Taranna & Norfolk Bay - Tasman Peninsula

Taranna

Taranna is a tiny hamlet on the Arthur Highway, on the way to Port Arthur, around 10km from Eaglehawk Neck, with an estimated population of 277 residents.

It is believed that 'taranna' is the local Aboriginal word for 'kangaroo'.

Taranna's main attractions are the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, Unzoo, the Tasman Historical Museum & Coffee Shop, and The Norfolk Bay Convict Station.

Its real claim to fame, however, is that it was the terminus for the infamous human 'railway' which ran between  the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay and Port Arthur and was powered by four convicts pushing the carriages along the crude 7 km of track.

Norfolk Bay and Port Arthur Tramway

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NOTE: Clicking on 'coordinates' will take you to the appropriate Google map.
The Norfolk Bay Convict Station 

Norfolk Bay Convict Station, originally the Commissariat Store, was built in 1842.

It is a red and white-roofed building on a side road and was built by convicts with bricks that were were brought to Taranna from Port Arthur.

Historic Bed & breakfast accommodation on the Tasman Peninsula,

The building has had a chequered history, with some of the details on a plaque near the jetty.

The jetty site at Little Norfolk Bay - opposite the Norfolk Bay Convict Station

It was originally the Commissariat Store, which was specifically built to hold stores that were landed at the Little Norfolk Bay jetty and pushed along the tramway to Long Bay, Port Arthur.

When Port Arthur closed in 1877 the store was converted into the Tasman Hotel

The Norfolk Bay Convict Station is located just off the Arthur Highway at
5862 Arthur Highway in Taranna

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Old Convict Tramway

When a ship coming down Port Arthur from Hobart entered Storm Bay, it was exposed to the prevailing westerly winds and swells coming all the way from Antarctica.

In good weather a passage to Port Arthur might be accomplished in less than a day, but when the wind blew hard South-West, a sailing ship could be held up for days, sheltering under Bruny Island.

In 1836 Charles O'Hara Booth, then commander of the penal settlement at Port Arthur, oversaw the construction of the tramway to resolve this problem.

The tramway was created to replace the hazardous sea voyage from Hobart to Port Arthur, meaning  ships no longer needed to enter Storm Bay to reach Port Arthur:

A section of the tramway with a convict powered truck at the Norfolk Bay Convict Station

Sometimes called Australia’s first passenger railway it was, in reality, a tramway with wooden rails and trucks pushed by convicts and was a clever adaptation of timber-getting technology that required a great deal of maintenance and large manpower to run.

At the bottom of the Derwent, they could turn to port and stay in the sheltered waters of Norfolk Bay till they reached its southernmost point. 

The gangs of men who pushed the trucks were housed in a camp half-way along the track, and about fifty were needed to work the trucks in relays.

Three or four convicts were used to push the railway the 7 km from Port Arthur to the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay.

One description of travel on the railway, by a Col. Mundy,  reported that the occasional derailings may not have been all accidental, but used as a chance to pick the pockets of the passengers.

Mundy also describes the discomfort of the ‘quality’ (especially the ladies) brought into much too close contact with the convicts when the men jumped aboard the trucks to free-wheel downhill “and the d . . .. l take the hindmost”.

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Tasmanian Devil Unzoo

 Arthur Highway, Taranna
Coordinates: -43.060637, 147.864232

Website: Unzoo

 

Tasmanian Devil Unzoo is a four-in-one wildlife nature experience that combines up-close animal encounters, wildlife adventures, a Tasmanian native garden and original art.

The Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, also known as The Taranna Wildlife Park, is working to rescue the Tasmanian devil species from the edge of extinction and teach people about this unusual marsupial.

The park is home to a small population of the devils, as well as a number of other Australian native animals, some of whom are unique to Tasmania.

The  Park is all about bringing wildlife to the visitors, and the entire park has been built with this in mind.

Visitors can wander the park and interact with the animals, be involved in feedings, and hear the expert keepers talk about Tasmania’s native animals while viewing the animals in their natural habitat.

Much care has been taken to allow visitors to see the animals, without limiting their lifestyles, including the placement of viewing domes inside the Tasmanian devil enclosure.

A Wombat

Visitors can also wander along the park’s nature trail and view the on-site botanic garden with iconic Australian native plants, and local birdlife.

 In the welcoming visitor reception area you’ll find information, good coffee, light refreshments and gifts, including quality Tasmanian books, clothing and souvenirs.

Pick up your guided map, bird and plant checklists at the reception desk, and chat to one of their knowledgeable guides to find out about the Unzoo or to book your place on the presentations and Devil Tracker Adventures.

You can also find out more about their journey as the world’s first Unzoo and efforts to save the endangered Tasmanian devil through the support of the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Project.

Tasmanian Devil

Young visitors are also welcome to play and explore in the Little Devil’s Playground, which offers an interactive display with information about Tasmanian devils and Tasmania’s prehistoric mega marsupials.

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