AUSTRALIA ~ Cascades Female Factory - Tasmania - UNESCO ~

... Nice litho showing a fascinating but horrifying look at Tasmanian history... the humble remains of one of the few female convict factories are nestled in the hills of Hobart surrounded by history and gum trees... a beautiful setting where terrible cruelties were committed... it gives an excellent view into the mid 1830’s when women prisoners were kept in working conditions... it is amazing how the women and their children survived in these conditions when sent by boat then jailed here... often for very petty crimes committed in England... so many sad stories... convicts were a source of labour to build roads, bridges, courthouses, hospitals and other public buildings, or to work on government farms, while educated convicts may have been given jobs such as record-keeping for the government administration... a must-go experience immersed in social history... Thanks a lot Rod! ❀◕ ‿ ◕❀

"Detail of a lithograph by John Skinner Prout"

Built in 1828 and operating until 1856, the Cascades Female Factory became one of Tasmania's longest running penal institutions.The Cascades was established as a workhouse for female convicts. Intended to segregate women for their own protection and moral improvement, at its peak the factory held 1,200 women and children in overcrowded and disease-ridden conditions, with women labouring up to 12 hours per day.  

These convict sites present the best surviving examples worldwide of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts.

Cascades Female Factory Historic Site is listed as one of the 11 sites that together form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2010.

 

Stamp:

Prepaid maxicard

(Issued 20-10-2020)