Darlington Probation Station

The history here is incredible — it’s amazing how well-preserved the buildings are and how much you can learn just walking around the site. We especially appreciated how the signage brings the stories of the convicts and the era to life. It really gives you a sense of what life was like back then. And the wombats! They were everywhere and absolutely adorable. We couldn’t believe how close they came, I’d have to get away from them — definitely a highlight of the day. A perfect blend of convict history and beautiful natural surroundings. Highly recommend making the trip across to Maria Island!

The Darlington Probation Station was a convict-era penal settlement from 1825-1832 and later a convict probation station (1842-50) on Maria Island. Today, a good number of the 19th-century buildings remain and are in good condition. Now recognised on the Australian National Heritage List and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2010), many of these buildings are put to use as island Visitor Centre, museum space and even a bunk facility for those seeking to stay overnight on the Island. Well worth exploring the Darlington Probation Station as part of visits to Maria Island.

We saw plenty of wombats (21 in total) !!! Very active at dusk, they wander freely on the island. We even saw a bandicoot !! Really recommend it for the wildlife

Wombat arround here. Take time to go arround Darlington to meet wombats. I spend 1 hour to go arround this place and saw 4 wombats eating (arround 3:00 pm). So cute!

Entire island has no human inhabitants, no shops, no cars. It is a wildlife reserve. You can hire bikes or walk the many paths. Most wildlife species here are fairly tame. We got close up video footage of wombats, wallaby with young, and unusual geese. Someone we meet even saw a Tasmanian Devil, a species only recently introduced on the island in an attempt to save them from extinction. We were however very disappointed to find that all the bikes were hired out when we got there and our only option was to walk and see as much as we could in the limited time available - especially after the Tourist Information office had advised us that there was no need to make a booking!!

Once a convict probation station, now a National park, where one can have a nice day walk to the Fossil cliffs or the Painted cliffs and a few more options, look for some amazing wildlife - Tasmanian Devil, Wombats, Wallabys and a few variety of local birds, discover the history of the Probation Station and Maria Islands...

Great examples of convict history. Get your bikes from here, visit the ranger station and fill up on water at the mess hall. The accommodation halls are here as well.

My friends and I were going to camp but decided we were going to save space and not bring our tent from the states so we opted for the Probation station. Im very glad we did. The bunks were incredibly comfortable and we slept like a dream. Staying overnight was key as most animals are nocturnal. So many hoppers and we even saw a Devil. Also at about 3 am I heard something run down the deck and we went out with a headlamp and a large possum was at the end of the deck!