Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct, Colonial women institution in Parramatta, Australia
Parramatta Female Factory is a precinct with stone buildings that operated between 1821 and 1848 as a workplace for female convicts. The structures show how textiles were manufactured and reveal the variety of tasks women performed during their confinement.
The facility was established in 1818 as the first purpose-built location for female convicts in New South Wales. It received women who had been transported from Britain as punishment for crimes committed there.
The site reveals women's lives through their letters and possessions that survived to today. Walking through the workshops where textiles were made helps visitors understand what daily work and routines looked like for those confined here.
The precinct can be explored through guided tours that provide detailed explanations of what took place there. It helps to allow plenty of time to examine the preserved buildings and understand their layout.
After 1848 the site transformed into several different institutions, including an asylum and an orphanage, showing how social attitudes and care approaches shifted across more than a century. This transformation makes it a window into how societies changed their views on welfare and institutional care.
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