Eaglehawk Neck, officially Teralina / Eaglehawk Neck, is a narrow

isthmus An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...

that connects the Tasman Peninsula with the Forestier Peninsula and hence to the rest of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, Australia. It is about north-east of the town of Nubeena in the local government area of Tasman in the South-east region of Tasmania. At the , the locality had a population of 385.

Location and features

The isthmus is around long and less than wide at its narrowest point. The location features rugged terrain and several unusual geological formations including the Tessellated Pavement. Clyde Island, at the northern entry to Pirates Bay, is accessible for crossings at low tide and is the site of two graves, and a rumbling blow hole that cleaves the island. Eaglehawk Neck is a holiday destination. On the eastern side, a beach that stretches around Pirates' Bay is a popular

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

area. In summer the population rises as people return to their holiday homes.

European history

Eaglehawk Neck was gazetted as a locality in 1967. It was dual named in March 2021 to include its original name, Teralina.

The Dog Line

As Eaglehawk Neck forms a natural thin gateway between the peninsulas, it was used by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

as a place to stop

convicts A convict is "a person found Guilt (law), guilty of a crime and Sentence (law), sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a commo ...

attempting to escape from Port Arthur and other penal institutions on the Tasman Peninsula. A system was developed where a line of dogs were chained to posts across the "Neck" to warn of any

attempting to escape. The Dog Line was first implemented in 1831 and was used until the closure of Port Arthur in the 1870s. Thomas J. Lempriere, a commissary officer at Port Arthur, declared the Eaglehawk Neck as "impassable". Despite this, many attempts were made by convicts to escape from the Tasman Peninsula via Eaglehawk Neck, including Martin Cash and

William Bannon William Bannon ( – 27 February 1904) was an Irishman who served in the British 65th Regiment of Foot in the New Zealand Wars in the 1840s. In 1849 he was found guilty of desertion and theft and was sentenced to transportation for seven years to ...

. The area was heavily patrolled by soldiers, and the guards' quarters still remains as a museum. The isthmus now provides road access via the Arthur Highway to Port Arthur, part of the Australian Convict Sites, a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

that comprises eleven remnant penal sites originally built within the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries on fertile Australian coastal strips. Collectively, these sites, including Port Arthur, now represent, "...the best surviving examples of large-scale

penal transportation Penal transportation (or simply transportation) was the relocation of convicted criminals, or other persons regarded as undesirable, to a distant place, often a colony, for a specified term; later, specifically established penal colonies bec ...

and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts".

Post office

The first Eagle Hawk Neck post office was open from 1875 until 1877. A post office opened on 11 January 1895 and closed in 1974.

Geography

The shores of Norfolk Bay and Eaglehawk Neck form the western boundary, while the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

forms the eastern.

Road infrastructure

The A9 route ( Arthur Highway) enters from the north and runs through to the south-west, where it exits. Route C338 (Blowhole Road / Tasmans Arch Road) starts at an intersection with A9 in the centre and runs south-east until it ends at Tasman Arch.

References

External links

Eaglehawk Neck
at walkabout.com.au
Eaglehawk Neck
{{authority control Forestier Peninsula Localities of Tasman Council Isthmuses of Oceania