The Port Arthur Historic Site has partnered with the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival to present Quayside at Port Arthur, a celebration of Tasmania’s coastal maritime trading heritage, this Sunday 8 February at the Historic Site. On Saturday morning in Hobart, a mixed cargo of typical commodities, such as stone ground flour, wool, apples, whisky and milled timber will be delivered by a bullock team to Victoria Dock. The cargo will be loaded on board the 50’ Huon pine ketch Stormalong, which will then set sail for Port Arthur, arriving Sunday morning. At Port Arthur, her goods will join a quayside marketplace with displays and demonstrations of wool spinning, brick making, whisky and cider tastings and sales, bread-making and convict love tokens, as well as a barbecue stall and gift shop. Younger visitors will be able to have a go at making a convict brick or love token. Special maritime heritage tours of Port Arthur’s Dockyard will be available hourly between 11am and 2pm, including the Master Shipwright’s House, which is not normally open to the public. The Dockyard will host a number of displays relating to traditional boatbuilding techniques. The Wildcare Friends of Whale Boats, an association of Tasman Peninsula wooden boat enthusiasts, will display a 1/3 scale model whaleboat that has recently been donated. Members will demonstrate and discuss boat and model making. The art of caulking of seams will be demonstrated on an 18’ wooden crayboat, and members of the Southern Tasmanian Axemen’s Association will square up timbers using traditional tools such as adzes and broad axes. The event will commence with around 10am, with activities continuing until around 2.30pm – an ideal time to repair to the Visiting Magistrates House for Devonshire Tea or a glass or refreshment. Access to the Quayside at Port Arthur activities is included in the cost of Site entry. Advance bookings for the guided tours are strongly recommended, as places are limited. Please call 1800 659 101 to book your place. Further details are available at www.portarthur.org.au/quayside

An historic image shows a sailing vessel about to berth at Port Arthur (Image credit: Edward Searle album, National Library of Australia 273485