Tasman's Inn (circa 1842) - Norfolk Bay Convict Station

Taranna
Tiny township on the road to Port Arthur
Located 89 km south east of Hobart on the Arthur Highway, Taranna is a tiny, and rather sleepy, little settlement on the road to Port Arthur.

Taranna's one claim to historical importance is that it was the terminus for the dreaded human railway which ran from Port Arthur to the jetty at Little Norfolk Bay. This railway line was designed to carry passengers and supplies from the security of Norfolk Bay across the narrow isthmus to Port Arthur and Long Bay. The aim was to avoid the rough seas which characterised journeys from Hobart Town to Port Arthur which were forced to round Cape Raoul. The railway has the dubious distinction of being the first railway in Australia. The technique used was to get four convicts to push the carriages along the 7 km line.

Things to see:  

Old Convict Railway
Today there is little evidence of the old convict railway. The closest you can get to it is to go to the Tasmanian Devil Park (one of the town's more recent attractions) and the employees will point out a mound on the far side of the road which is a remnant of where the railway once ran.

Historic Buildings
The town has a couple of interesting buildings. Tasman's Inn (circa 1842), sometimes known as Tasman's Lodge or the Norfolk Bay Convict Station is a green and white building on a side road which was built by convicts out of bricks which were brought to Taranna from Port Arthur. It has changed use numerous times since its construction. Originally the Commissariat Store it was built to hold stores which were landed at Taranna jetty and pushed along the railway to Long Bay. When Port Arthur closed down in 1877 the store became the Tasman Hotel (the only hotel on Tasman Peninsula). In 1913 it was turned into Taranna Lodge, a guest house. At this time it was also the local Post Office. It closed down but there are plans to refurbish this historic old building and open it up to the public once again.

	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Masons Cottage Bed & Breakfast 5741 Arthur Hwy Taranna TAS 7180 Telephone: (03) 6250 3323 Rating: ****
	Norfolk Bay Convict Station Bed & Breakfast Arthur Hwy Taranna TAS 7180 Telephone: (03) 6391 8331 Rating: ****
	Restaurants
	Norfolk Bay Convict Station Bed & Breakfast Arthur Hwy Taranna TAS 7180 Telephone: (03) 6391 8331