Which Tasmanian peninsula contains the Port Arthur Historic Site, a former convict settlement?

The Tasman Peninsula contains Tasmania’s Port Arthur Historic Site, a former convict settlement.

The peninsula lies southeast of Tasmania’s main island and is connected to the Forestier Peninsula by the narrow Eaglehawk Neck. Port Arthur operated as a major penal settlement from 1830 until 1877. It became one of the most important sites in Australia’s convict history and is now part of the UNESCO-listed Australian Convict Sites property.

The peninsula’s scenery includes steep sea cliffs, sheltered bays and distinctive rock formations. Tasman Island lies just offshore, separated from the mainland by a channel. The region is also associated with the Tasman National Park, which protects extensive coastal and forest habitats.

Port Arthur is sometimes casually described as a prison, but it was a large settlement containing workshops, administrative buildings, housing and religious facilities. Eaglehawk Neck, meanwhile, is the land connection rather than the name of the larger peninsula.