Prison Breakout dressed as Kangaroo

Port Arthur Penal Colony, Tasmania, Australia

Coordinates: 43°09′0″S 147°51′0″E

UNESCO World Heritage Site

From 1833, until 1853, it was the destination for the hardest of convicted British criminals, those having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent here. Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.

Port Arthur was sold as an inescapable prison. Some prisoners were not discouraged by this, and tried to escape. Martin Cash successfully escaped along with two others. One of the most infamous incidents, was the escape attempt of one George “Billy” Hunt. Hunt disguised himself using a kangaroo hide and tried to flee across the Neck, but the half-starved guards on duty tried to shoot him to supplement their meagre rations. When he noticed them sighting him up, Hunt threw off his disguise and surrendered, receiving 150 lashes.

Port Arthur was also the destination for juvenile convicts, receiving many boys, some as young as nine. The boys were separated from the main convict population and kept on Point Puer, the British Empire’s second boys’ prison. Like the adults, the boys were used in hard labour such as stone cutting and construction. One of the buildings constructed was one of Australia’s first non-denominational churches. Attendance of the weekly Sunday service was compulsory for the prison population 

The layout of the prison was fairly symmetrical. It was a cross shape with exercise yards at each corner. The prisoner wings were each connected to the surveillance core of the Prison as well as the Chapel, in the Centre Hall.

The prison closed in 1877. Port Arthur is officially Tasmania’s top tourist attraction. (13)

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