Penitentiary Chapel
Take a tour of the 'Tench' for a fascinating lesson in Hobart's dark history.
Regarded as one of the most significant convict sites in Australia, the Penitentiary Chapel, known at the time as the Tench, began as barracks built in 1830 for convict prisoners and included a chapel. Below the chapel were 33 solitary confinement cells.
Following the end of transportation, the barracks became the Hobart Gaol until 1961. Sections of the chapel were converted into two Supreme Courts connected by tunnels to the solitary confinement cells and an execution yard was added.
A fascinating 1.5-hour walking tour of the Tench recounts the stories of the inmates housed here as you experience the court, the tunnels below, the tiny solitary cells and the execution yard and gallows (this bit is a little spooky).
The Penitentiary Chapel is a short walk or Red Decker Bus ride from the Hobart CBD.