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The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority is proud to present a performance of fine classical music, including works by JS Bach, Handel and Dvorak, by the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s emerging artists ensemble ACO2.
ACO2 connects the next generation of talented young Australian musicians with the stars of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, creating a combined ensemble with a fresh, energetic performance style. It has performed across Australia to critical and popular acclaim.
ACO2 will perform in the intimate surrounds of the Asylum Hall of the Port Arthur Historic Site on Friday 12 October 2012, as part of the ensemble's first ever Tasmanian tour.
Program
STRAVINSKY Concerto in D
O'REGAN Chaabi
BACH Brandenburg Concerto No.3
MEALE Cantilena Pacifica
DVORÁK Serenade for Strings
Seating for this concert is strictly limited, so please book early. Make a complete evening with one of our pre-concert hospitality options and consider staying in the area for a night or two to make the most of the weekend.
To book, give us a call on 1800 659 101 or +61 (0)3 6251 2310.
More information
Weekend of celebration with Port Arthur Memories Revisited
Port Arthur is famous (or infamous) for its convict past. It was a penal settlement for a little under fifty years, from 1830 to 1877. But what happened at Port Arthur after that?
In partnership with the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, members of the Port Arthur community are organising a weekend of festivities on 20 & 21 October, 2012 to celebrate Port Arthur’s long post-convict heritage, which saw the township grow into a farming community and home to many people, as well as a tourist attraction and historic site.
Local resident Roseanne Heyward is chairing the committee of volunteers that is putting the Port Arthur Memories Revisited celebration together.
“The aim is to bring people together to remember and share memories of sport and recreation, industries, tourism, the township and school, and families,” said Ms Heyward.
“We would love to hear from anyone who has lived, worked, visited, played sport or camped at Port Arthur and would like to participate, send a message or share a memento.”
“There will be plenty of fun activities available to all visitors to Port Arthur over the weekend, but we would especially love to hear from anyone who would like to join us for some of the very special events that will only be available to registered participants, like the celebration dinner and a very special harbour cruise.”
“The weekend will also mark the opening of a permanent museum exhibition at the Historic Site celebrating the history of the post-convict era at Port Arthur. We would love people to contact us if they have photos, tickets, brochures, posters or letters of the post-convict era – as copies of them could be incorporated in the display or as part of a community photo display that will be part of the weekend’s events”.
“We’ve already been contacted by people who are planning to come back for the weekend, because they want the chance to catch up with old friends and colleagues.”
An initiative of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority Community Advisory Committee, which includes local residents, the event aims to remember and celebrate Port Arthur’s post-convict heritage and the people associated with it.
We are all terribly proud of and excited by Port Arthur’s World Heritage status,” said Ms Heyward. “Port Arthur Memories Revisited is a chance for us to remember the area’s long history after the convict era by acknowledging the community and their contribution while embracing and looking forward to the future of Port Arthur and the region.”
More information about the Port Arthur Memories Revisited Weekend
News from the Cascades Female Factory
History Unveiled at Female Factory
Tasmania's Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage, Brian Wightman, has unveiled the results of major conservation works in a previously derelict yard at the World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart.
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Heritage grant to reveal footprints of convict history
The yards of the Cascades Female Factory will be filled with the footprints of the convict buildings that housed the women who were once held and worked there, as part of a conservation and interpretation project funded by the Federal Government's Your Community Heritage program.
Federal Heritage Minister Tony Burke joined Tasmanian Labor representatives Julie Collins MP and Senator Lisa Singh, as well as Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority board members, staff and volunteers at the Cascades Female Factory to announce the grant.
Read more...
Rare convict book on display
A rare example of handwriting by a female convict is now on display at the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site.
Hannah Barker's neat cursive script is on the inside pages of Poems for Several Occasions by English poet John Gay.
Hannah was transported to Van Diemen's Land for robbery, arriving in 1820. After obtaining her Ticket of Leave she went on to marry former convict George Dexter and make a life for herself in Hobart.
