The Guard Tower Photo

Photographer’s Note

Trip to Tasmania – Day 6

Hobart to Tasman National Park and Port Arthur Historic Site – 100km along the Arthur Highway.

Port Arthur was a penal station established in 1830 as a timber-getting camp, producing sawn logs for government projects. After 1833 became a punishment station for repeat offenders from all the Australian Colonies.

Today’s posting is a view of the The Guard Tower.

The military sits on high ground, so the soldiers were able to defend themselves and look out for trouble. Security was their main responsibility. They watched convicts working at the docks, on the boats, in the stores and the bush. They also hunted for escapees.

Each man had about half the space allocated to a convict. The barracks became so overcrowded in the 1840s that some men slept on the floor.

The barracks were later extended several times, with the addition of two guard towers, one of which survives today, a compound wall and several other barrack buildings.

The Guard Tower, completed in 1836, contained a storeroom for guns and ammunition, a guard room and a watch tower. Three cells were provided for soldiers, civilian offenders and female convict servants. They were locked up for minor crimes like drunkenness, or waited here to be sent to Hobart for trial for more serious offenses like assault.

After the settlement closed, most of the military complex was demolished. The Guard Tower was sold and served as a private museum during the 1890s. It escaped the 1897 bushfires because of its lead roof.

A SOLDIER’S LIFE

While military officers and their families mixed with the civil officers and enjoyed dinner parties, literary evenings and cricket matches, life was monotonous and boring for other ranks. When off-duty they had nowhere to go. Cards, music, fishing and hunting were permitted. Illegal but popular amusements included fighting, gambling, stealing food from officer’s gardens and goods from stores and trading with convicts.

Soldier’s children went to school and played with each other, but not with the civil officers’ children.

(In: Your guide to Port Arthur, published by the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority).

ISO: 100

lucasgalodoido, besnard, bracasha75, John_F_Kennedy, ifege, daddo, ChrisJ, wgreis, xuaxo, dareco, Urs, josepmarin, MLINES, mikolaj_kawa, AiresSantos, emjleclercq, gervaso, subhendu_bagchi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

besnard (30656) 2009-08-04 22:45

Bonjour Antonio
Une prise en contre-plongée qui met ce site en valeur avec beaucoup de netteté et une belle luminosité.
Merci pour cette belle image et bonne journée.
Nicole

pablominto (40634) 2009-08-04 23:32

Hello Antonio,

I like the angle of light here, as it gives life to the ancient structure!
The point of view works well adding a diagonal feeling to the frame...
A balanced composition with vivid colours, great blue sky!

Greetings,
Pablo -

bracasha75 (22097) 2009-08-05 0:02

Hi Antonio
The famous Port Arthur castle and the place on the end of the world(from here)
Very beautiful picture
Thanks for sharing
Bratislav

phwall (5562) 2009-08-05 0:29

Hi Antonio,
I've been away and missed all of your Port Arthur shots, except for this one of course. Very good perspective, the guard tower does look impressive.
The late light gives the image a warm look. I'll get to your other posts in the following days.
Excellent work.
Regards
Peter

John_F_Kennedy (31391) 2009-08-05 1:34

Hello Antonio,
The colours of the buildings and tower under this light are magnificent. The view is very well composed.

Best wishes,
Achim

raszid62 (3084) 2009-08-05 2:25

Hello
Very simpatic this a little castle. Splendid colours and lights. I dont think that in Australia are that's old buildings.
Best Regards
Joseph

ifege (1773) 2009-08-05 3:02

Hi Antonio,
The great series from Port Arthur continues - they put the photos I took many years ago to shame!
Perfect POV and colours with great sky (it rained when I was there!)
Regards
Ian

daddo (11350) 2009-08-05 3:36

Hi Antonio. Interesting structure for Down Under-something one expects to see in the northern hemisphere. Brutal history for both the whites and the Tasmnian Aborigines.Great light and vivid colours. Regards. Klaudio.

ChrisJ (70203) 2009-08-05 4:08

Ola Antonio

The weather was kind to you, when you visited Port Arthur, as it was to me, way back in the 1980's, when I last visited this same spot. Good sharpness, & nice symmetry between the 2 circular stone towers. Tfs!

wgreis (6024) 2009-08-05 7:16

António,
a histórica torre ainda preserva a beleza e desenho original, que demostra a qualidade de suas paredes. Gostei do seu POV resaltando um céu bonito e contornado por nuvens suaves.
Grande abraço,
Wagner.

xuaxo (5719) 2009-08-05 10:39

Olá António,
Digo mais ou menos o mesmo que anteriormente: uma excelente série sobre Port Arthur.
Não sei se a que prefiro se mantem The Asylum ou passou para esta de hoje.
Cumprimentos,
Francisco

lucasgalodoido (16601) 2009-08-05 19:44

Olá Antônio,
essas torres e as muralhas lembram bastante os castelos medievais europeus, embora sejam bem mais recentes. Gostei das cores e da qualidade da imagem.
Parabéns e Abraço

sacavem (8259) 2009-08-06 1:17

Olá Antonio,

Esta fotografia esta lindíssima, de pov e cores.Faria um belo postal ilustrado para turista comprar.
Um abraço,
Filipe

dareco (17104) 2009-08-06 18:56

I like the nice low pov. Great detail and natural colors. Very interesting as well. TFS

Common_Jane_Doe (13) 2009-08-07 7:28

Olá!

