HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsCascades Female Factory Historic Site
Tasmania · Australia
The World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory tells the story of the dispossession, mistreatment and forced migration of Australian convict women and girls, and their contribution to colonisation throughout the history of colonial Australia to the present day.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Cascades Female Factory Historic Site
Welcome to the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site, a place of profound historical weight and emotional resonance. Located in the shadow of Mount Wellington, this World Heritage-listed site is one of Australia's most…
Listen in the app2The First Encounter — Yard 1 and the Entrance
Your journey begins at Yard 1, the site of the modern Visitor Center and the original gateway for thousands of women. Upon arrival, often in the middle of the night to avoid public scrutiny, women were marched here from the…
Listen in the app3The Stratification of Morality — The Class System
One of the most defining characteristics of the Cascades Female Factory was its rigid class system, mandated by Governor Arthur. As you move deeper into the site, you must understand that the women were strictly divided into…
Listen in the app4The Architecture of Punishment — Yard 3 and the Separate Cells
Entering Yard 3, the atmosphere becomes perceptibly heavier. This yard contains the remains of the separate apartments and cells, purpose-built in 1842 to house female convicts under more solitary conditions. …
Listen in the app5Authority and Oversight — The Matron's Quarters and Yard 4
In Yard 4, we find evidence of the administrative structure that governed the lives of the convicts. This yard was home to the Matron's Quarters, the residence of the civilian female administrators who played a crucial role in…
Listen in the app6The Laundry of Despair — The Crime Class Yard
Returning to the area associated with the Third Class, we focus on the grueling reality of the 'Crime Class' yard. This was the most dreaded assignment in the factory. …
Listen in the app7Tragedy in the Nursery — The Children's Yard
Perhaps the most heartbreaking section of the Cascades Female Factory is the Nursery Yard, which operated from 1828 to 1838. Convict women who arrived pregnant or with young children were kept here, as were those who gave birth…
Listen in the app8Closing
As we conclude our tour of the Cascades Female Factory, let us reflect on the enduring legacy of the women who were held here. We have walked through the yards of classification, witnessed the ruins of the separate cells, and…
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What is Cascades Female Factory Historic Site?
Cascades Female Factory Historic Site is a place in Tasmania · Australia with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Tasmania · Australia |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -42.8938, 147.2993 |
| Last updated |
