Convict ruins on Maria Island, a National Park on Tasmania's southeast coast. First occupied by aboriginal tribes who came to the island collecting it
Convict ruins on Maria Island, a National Park on Tasmania's southeast coast. First occupied by aboriginal tribes who came to the island collecting its ochre; after British occupation, the island became a convict settlement. Separated by a stretch of water, the colonists put the fear of sharks into any convict who dared to leave. Made to work of a day, in ball and chains, the convicts slept two to a cell in damp, cramped cells at night, like pictured. Many died of TB or other related illnesses, their sentence to Australia usually for stealing a loaf of bread or other such food item. The island was later turned into a commercial farm, cultivating grapes and using its immense supplies of limestone for concrete. But windswept and riddled with native animals, agriculture and concrete works failed, and the island returned to nature in the early 1970's. It is now used by nature lovers, campers and fishermen who collect crayfish and abalone off its shoreline.
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Photo credit: © Leisa Tyler / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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