The book was discovered at a second hand book sale earlier this year and kindly donated to the Site by the Burnie Emu Bay Lions Club.
Read more...
From around Port Arthur
Memorial avenue trees to be replaced
The Soldiers Memorial Avenue on the Port Arthur Historic Site is a significant component of the heritage of Port Arthur, with a strong association with the post-convict township history of the area.
At nearly a century old, they, like many such memorial avenues planted to commemorate soldiers who lost their lives in the first world war, are nearing the end of their lives and becoming a risk to safety.
Following extensive consultation,a plan has been developed to gradually replace the trees over the next few years. New trees have been sourced and are currently being 'grown on' prior to the first phase of replacement, expected to occur next Autumn.
ABC TV News produced a story about the project - click here to view it.
New Dockyard Visitor Guide now available
A new visitor guide to the Port Arthur Dockyard is now available to help visitors gain a better insight into this rare example of a convict operated shipyard.
Today the area is quiet and empty. But between 1834 and 1848, it was the busiest shipyard in the colony. Vessels up to 25 metres were constructed in the slipway, amid a mass of workmen and the noise of saws, hammers, metal work and shouting.
The visitor guide is designed to complement the sculptural elements and high-tech soundscapes that are built into the Dockyard, to recreate the sense of being in the various areas and workshops at the height of its production.
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Heritage training and professional development at Port Arthur
The Port Arthur Historic Site continues to play an important role in the training and development of heritage professionals in Australia, with two recent activities held at the Site.
In July, PAHSMA cohosted an undergraduate course for archaeology students from the University of Sydney in archaeological artefact analysis. The main focus of the lab work was on material recovered in 1977 from the First Prisoner Barracks area by Maureen Byrne.
Maureen was one of the first PhD students in historical archaeology at the University of Sydney; her untimely death in 1978 meant that her ground-breaking work was never completed and the results of the excavations have never been written up.
In August, PAHSMA has again hosted and co-presented a post-graduate course titled Best Practice in Managing Heritage Places with the Australian National University.
Aimed at those already working in heritage, this course focussed not just on the heritage practices needed to manage sites, but also the tourism, marketing and visitor management aspects that often make the sites viable.
Port Arthur Giftshop now online
Shop from home for unique Port Arthur mementos
A wide range of items sold in the Port Arthur Historic Site’s popular gift shop is now available online.
Many of the items are unique to the store and not available elsewhere, according to Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority Retail Manager, Robyn Bradshaw.
“As people travel around Tasmania, they see a lot of the same things being sold all over”, said Robyn.
“At Port Arthur, we try to offer them something a bit different, a bit unique to this special place, such as the specially-commissioned set of pewter figures, including a convict and soldiers, which are not available anywhere else.”
“We also have a great range of books on the history of Port Arthur and Tasmania. Visiting inspires many people to find out more about their history, and we keep a range of the most highly recommended titles in stock.”
Read more...
Visit the Online Giftshop
A special venue at Port Arthur for your special occasions
Do you have a significant birthday or family celebration coming up? Or does your business need a venue for some quiet time to plan or reward your staff?
The historic Visiting Magistrate’s House with its magnificent vista over the Historic Site has been lovingly refurbished and is now available for intimate functions, meetings, dinners and lunches and small events.
Our food and beverage team can put together a menu of delicious local produce and fine Tasmanian wine to make any occasion special.
For more information and inquires, call us on 1800 659 101 or +61 (0)3 6251 2310.
More on the Visiting Magistrates House at Port Arthur
Amazing Tasmania holiday packages available with Mona
The Port Arthur Historic Sites have partnered with Hobart's incredible Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) and other leading local operators to offer some amazing holiday packages that feature the very best of the region, including the Port Arthur Historic Sites.
To promote the offers, the creative types from MONA visited Port Arthur recently and spent a night photographing around the Site to produce a set of amazing nighttime photos, including the one below of stars over the Penitentiary.
To see more of the photos and find out about the holiday packages, visit www.mona.net.au/short-breaks
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