HiStory. HerStory. OurStory
The Parramatta Female Factory Friends Inc. (PFFF) is a volunteer, not-for-profit heritage, advocacy and family history organisation dedicated to protecting, researching and sharing the stories of the women and children connected with the Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct (PFF&IP).
Located within the historic Parramatta Female Factory precinct at North Parramatta, our work brings together guided tours, family history research, education, events, publications, exhibitions, advocacy and community engagement.
The Parramatta Female Factory is one of Australia’s most significant women’s convict sites. It was a place of punishment, labour, confinement, childbirth, survival, resistance and resilience. Its history belongs not only to Parramatta, but to the story of Australia.
Why This Place Matters
The Parramatta Female Factory is not simply a collection of old buildings. It is a place of memory.
It tells the story of women transported across the world, children born inside the Factory, families separated and remade, labour and punishment, illness and survival, protest and resilience.
For many Australians, the history of the Parramatta Female Factory is family history. For others, it is a place to learn about the foundations of colonial society and the women whose lives helped shape Australia.
By preserving this history, we preserve the stories of women who should never be forgotten.
Discover the Parramatta Female Factory
These short videos provide an introduction to the PFFF&IP, its history, its surviving buildings, and the stories of the women, children and communities connected to this nationally significant site.
Help Secure World Heritage Listing for the PFF&IP
The PFF&IP is already National Heritage listed, but it deserves the highest level of recognition and protection: World Heritage.
Parramatta Female Factory Friends continues to advocate for proper Money, Management and Museum: secure conservation funding, accountable precinct governance, and a national museum to honour the women, children, First Nations people, Forgotten Australians, Stolen Generations survivors and all who lived, worked and endured within this extraordinary precinct.
Every signature helps. Please sign our petition, spread the word, and hold government to account
World Heritage Petition – Discover the Women of the Parramatta Female Factory
Guided Walking Tours
Join one of our trained volunteer guides for a guided walking tour of the Parramatta Female Factory.
Our tours introduce visitors to the history of the Female Factory, the convict women and children who lived and worked there, the class system, punishment, labour, childbirth, survival, resistance and the later history of the institutional precinct.
Tours are suitable for individuals, families, descendants, community groups, schools, researchers and visitors interested in Australian history, women’s history, convict history and local Parramatta heritage.
All tours meet at the Parramatta Female Factory Friends rooms, 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta.
Become a Member
Membership helps PFFF continue its work in research, tours, education, events, advocacy, conservation and public history.
Members support the protection of the Parramatta Female Factory and help ensure the stories of the women and children connected with the site continue to be told.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in family history, female convict history, Parramatta history, heritage protection or the work of the Parramatta Female Factory Friends.
Research Centre and Babette Smith Collection
The PFFF Research Centre supports family historians, descendants, students, researchers and members of the public seeking to understand the lives of female convicts and the history of the Parramatta Female Factory.
Our Research Centre includes books, research files, microfilm, microfiche, databases, digital resources, display material and the Babette Smith Collection. Our volunteer research team assists with female convict family history inquiries and helps connect people with the stories of women who passed through the Factory.
Whether you are beginning your family history journey or investigating a known female convict ancestor, the PFFF Research Centre is a valuable starting point.
Research Your Female Convict Ancestor
Learn About the Research Centre
Public Education Program – Talks, Workshops and Events
PFFF provides education and public history programs for schools, community groups, historical societies, family history groups and the wider public.
Our education work helps people understand the Parramatta Female Factory within the broader history of transportation, colonial New South Wales, women’s lives, punishment, labour, childbirth, family separation, resistance and survival.
We also hold talks, events, workshops and special programs throughout the year.
Upcoming Events
Enquire About a Talk or Group Visit
Support Our Work
The PFFF is a volunteer organisation. Your support helps us preserve history, assist descendants, deliver tours, maintain research resources, hold events, advocate for heritage protection and keep the stories of the Parramatta Female Factory women alive.
You can support PFFF by becoming a member, booking a tour, attending an event, volunteering, making a donation, purchasing from our shop or sharing the story of the Parramatta Female Factory with others.
Visit Us
Parramatta Female Factory Friends rooms
5 Fleet Street
North Parramatta NSW 2151
Our rooms include the Research Centre, Babette Smith Collection, Ann Gordon Tea Rooms, Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe, exhibition displays, artefacts, models and family history resources.
Tours commence from 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta.
Tour enquiries: 0456 787 252
General enquiries: 0451 332 823
Email: contact@parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au
What’s On
For the latest news, events and updates, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @pfffriends.
Parramatta Female Factory Friends Inc.
Protecting the past. Researching the women. Sharing the stories.