Esta foto está muito interessante, com um enquadramento fantástico, e a cores... muito boas! É um "postal" muito bom dessa região.

kevinos (6927) 2009-08-07 20:39

Ah! Antonio, Tasmania is one part of Australia I have never visited. Your pictures make me want to put that right next time. Your sky is lovely and your exposure just right to present this historic structure to advantage. Regards Kevin

Urs (2840) 2009-08-18 18:57

Dear Antonio

Very interesting note and picture, I did not expect to find a guard tower like this in Tasmania. I possibly should read a bit more about Australian history. What I like best in your pictures are the color contrasts of the blue sky and the green grass with the stone colors. Very nice. Sharpness is fine and so is DOF. Well done

Best regards
Urs

francio64 (11032) 2009-08-19 3:40

Ciao Antonio,
bellissima immagine del castello con un fantastico cielo a fare da sfondo.
Luci e sharp sono eccellenti.

Complimenti!
Francesco

josepmarin (33785) 2009-08-19 4:03

Olá António,
el encuadre está bien estructurado, me gusta cómo se combina la arquitectura de este edificio con la hierba verde y el cielo azul intenso, en una imagen limpia y profunda.
El conjunto es elegante y tiene un bonito grafismo, lo que hace que esta foto sea muy atractiva.
Un abrazo,
Josep

MLINES (10884) 2009-08-19 20:56

Hi Antonio, It is always good to see castles and this Guard house looks like one with the special top stones, similar to some in other countries. The image with sandstone colours and beautiful blue sky from this POV is excellent. TFS. Murray.

danyy (68738) 2009-08-19 22:48

Bonjour Antonio,
belle oculeur réchauffée légéremet pour ces tours qui se détachent dans un ciel bien bleu, amical.
Une photo bien cadrée sur le sujet principal qu'on aurait aimé voir avec ce qui ,l'entoure.
My best regards.
Daniel.

mikolaj_kawa (30117) 2009-08-20 1:04

Ola Antonio! Amazing castle, wonderful fortress, excellent tower. Nice lightness and brightness. Good POV and capture. Very good sharp. Perfect exposure. Well done!

Greg1949 (8507) 2009-08-20 2:57

Antonio, very interesting, looks like something out of middle ages UK or Europe. Fine detail and color and a wonderful note, great work.

Greg

AiresSantos (42080) 2009-08-20 6:03

Ola Amigo Antonio
Para alem da perspectiva, as cores e a luminosidade estao magnificas.
Excelente contraste entre as cores das torres e o ceu azul
Muito bonita
Um abraco
Aires

emjleclercq (14284) 2009-08-20 23:34

This 19th century barrack is very old fashioned in style, since it looks a bit like a Medieval castle. A very interesting note, and a well chosen point of view.

All the best,

Emmanuel

darek1978 (11183) 2009-08-21 16:32

Hi Antonio,
Nice POV showing the height and massiveness of this guard tower. The lighting has revealed the texture in the walls. Excellent clarity and light. Splendid capture!
Regards,
Darek

jurek1951 (25990) 2009-08-21 23:26

Hi Antonio,
Very interesting architecture. Original POV and composition. Very good shot. Well done,
Georg

gervaso (5208) 2009-08-23 13:09

Olá, António!

O céu polarizado ficou sensacional! Claro que essa bela construção também não fica atrás, mostrada com excelente nitidez e uma boa iluminação. Belo trabalho!

jmdias (19225) 2009-08-25 3:06

antônio

interessante este edifício em forma de castelo, o ângulo baixo e a luz deram à imagem e ao local uma bela definição. belas imagem

abraços

jorge

subhendu_bagchi (3079) 2009-08-25 10:12

Namaste Antonio,
here the perspective is great. Nice detailling of guard tower with beautiful composition. The warm sunlight is lighted well the towers and created great contrast with the blue sky. Tfs. Have a nice day.
Subhendu.

foozi (4717) 2009-08-29 0:59

Hi Antonio,
very special with the deep blue sky and splash of white clouds giving a good impact to the view of this castle.
sharpness with the texture on the wall gives a good historic feeling too.
nicely presented shot, i feel as if Im looking at a travelling brochure.

regards,
Foozi

anokutan (7599) 2009-09-07 6:25

Hello Antonio,
Very simpatic this a little castle. Splendid colours and lights.Regards.