This is definitely about Tasmania's convict history.
Mt Wellington, as others have pointed out, is the mountain that overlooks Hobart.
The first verse references Port Arthur, a huge convict settlement in Tasmania that these days is a tourist destination. The Isle of the Dead is the small isle that convicts were buried on (you can catch a ferry there to see the graves). The guest house in these lyrics could be one of many in the area.
The second verse is about convicts that were chained together while working in order to prevent them from escaping. They work together to get out of their chains, throw together a makeshift boat, and take to the Derwent River to get away. The Derwent runs through Hobart, and much of Southern Tasmania. Obviously they are killed in the course of this escape (possibly by the dangers of the waterway itself), hence the references to the boat being a coffin
The bit about his daughter and girl are pretty straightforward. Convicts were often taken from their families, and their families would be left to fend for themselves.
Also, the last line where they say "some demon's land" - this might be a stretch, but back when a lot of our Tasmanian convict programs were still running, Tasmania used to be known as 'Van Diemen's Land'. This line could be a reference.
Nonetheless, the song is definitely about Tasmania and definitely about convicts. The band has a couple of songs that reference our state. The Glenorchy Bunyip is another one
This is definitely about Tasmania's convict history.
Mt Wellington, as others have pointed out, is the mountain that overlooks Hobart.
The first verse references Port Arthur, a huge convict settlement in Tasmania that these days is a tourist destination. The Isle of the Dead is the small isle that convicts were buried on (you can catch a ferry there to see the graves). The guest house in these lyrics could be one of many in the area.
The second verse is about convicts that were chained together while working in order to prevent them from escaping. They work together to get out of their chains, throw together a makeshift boat, and take to the Derwent River to get away. The Derwent runs through Hobart, and much of Southern Tasmania. Obviously they are killed in the course of this escape (possibly by the dangers of the waterway itself), hence the references to the boat being a coffin
The bit about his daughter and girl are pretty straightforward. Convicts were often taken from their families, and their families would be left to fend for themselves.
Also, the last line where they say "some demon's land" - this might be a stretch, but back when a lot of our Tasmanian convict programs were still running, Tasmania used to be known as 'Van Diemen's Land'. This line could be a reference.
Nonetheless, the song is definitely about Tasmania and definitely about convicts. The band has a couple of songs that reference our state. The Glenorchy Bunyip is another one