Travel Channel

Eaglehawk Neck Historic Site

Penal Colony History and Panorama

Arthur Highway
Eaglehawk Neck, TAS 7179

Nearest Train: Seventy minute drive from central Hobart.

Phone: +61 3 6250 2363

The infamous Port Arthur Penal Colony was built on the Tasman Peninsula because it was easily secured by the narrow isthmus at Eaglehawk Neck and the fact that most people could not swim. Tethered dogs, especially trained to warn soldiers of escapees, guarded the narrow strip of land. An excellent museum now occupies the original Officers' Quarters, which is reputed to be the oldest remaining military building in Australia. There is a restaurant, coffee shop and an information centre close by, making this a perfect stop before exploring the Peninsula.