Cascades Female Factory

This is Australia's most significant site associated with the female convict story , and forms part of the Australian Convict sites World Heritage listing. Between 1788 and 1853 some 25,000 women convicts were transported to Australia for their crimes. Approximately half came to Tasmania, having five of the colony's female factories. Overcrowding was evident and these women worked, slept, ate, prayed and gave birth within the 13 feet walls. Infant mortality was extremely high and once a child reached 3 years of age it was removed and placed in an orphanage. This was the last time most children and their mothers ever saw each other.
Work was difficult, working unrelenting hours in appalling cold conditions. They were tired , dirty and poorly feed.
Photos :
Walls of the prison yard.
The 7.5kg hot iron-used in the laundry, several of these irons in use to work was continuous. The only protection for their hands from the scorching hot handles was a course piece of cloth.
Bonnets, one with name Ann Kelly-a meditation on stitching the number of days needed to mark off a 14 year sentence. The other ornate bonnet depicts a date, unknown if year of freedom or conviction.
The aim was for a bonnet to be made to honor each female convict at the site.Read more