The first reported sighting by a European was 1/24/1642 by Able Tazman. Surprise, he named this island after himself. By the 1800's significant change in England was happening caused by the morphing from feudalism to industrialization. As a result there was significant over crowding along with a very high rate of unemployment. Add those two and you get prolific amount of crime. England's solution was to ship literally 10's of thousands men, women and, young boys to serve their punishment to the other side of the world. About 55,000 to the 13 Colonies. Port Arthur was one of 10 penal stations in Australia. 5 on the mainland and 5 on Tasmania. Port Arthur was established in 1833. It closed in 1877 after the end of convict transportation in 1853. At its peak the nearly 300 buildings housed over 2000 convicts, soldiers, and civil staff. The convicts were free labor and used to build all the structures at the penal stations and many of the government buildings in Hobart. There was ship building at Port Arthur until the government shut it down. Apparently the ship builders in this area could not compete against an operation with free labor and materials. Many convicts were able to work their way to free settler status and learn valuable trades. Some ended up in the Separate Prison. In reality, solitary confinement or the asylum next door. What a hard life this was to so many. It was certainly a historical site worth exploring.
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