The Dog Line

Savage dogs chained up in a line guarded against prisoners escaping from Port Arthur in the 1800s. The dog line, which ran across the 100-meter-wide "Neck" at Eaglehawk, was devised by John Peyton Jones. Any movement or the slightest noise would set the dogs barking and alert the sentries to ensure that no convicts escaped across the narrow stretch of land that led from the Port Arthur convict settlement further south. 

The dog line started off with nine dogs, but grew to 18. They were a mixture of breeds, and some reportedly were bloodhounds. Along the ‘dog line’, oil lamps were fixed on posts at chest height and cockle shells were scattered on the ground to reflect the light and create noise if walked on.

The dogs were tethered by chains so they could almost touch each other's snouts but couldn't attack one another. It was reported that a bold soldier attempted to pass through the dogs and suffered severe bites.

It was also reported that during the 16 months that John Peyton Jones initially had the dog line in place, "no man ever crossed the neck," and for the 45 years from 1832 to 1877 that it was in use. It was highly effective, as very few escapees ever got past.