 Convict ruins at Sarah Island  
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Sarah Island Historic Site is situated in the huge Macquarie Harbour. It was established as a penal site in 1822 and earned a notorious reputation for harsh treatment and appalling conditions until it closed in 1833. Convict labour was used to extract Huon Pine and limestone from the lower reaches of the Gordon and Franklin Rivers. Ruins of some of the island's buildings still stand. Cruises from Strahan stop at the island and you can inspect the ruins with an informed guide. Theconditions for prisoners at Sarah Island were severe and are illustrated in the novel 'For TheTerm of his Natural Life' by Marcus Clarke. Other reading includes Through Hell's Gates by Kerry Pink The Huon Pine Story by Garry Kerr & Harry McDermott The Peaks of Lyell, by Geoffrey Blainey Exporers of Western Tasmania, by C.J. Binks. | |
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© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins. | |