Eaglehawk Neck is the
isthmus between Tasman Peninsula and Forestier Peninsula, or perhaps more relevant, it's the narrow strip of land that connects the Tasman Peninsula to the rest of the island and freedom. Because for the prisoners at Port Arthur, the only way to successfully escape was to get off the peninsula. Otherwise you'd be recaptured, or starve to death, or get killed by devils or tigers or sharks or savages.
Unfortunately, the neck was protected by a line of savage dogs, backed up by a military detachment. This is the
usual image used to illustrate the dogline, depicting IIRC the Franklins' visit. Escape was believed impossible.
Failure did not deter others. Such was the case of Logan, Smith and Brown who were notorious because they managed the almost impossible and escaped across to Eagle Hawk Neck. In the morning of their escape their absence from morning muster was quickly semaphored by 'telegraph' to Hobart Town from Point Puer. This escape greatly puzzled Booth at the time, but it was evident that the boys had waded along the shelving beach a little below Eagle Hawk Neck, taken a deep breath and walked along over their depth for some distance until out of the guards' sight, when they made for shore again. One guard reported that he heard rustling in the scrub but had searched without success. The three boys were eventually captured by Hobley, an assigned servant who was rewarded by having his sentence reduced. (From "Prison Boys of Port Arthur" by F.C. Hooper)
I managed to not get any worthwhile photos on the way down, so I offer a link to a
coloured postcard c. 1910 or
a B&W photo from the other direction (or the Google Maps link at the start of this post). The building on the postcard is the military barracks, since demolished.
( Continue on! )
