, there were some 2,000 convicts Located in the colonial town of Richmond at the top
at Port Arthur. In 1877, after the last of the sentences were of the peninsula is St. John’s Church, the oldest Roman
served, the facility was closed. Some 12,500 convicts had Catholic Church in Australia; the sandstone bridge and
served their time at Port Arthur Prison, and were then released the town “gaol” (jail) are likewise ranked as the oldest in A cell in the Separate Prison
to homestead, if they so chose, the wilds of Australia. Australia. And, if you’re looking for local wildlife, the Photos by Don Kiselewski

Southern Exposure Technologies
Computer Install/Setup/Repair
(561) 315-0144
getsetgo.annie@gmail.com
* DSL, Broadband,Wireless Install
* Networking, Troubleshooting
* Instruction
* Hardware/Software Installation
* Virus/Spyware/Adware Fix
* Cleanup/Maintenance/Backup
* Business Consult/Startup/Move
* Website Design/Maintenance
Call S.E.T. to install your “new computer, printer
and wireless network”!
GET S.E.T. GO!
REASONABLE HOURLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY RATES
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FOR AS LOW AS $50.00 AN HOUR,
WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 HOURS A MONTH,
OR 2 HOURS A WEEK, OR ON AN AS-NEEDED
BASIS RATE OF $75.00 P/HOUR.
START YOUR NEW YEAR WITH SECURE BACKUPS,
QUALITY MAINTENANCE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND
PERSONABLE ON-SITE SUPPORT!
(561) 315-0144
CALL S.E.T. TODAY FOR YOUR COMPUTER NEEDS!