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Port Arthur SettlementPrint Page 
The memorial commemorates the founding of Port Arthur and the closing of the settlement and marks the site of a buried time capsule which is to be opened in 2077.
Port Arthur Penal Settlement was named in honour of Lieutenant Governor George Arthur, and began in 1830 as a punishment-oriented timber station. With the progressive addition of further industries, tailored for heavy and light labour, Port Arthur held a key position within the colony's judicial system until its closure in 1877.
Replacing Macquarie Harbour and Maria Island as the primary source of secondary punishment, Port Arthur's 47-year operation was due largely to its geographical isolation and the availability of natural resources. Chief among these was timber, and harvesting was carried out until the 1870s. Scattered outcrops of sandstone and dolerite provided other materials for construction, tracts of land stretching back from the cove providing agricultural and farming land for supplementing rations.
Location
| Address: | Champ Street, Port Arthur, 7182 |
|---|---|
| State: | TAS |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -43.147572 Long: 147.847125 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | September-1830 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | September-1877 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 2nd October, 1977 |
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Plaque:
To Commemorate
The Founding Of Port Arthur, Named In Honour Of
His Excellency Colonel George Arthur,
Lieutenant Governor Of Van Diemen`s Land
In September, 1830,
And The Closing Of The Settlement,
September 1877.
Unveiled By His Excellency
The Hon. Sir Stanley Burbury K.C.V.O, K.B.E.,
Governor Of Tasmania
2nd October, 1977.
Plaque:
A Time Capsule
Was Buried Here
2nd October, 1977
To Be Re-Opened
2nd October, 1977
