Ross Female Factory, Colonial prison and archaeological site in Ross, Tasmania.
The Ross Female Factory was a prison facility housing female convicts with separate buildings including dormitories, isolation cells, a chapel, and a hospital. The complex also contained work areas, dining facilities, and rooms for children born to the imprisoned women.
The facility operated from 1848 to 1854 as a probation station for female convicts and their children in Van Diemens Land. During this period it served as a significant part of the colonial prison system in Australia.
Female convicts at this facility learned practical skills in sewing, laundering, and cooking that prepared them for domestic work after their sentences ended. These everyday tasks reflected how the institution shaped women's futures through labor and training.
The site offers parking, interpretive displays with background information, and accessible pathways for visitors with mobility needs. Allow several hours to walk through the buildings and open areas at a comfortable pace.
Archaeological excavations revealed this as the most complete female convict site surviving in all of Australia, with thick sandstone walls of the isolation cells still visible. These sturdy structures provide a direct connection to the daily experience of the women imprisoned here.
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