Saltwater River description and photos - Australia: Hobart (Tasmania) (Topic)

Saltwater River description and photos - Australia: Hobart (Tasmania). Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Saltwater River.

Photo and Description

Salt River, also known as Salt Bay, is a former penal colony on the Tasman Peninsula, 106 km from Hobart and 23 km from Port Arthur. On the territory of the "Salt River" there were once two colonies-settlements. One was agricultural - its inhabitants grew vegetables and fruits and kept a pigsty. The products of this colony were supplied to Port Arthur and other settlements on the peninsula. And the inhabitants of the second, known for its inhuman conditions of detention, mined coal. There were 60 people in this colony under round-the-clock protection. Escape from here was almost impossible thanks to an ingenious alarm system.

Today, the second colony-settlement is listed as a National Property in Australia as the location of historic coal mines. And on the site of the former colonies, only ruins and underground chambers, restored in 1977, remained. These cells are one of the most terrifying examples of prison conditions throughout Australia. Here you can see the ruins of a large prison with warning signs "Danger!" and "Do not enter!" Further on, an old coal mine is visible, which today is nothing more than a hole in the ground, surrounded by a fence. A sign next to it reads: “This huge pit is all that remains of the main shaft of Plunkett Point Mine. Coal mining began in 1834. For the prisoners, working in the mine was part of the punishment. At the peak of production, about 500 tons of coal were sent to Hobart each year. Coal mining ceased in 1848 and the mine was sealed for public safety. ”

Today the ruins of the "Salt River" are a kind of symbol of Hobart history, which all tourists who come to Tasmania seek to visit. From the ruins you can go down to Ironstone Bay, on the banks of which there are many picnic areas.

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Topic: Saltwater River description and photos - Australia: Hobart (Tasmania).