Guided Tours Of St Helena Island

ST HELENA ISLAND PENAL SETTLEMENT

Come and explore Queensland's first penal settlement, and be enthralled by tales of prison life, the hardships suffered by prisoners, and many other stories.

St Helena Island is only 6 km south east of the Brisbane River mouth, and was home to many of society's outcasts from 1867 to 1932.

Let our group of informative and entertaining tour guides take you back in time with a gentle 2 km walk as we visit the ruins of the Gaol, blacksmiths shop, punishment yard, sugar mill, prisoners', warders' and children's cemetery, lime kiln, olive grove and the renovated museum.

TOURS: St. Helena Island is a Heritage National Park. You are not permitted to walk around the Island without an accredited tour guide.

The TOUR IS NOT COMPULSORY, other activities are available if you would like to wait for the group to return.

Cost: Monday - Friday $55 Adults, $30 Children

Sunday $65 Adults, $35 Children

SCHOOL EXCURSIONS

We conduct a number of educationally focused tours to St. Helena that are also suitable for the S.O.S.E. Syllabus for Years 4 - 8.

Our new and exciting Education Program has been developed by our experienced guides (National Parks and Wildlife Accredited), making this the ideal school excursion by taking the drudgery out of history. The excursion aims to ensure that students and teachers step back in time and appreciate Queensland's penal past.

Students participate by using character identification cards and role-play to observe, question, investigate and problem solve. Props and heritage costumes can be used (optional).

Teachers Please Note: No extra cost is involved by participating in this NEW educational program.

For further information and access to teaching aids, please contact Moreton Bay Environmental Education Unit at www.moretoneec.eq.edu.au

ST. HELENA BY NIGHT COMEDY/GHOST TOUR

Live Comedy Drama Entertainment - Experience St. Helena By Night

• Two cruises for the price of one. Brisbane River + Moreton Bay
• Specific group themes catered for
• Departure from Bretts Wharf Hamilton
• Hot or Cold buffet Feast and dessert
• Drinks package (beer, wine, sparkling wine, juice and soft drink) on return voyage
• Friendly professional service

Departure: Brett's Wharf, Hamilton. Time 6.30 - 11.30 pm
Be entertained by prison ditties, verse, jokes, ripping yarns and the issue of prison garments.

On arrival, we move ashore with lanterns and torches. Cheeky comments from the guards and convicts are quite common. We take the convicts to the Blacksmith shop for the fitting of chains, if any, then to the Punishment yard where special effect lighting and quick change costume guides will entertain you with prison life routines like the warder dispenser, who would consult the prisoners on the sick list and issue "white or black medicine" depending on the temperature of the "inserted thermometer"!

More serious ailments are treated with confinement to a cell or a visit to Surgeon Dodds. The ghostly cemetery is the scene of "reincarnation" of prisoners with particularly sad and disturbing tales.

$95 Adults, $45 Children