Why was Port Arthur chosen as a convict prison?

Port Arthur in Tasmania was chosen as a convict prison to supply labour for the timber industry. Port Arthur itself was originally established in 1830 as a logging and timber-getting camp. In 1833, convicts from the other colonies of Australia were sent there, particularly repeat offenders, to provide labour for the timber industry. It was easily guarded because the only land between Port Arthur and the Tasmanian mainland was the narrow Eaglehawk Neck.