Saltwater River - Sunday Ride

Saltwater River Fascinating penal colony ruin
- as interesting as Port Arthur 'Westward from Eaglehawk Neck and Woody Island lay the dreaded Coal Mines. Sixty of the 'marked men' were stationed here under a strong guard.
At the Coal Mines was the northernmost of those ingenious series of semaphores which rendered escape almost impossible', such was Marcus Clarke's description of the penal settlement at Saltwater River in his famous book For the Term of his Natural Life.

Located 106 km south east of Hobart and 23 km from Port Arthur, there is little doubt that Saltwater River is the hidden treasure of the Tasman Peninsula. It is certainly as interesting as Port Arthur and given that it is common to visit the ruins and be on your own for hours (something which never occurs at Port Arthur) it has a sense of desolation and isolation which makes the experience powerful and poignant.

Two penal outstations were established at Saltwater River. The first, which was a rather pleasant option, was an agricultural farm supplying food for Port Arthur and other outstations on the Peninsula. The second, the coal mine, was widely regarded as 'hell on earth'.














Not a lot of room at all !!!