What is the Parramatta Female Factory?
Amazing Stories, Extraordinary Lives, Experience History, Never forget
Let’s weave a tale of history, heritage, and the remarkable women who shaped it. 🌟📜
🌺 Uncover Your Ancestral Threads: The Parramatta Female Factory 🌺
🔍 Do you have a female factory ancestor? Perhaps hidden in the folds of time, there’s a resilient woman who once walked the sun-drenched yards of the Parramatta Female Factory—a place where stories intersected, dreams flickered, and strength bloomed. She might have been a convict, a mother, a survivor. Her footsteps echo through history, waiting for us to listen.
📜 Our Shared Tapestry:
- Unique Stories: Each thread in our collective tapestry is unique. Some threads are spun from hardship, others from resilience. Some shimmer with defiance, while others carry quiet courage. These stories—the warp and weft of our past—shape who we are today.
- Past and Present: Our tales aren’t confined to sepia-toned pages. They live on, whispered in the wind, etched into sandstone walls, and passed down through generations. The past dances with the present, and we’re the custodians of this delicate choreography.
🌿 Preserving Heritage:
- Believers in Legacy: We’re not just time travelers; we’re memory keepers. We believe in preserving Australia’s heritage—the layers of memory that cling to old bricks, the scent of eucalyptus carried by the breeze. It’s more than nostalgia; it’s a duty.
- The Female Factory: Imagine the sun dappling the courtyard, casting shadows on worn skirts. Imagine laughter and tears, whispered secrets, and the clatter of wooden clogs. The Parramatta Female Factory—a crucible of survival—is etched into our land. We won’t let its story fade.
🚶♀️ Your Invitation:
- Friends of the Factory: Join us as a friend of the factory. It’s like having a cup of tea with history. We’ll share discoveries, unravel mysteries, and celebrate the indomitable spirit of those who walked these grounds.
- Storytellers Wanted: Are you a wordsmith, a bard, or simply someone who feels the pulse of the past? Share the stories—the whispers of women who stitched hope into their petticoats, who sang lullabies under moonlit rafters.
- Heritage Tours and Events: Lace up your historical boots! Come explore the factory—its walls, its buildings, its echoes. Let’s walk where they walked, breathe the same air, and honor their memory. Our events are like time capsules—unearthed treasures waiting for you.
🌟 Together, We Unfold History:
- The Parramatta Female Factory isn’t just a place; it’s a living narrative. It’s the laughter of children born there, the tears of separation, the resilience of women who stitched their stories into the seams of time.
- So, whether you’re a curious wanderer, a genealogist tracing roots, or someone who believes that heritage is our compass, join us. Let’s bring the factory’s whispers to every corner of this sunburnt land.
🌸 Your Invitation Awaits. Let’s turn the pages together. 🌸
PS: If you find a faded ribbon or a forgotten letter, know that it’s a breadcrumb left by those who came before. Follow it. 💌🔍🕊️
Now, tell me: do you hear the echoes of history in the rustle of leaves? 🍃🕰️
Friends Rooms and Activities
The Parramatta Female Factory Friends now have a home onsite located in the Matron’s Quarters and Administration Building and continue to meet every second month on the third Friday (February, April, June, August, October and December):
- 9:00 Research Rooms Open
- Herstory exhibition available during opening hours
- 1:00 Speaker Program
- 1.45 Afternoon Tea
- 2:15 General meeting
Our Researchers are there on Fridays by appointment between 10am and 2pm, just email us if you would like some research on a family members (members receive an hour free).
About Us
The Parramatta Female Factory Friends have been around since 2010 and we are a registered Not For Profit and Registered with ACNC as a Charity. We have a clear Vision of what we are about and we hope you agree with us that not only as a place of National Heritage, but the significance merits World Heritage. You will find our core Business Documents here.
You can become a Member and enjoy membership benefits here.
To find out what’s been happening in the News for the Parramatta Female Factory, please check out here.
We are supported by our amazing Patron’s and you can visit here.
Advocacy
The Parramatta Female Factory Friends have been involved in advocacy for the Parramatta Female Factory for over a decade. To look at what we are currently involved in and what we have been doing please visit here.
Education
The Parramatta Female Factory Friends have been involved in educating the public in the history of the Parramatta Female Factory. We have a static exhibition on display on boards and some archaelogocial relics in display cabinets. We continue to be involved in researching the History as well as writing short historical articles for the Friends Newsletter and our website includes Snippets of history of the Parramatta Female Factory here.
Parramatta Female Factory Friends Research Centre
Our Parramatta Female Factory Friends Research team are involved in researching female convicts and making connections for members of the public who find they have a convict past. The Research Centre holds the Babette Smith Collection as part of its Library which assists members and researchers and you can find more about the Research Centre here.
Shop
The Parramatta Female Factory Friends has a collection of items for sale which can be found here.
Tours
Without a doubt, the Tours of the Parramatta Female Factory by trained guides provide an amazing overview of what it was like for a female convict who was sent to the Factory and what they did. You can book a tour here.
What’s On
For the very latest on what is happening, please check our Facebook at
and our Instagram at