Don’t even think about escaping
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325759)
Rockingham, Australia
July 13, 2018 4:29am CST
I’ve written a little about the penal settlement at Port Arthur on the east coast of Tasmania. The settlement was for the worst behaved of the convicts and the treatment there was severe in the extreme. Port Arthur was a difficult place to escape from. There was a narrow neck of land that had to be traversed to get off the peninsula. Most of the convicts, and civilians for that matter, could not swim so going overland was the usual method of trying to get away.
The authorities had an answer to that. Men with dogs patrolled much of the area. In addition, savage dogs were placed at intervals across the spit of land. These were simply tied to posts with a bit of a shelter. This sculpture shows what might have faced a prisoner had he tried to escape.
14 people like this
15 responses
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 18
Isn't Australia where England sent all its convicts? I can only imagine what life was like for those prisoners back in those days.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 18
@JudyEv And somehow from all that Australia developed into an awesome country!
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@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jul 18
@moffittjc It's a bit strange isn't it? I guess some just took the opportunity in both hands and ran with it.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
14 Jul 18
That would make escaping a hazardous experience unless you were a dog whisperer.
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@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
13 Jul 18
Hehe !!! I love it.. really no scaping!
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@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
14 Jul 18
@JudyEv hehehe!!! Yes that's true
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@snowy22315 (169937)
• United States
13 Jul 18
I wonder if anyone ever escaped? They even escaped Alcatraz in the US through shark infested waters.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16534)
• China
13 Jul 18
They made an intensive study of it before chose the place as the penal settlement.Needless to say,the convicts have no any illusions about escaping from the place.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Jul 18
I have seen the Port Arthur prison remains on TV. I just learned about Norfolk Island and how it was the most brutal and notorious prison at one time in the English speaking world. Have you been there?
1 person likes this
@anamika161088 (11868)
• India
13 Jul 18
Nice partray in the form of sculpture which is indeed very true when it comes to problems in life
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@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jul 18
The dog is very well done isn't it? It looks very menacing.
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jul 18
They had a line of dogs which could almost touch each other and also men patrolling with dogs which could be let loose to chase an escapee.
