Tasmanian Field Naturalists’ 
Club 
EASTER CAMP-OUT, 1913 
(By CLIVE E. LORD, Hon. Secretary) 
The annual Easter camp of the Tas¬ 
manian Field Naturalists’ Club was held 
this year at Safety Cave, Port Arthur. 
The development of this annual institu¬ 
tion is shown by the following list, show¬ 
ing the locality of and the number of 
members who have attended the various 
■camps held since their inception in 
1905 — 
1905.—Bream Creek; camping party, 9. 
1908.—Cole’s Bay (Freyeinet Peninsula); 
comping party, 40. 
1907. —South Hi uni; camping party, 27. 
1908. —Maria Island (Soldier’s Point); 
camping party, 27. 
1909. —Wineglass Bay (Freyeinet Penin¬ 
sula), camping party, 8-1. 
1910. —Cole’s Bay; camping party, 97. 
1911. —Southport; camping party, 60. 
1912. —Maria Island (Darlington); camp¬ 
ing party, 69. 
1913. —Safety Cove, Port Arthur; camp¬ 
ing party, 80. 
This year new ground was broken by 
choosing Safety Cove, on Tasman’s Penin¬ 
sula, as the scene of tIre camp. Safety 
Cove is picturesquely situated on the 
western shore of Port: Arthur, and about 
three miles from the old convict settle¬ 
ment. To the southward of the camp 
site is Brown Mountain, and it is in the 
basaltic cliffs that line the coast in the 
near vicinity that the Blow llolo and the 
famous Remarkable Cave are situated. 
At t he northern end of tlic cove the rocky 
shores of Point Peer jut out far into the 
sea. It was here that the boy convicts 
were condemned to spend many weary 
years. Sometimes over 890 convicts, whose 
ages did not exceed 18 years, were im¬ 
prisoned on the point, but as this portion 
of the convict establishment was not used 
after 1817 there is very little to be seen 
of the spacious buildings which were once 
erected here. Just to the north-east, of 
Point Pner lies the far-famed Dead Is¬ 
land. the final resting place of hundreds 
of weary exiles, as well as a few free 
citizens of the colony. The main convict 
station was situated at less than a mile 
due east from Dead Island, on the shores 
of Opossum Bay, and is, historically 
speaking, one, of Ihe most interesting 
places ia Tasmania. It was first picked 
out as a station in 1830 by Governor Ar¬ 
thur, who sent Dr. Russell with a body 
of convicts and militia to form the 
nucleus of the future establishment which 
giew to such large dimensions about ten 
years later i ruler the rule of the famous 
Dr. ,1. O'Hara Booth, who at one time had 
over 7,000 convicts under his charge, on the 
Peninsula. The convicts were employed 
in building, farming, making roads, etc., 
as well as in the large workshops which 
were manned by convicts, and supplied 
the wants of the numerous inhabitants. 
Thursday evening at midnight, found 
80 members aboaid the s.s. Koomeela, and 
a start made for Safety Cove, Port Ar¬ 
thur, which was reached about daylight, 
and an advance party was landed imme¬ 
diately, and met. by Mr. K. M. Tanner, 
who had kindly given the club permission 
to camp on his estate during our stay. 
The camp was pegged out. and a start- 
made to bring all the camp impedimenta 
asl ore, which was accomplished after 
numerous trips in the smaller boats that 
had been taken down fer the use of fish¬ 
ing parties, etc. The tents began to 
spring up like mushrooms, and within the 
space of a couple of hours I lie township 
of canvas had sprung into existence. 
Meanwhile the assistants had been busy, 
and a very acceptable breakfast was par¬ 
taken of. During the forenoon most mem¬ 
bers spent the time in putting their tents 
in order. 
After lunch a large party visited the 
Blow Hole and the Remarkable < ave, 
which were situated not far from camp. 
Aftdr leaving tile camp a short walk 
through the scrub brought ns to the re¬ 
gular tourist road which leads to the 
cliffs, and passes, eu route, the old Go¬ 
vernment farm, which, in the time of 
convict labour, must have been a very 
large establishment. At the present 
time only portion of the old build- 
