Port Arthur — Uncover the Convict Uprising

Your journey begins at Constitution Dock, the vibrant heart of Hobart's port. Here, in the 19th century, thousands of prisoners and convicts disembarked after months at sea, marking the starting point of their new lives in Tasmania. Named in honor of the British Constitution, this dock was the main embarkation and disembarkation point for penal transportation between 1803 and 1853. You'll feel the weight of Australian maritime and penal history, imagining the transfer of prisoners to Port Arthur or other penal establishments. This is where you must find your first contact for the escape.

A short walk away, Anglesea Barracks stands, a military barracks built in 1811 and still in operation. This Georgian-style fortification, typical of early 19th-century British constructions in Australia, served as a garrison to oversee the convict population and maintain order in Hobart. Its immediate proximity to the docks underscores the relentless military-penal control of the British colonial system in Tasmania. Here, you'll decipher military orders to understand troop movements and avoid detection during your escape attempt.

Your quest then leads you to the Supreme Court of Tasmania, the historic seat of British colonial justice. This 19th-century building represents the legal-penal authority that condemned convicts accused of rebellion or escape. Famous trials, such as that of the eight men who escaped from Port Arthur in 1839, took place here, sealing the fate of many prisoners. You'll search for secret archives, essential for understanding the system's flaws and planning your own breakout. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, established in 1818 on the banks of the Derwent River, offers a striking contrast. Initially designed as a leisure spot for military officers and colonial administrators, its 14 hectares of Australian and British species plantations symbolize the colonial appropriation of Trugannini's lands and Tasmania's Aboriginal peoples, while representing an apparent haven of peace for settlers.

Continue to St David's Cathedral, a Neo-Gothic Anglican cathedral built between 1868 and 1874 by architect George Gilbert Scott. Its approximately 60-meter spire dominates Hobart, symbolizing the moral and religious order imposed on the British colonial penal system. This place of worship and spiritual redemption for both penal and civilian populations is also a secret rallying point. Nearby, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, founded in 1846 on Argyle Street, about 800m from Constitution Dock, houses exhaustive collections on Tasmania's penal history. You'll find artifacts from Port Arthur and convict testimonies, documenting the British transportation system (1803-1853) and detention conditions, crucial information for your survival.

Your journey will culminate at Mount Nelson Signal Station, established in the 19th century at approximately 152 meters above sea level. This signal station monitored maritime movements in the Derwent Strait, forming an integral part of the system for surveilling prisoner escapes by sea. It alerted authorities to stolen boats or fleeing prisoners, as during the 1839 escape. Finally, the Iron Pot Lighthouse, built in 1835 at the entrance to Hobart's port, an 8-meter tall lighthouse, was the last maritime obstacle. The eight prisoners of 1839, including Walker, had to pass this lighthouse while rowing out to sea in the Commandant's stolen whaleboat. Your goal: prepare your own passage, and leave behind the transportation system, the convict heritage Tasmania, and the British penal history that marked the Derwent River heritage.