Sarah Island – The cruise Pt 3

Image sourced from the National Archives

Sarah Island, previously known as Settlement Island when it was a penal station (1822 – 1834).

Landing at Sarah Island. Note that this is all regrowth you see on the island.

Grommet Rock, where the women were housed. Rather small isn't it?

Grommet Rock sits just a little way off from Sarah Island. The women were rowed across to Sarah Is each morning to work & returned to the rock at the end of the day.

Looking out to the waters of Macquarie Harbour from Sarah Island.

Both islands were completely cleared by the convicts, this is all regrowth. According to documents, Sarah Island was fully regrown by 1836, a mere two years after closure!

All the vegetation you see in these photographs is regrowth. When the convicts lived & worked here the island was almost totally bare, having been cleared by the convicts.

The main “industry” of the penal settlement was ship building.

Looking out through the regrowth of Sarah Island, Tasmania.

Looking down at what remains of the shipyards on Sarah Island.

One of many ferns on Sarah Island.

Sarah Island.

The Round Earth Company, a theatre group based in Strahan, provide the guided tours on Sarah Island. This is Franz, one of the actors.

The Round Earth Company, a theatre group working out of Strahan provide highly entertaining tours of Sarah Island. A bit of an interactive show, the guides will use members of the tour group to “play” the roles of various historical characters of Sarah Island.  You don’t have to actually do anything if selected, but it does make for a more amusing telling of the history & keeps people interested.

One of the convict ruins on Sarah Island. This was once the main building housing the convicts, the gaol in other words.

Sarah Island's convict built Sussex bakehouse oven!

We spent around an hour on the tiny island, most of that time was taken  up with the tour.  Groups were broken in to two smaller groups, each with a guide.  Then we walked the island via differing routes to ensure no crowding at the sites.

Okay, time to get back on to the boat & head up the famous Gordon River!