PORT ARTHUR

inlet of the Tasman Sea on the south coast of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia. It is known for the penal settlement established there in 1830 by Sir George Arthur, then lieutenant governor, who attempted to centralize the several settlements in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). A model reformatory for boys also existed from 1835 to 1849 at Point Puer, a rocky headland in the inlet. Although transportation of convicts ceased in 1853, the colony was not abandoned for another 24 years, and 30,000 prisoners were held there at one time or another. The partially restored ruins of the penal colony, including a church, designed by convict architect James Blackburn and built by convicts (1836-40), and the spot called "Isle of the Dead" (with unmarked convict graves), are now prime tourist attractions. Port Arthur is accessible from Hobart, 63 mi (101 km) northwest, by the Arthur Highway. The whole Tasman Peninsula is registered as part of Australia's National Estate (places preserved as part of Australia's national heritage). city, Jefferson county, southeastern Texas, U.S.; it is a major deepwater port on Sabine Lake and the Sabine-Neches and Gulf Intracoastal waterways, 9 mi (14 km) from the Gulf of Mexico. With Beaumont and Orange, it forms the "Golden Triangle," an important petrochemical complex. Earlier unsuccessful settlements in the area included Aurora (1840). In 1895 Arthur E. Stilwell organized a town (which was named for him) as a port and terminus for the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railroad (now Kansas City Southern Railway). In 1899 a canal was dredged for oceangoing vessels. Two years later the gusher Spindletop blew a few miles away, and the port became a major outlet for oil and a wide range of other products. Industrial activities include oil refining, ship building, and the manufacture of chemicals. Cavoilcade is the city's annual (October) salute to the petroleum industry. Lamar University at Port Arthur originated in 1909 as Port Arthur College. Inc. 1898. Pop. (1990) city, 58,724; Beaumont-Port Arthur MSA, 361,226.