Port Arthur Historic Site is huge, and there is a lot to see. Your site entry is valid for two consecutive days, and so we recommend staying overnight in the Port Arthur area to ensure you and your students get the most from your stay. Check with our Visitor Centre staff for accommodation options.

If you are bringing your own food for your school group, please arrange your own storage, as we are unable to store it for you on site. We recommend leaving food in your transport if you can, or alternatively, ordering lunch from our cafe.

• School Visit Guidelines and Code of Conduct
• Venue and Safety Information for School Excursions
• Public Liability Certificate of Currency 2022-2023

Read more information on preparing for your visit to Port Arthur Historic Site.

Activity Resources

We’ve created a selection of lesson plans and classroom resources for you to use before or after your visit, to help you get the most out of your time at the site.

• Port Arthur Historic Site Stop Descriptions

• Year Nine Source Analyses Through Their Eyes
• Year Nine Recall Quiz
• Year Nine Education Program-Guide

In the Riddles and Rubbish activity, students solve two ‘history mysteries’ by examining riddles and rubbish from Port Arthur’s past. Using real convict records and artefacts, students discover what historical sources can tell us about the past, and how historians and archaeologists use this evidence to piece together stories from history. This activity is suitable for upper primary and secondary students.

• Riddles-and-Rubbish-Activity-Guide-Year-5
• Riddles-and-Rubbish-Activity-Guide-Year-9

Convict records and transcripts

• Convict Febey
• Convict Saywell
• Convict Prestney
• Convict McKeevan
• Convict Leeming
• Convict Forbes
• Transcribing Help Notes

Students discuss briefly the nature of bricks from around the Port Arthur Historic Site and the variety of types. We will handle and look closely at original convict bricks and when students have gained a little knowledge about the processes involved they will have the chance to create their own brick to take home, complete with their thumbprints!

• Brick-Making-Teacher-Notes
• Brick-Making-Word-List

Pre-visit activity

• Brick-Making-Pre-Visit-Lesson-Plan
• Brick-Making-Pre-Visit-Activity-One
• Brick-Making-Pre-Visit-Activity-Two

Post-visit activity

• Brick-Making-Post-Visit-Lesson-Plan
• Brick-Making-Post-Visit-Activity-Three
• Brick-Making-Post-Visit-Activity-Four

In this activity students take part in an interactive role-play challenge, working in teams to send and receive a semaphore message across the Port Arthur Historic Site. Breaking the Code is a fun and exciting way for students to gain an insight into the lives of the convict semaphore operators, and to discover a significant development in Australia’s history.

• Breaking the Code Activity Guide Year 5
• Breaking the Code Activity Guide Year 9

Additional Resources

• Breaking the Code pre-visit worksheet Year 5
• Breaking the Code post-visit worksheet Year 5
• Guide to Semaphore Codes