These ruins look chaotic, remains of once structured buildings.

This is the Coal Mines Historic Site.

“It was Tasmania’s first operational mine. Developed both to limit the colony’s dependence upon costly imported coal from New South Wales, as well as serving as a place of punishment for the “worst class” of convicts from Port Arthur, the mine was operational for over 40 years.”

It is now a peaceful, beautiful place to wander along the old tracks, with only natural sounds of the breeze, birds, water lapping at the coast. Yet it is easy for the imagination to conjour the sounds of industry, mining, coal trucks loading the ships and the harsher sounds of convicts and guards living here.

Chaos