The World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory is Australia's most significant site associated with female convicts. It is located in South Hobart in the shadow of Mount Wellington, only a short distance from the Hobart waterfront. The Cascades Female Factory was a self-contained, purpose-built institution intended to reform female convicts, where the inmates did laundry and needlework services, offsetting some of the Colony's penal costs. Thousands of women and children were imprisoned here, and many never left. While a self-guided tour with printed visitor guide will give an insight into the institution, experiencing one of the guided experiences will really help to bring its history to life. The Heritage Tour is a comprehensive guided tour of the Site, including the Matrons Quarters. It is offered several times daily and lasts approximately 45 minutes. Check with the Site for times. Her Story depicts the harsh life within Yard One of the Cascades Female Factory in 1833. Performed by two actors, one portraying the convict woman, the other playing the parts of an overseer and a doctor, Her Story allows visitors to fully comprehend the significance of the Site and what happened here. Performed daily at 1100, duration approximately one hour.
