Port Arthur Historic Site
Australia's most notorious convict prison held 12,500 prisoners over 47 years of brutal punishment. Ghost tours began in 1995—one year before a mass shooting added modern tragedy to centuries of suffering.
Australia’s Most Haunted Prison
Port Arthur in Tasmania was one of the most brutal convict prisons in the British Empire. Over 12,500 prisoners suffered here, and their spirits—along with victims of the 1996 massacre—make it Australia’s most haunted location.
The Prison
Convict settlement:
- 1833-1877
- 12,500 prisoners
- Brutal conditions
- Tasmania
- British Empire’s worst
The System
What prisoners faced:
- Hard labor
- Solitary confinement
- Psychological torture
- Model Prison
- Dehumanization
The Model Prison
Pioneering cruelty:
- Silent system
- No communication
- Masked in chapel
- Numbers not names
- Drove men insane
The Deaths
During operation:
- 1,646 recorded deaths
- Many more unreported
- Suicide common
- Executions
- Workplace accidents
Point Puer
Boys’ prison:
- Juvenile convicts
- Same harsh treatment
- Children suffered
- Many died
- Separate haunting
The 1996 Massacre
Modern tragedy:
- April 28, 1996
- 35 killed
- Worst mass shooting
- Australian history
- Added grief
Ghost Tours
Established 1995:
- Before massacre
- Lantern tours
- Nightly events
- Extremely popular
- Well-documented
The Activity
What’s reported:
- Apparitions
- Cold spots
- Footsteps
- Cell door sounds
- Overwhelming sadness
The Parsonage
Most haunted building:
- George the ghost
- Child spirit
- Regular sightings
- Tour highlight
- Active location
The Church
Ruins:
- Built by convicts
- Burned 1884
- Still active
- Figures seen
- Evening activity
Investigation Evidence
What teams find:
- EVP recordings
- Photographs
- Temperature anomalies
- EMF readings
- Consistent results
Staff Reports
Employees experience:
- Being watched
- Voices
- Figures
- Equipment issues
- Regular occurrences
The Broad Arrow Café
1996 site:
- Memorial now
- Additional activity
- Modern victims
- Respectfully handled
- Separate from tours
Visitor Experiences
Guests report:
- Touched
- Cold blasts
- Seeing figures
- Emotional responses
- Very active
Significance
47 years of convict suffering plus modern tragedy creating intensely active paranormal site.
Legacy
Port Arthur embodies layered trauma—convict cruelty plus modern massacre creating Australia’s most powerful haunted location.