Parramatta Female Factory Friends

28/05/2026

Parramatta Female Factory & Institutions Precinct (PFF&IP) for World Heritage

👉 SIGN THE PETITION: https://bit.ly/PFFIP4WorldHeritage

Her Story is Our Story — Honour the Women of Australia
The PFF&IP is one of Australia’s most significant places of memory, conscience and survival. It tells the story of convict women, children, Aboriginal experience, survivors, Forgotten Australians, families, patients and communities whose lives helped shape the nation.

The Precinct is already on Australia’s National Heritage List, but that must not be treated as the final chapter. The NSW and Australian Governments began the World Heritage journey. Now they must finish it.

We call on both Governments to:
1. Continue the World Heritage pathway with a focus on the Parramatta Female Factory. This is to include an updated, reframed submission as part of the current World Heritage application preliminary assessment; an expert-led review of the Outstanding Universal Value case; proper international comparative analysis and expert community and academic contribution and review. As a part of the pathway establish proper planning protections for the site, buffer zone, sightlines, heritage landscape, curtilage and surrounding setting.
2. Prepare a stronger, expert-led World Heritage strategy
Work transparently with community organizations working directly wit the PFF&IP - Parramatta Female Factory Friends, Parragirls, survivor groups, Forgotten Australians, relevant Aboriginal organizations, heritage experts, museum specialists and the wider community.
3. As acknowledged through National Heritage listing, commit to the implementation of site custodianship with the New South Wales Government for the long-term, ongoing management and funding for site protection, conservation, heritage buffer zones, access, interpretation, public programming and visitor/education infrastructure.
4. For proper management and respect, the site to be managed by a museum and heritage specialist government organization and with a board/trust to oversee the management made up of heritage, museum, community and financial expertise, such as Museums of History NSW. The museum to be the inaugural Museum of Australian Identity, for all Australians now and into the future, focusing on the Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct history as the central theme. As part of this provide immediate and long-term funding for conservation, education, interpretation, research, public programs, visitor infrastructure and accessible storytelling - work that community volunteers have carried for too long without adequate government support.

For more than 200 years, this landscape has held stories of punishment, separation, labour, institutionalisation, resilience, reform and survival. It is sacred ground for many descendants and survivors, and a national inheritance for all Australians.

Early advice from the World Heritage process should not be used as an excuse to walk away. It should be used to fix the nomination, strengthen protections and complete the work already begun.

Australia has rightly honoured places connected with colonial administration, military history and male convict labour. The women and children of Parramatta deserve no less respect.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a national responsibility.

Let us honour the women, children, survivors and descendants of the Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct — and secure World Heritage recognition for future generations.



Go to our website for the full petition: https://www.parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au

19/05/2026

Bi-Monthly Speaker Programme 2026

Join us for a fascinating journey across the seas!

Parramatta Female Factory Friends are delighted to welcome Mike Traynor for our June Guest Speaker event.

From Portsmouth to Parramatta: A Voyage of a Lifetime or a Cruise for Life?
Step aboard and experience the long voyage to New South Wales through the eyes of those who lived it — convicts, emigrants, soldiers, and sailors. Mike, a former merchant seafarer, will bring to life the cramped quarters, fierce storms, daily routines, class tensions, and unexpected moments of humanity that defined months at sea.

A passionate maritime historian and storyteller, Mike will share what these transformative journeys really meant for the people who endured them.

📅 Friday 19 June 2026
🕜 1.30pm (General Meeting at 12pm | Afternoon tea at 1pm)
📍 Friends Rooms, Greenway Matron’s Quarters
Parramatta Female Factory, 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta
💰 $5 entry (+ booking fee) | Places are limited – book early!

🔗 Bookings: https://bit.ly/PortsmouthtoParramatta

No onsite parking, but plenty of options nearby (Parramatta Leagues Club carpark is free). Easy access by bus or light rail too.

Come along for an engaging afternoon of maritime history, wonderful company, and a delicious afternoon tea. New members and visitors are warmly welcome!

We can’t wait to see you there!



Parramatta Female Factory Friends Inc.
📍 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta
📞 0456 787 252
🌐 parramattafemalefactoryfriends.au

25/04/2026

✨ HERITAGE DAY 2026 – STEP INTO HISTORY ✨

Join us for a truly memorable day at the Parramatta Female Factory & Institutions Precinct – a National Heritage Site, where Australia’s past comes to life.

📅 Saturday, 9 May 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Whether you’re passionate about history, researching your family story, or simply looking for a wonderful day out with friends and family, Heritage Day at Parramatta North has something for everyone.

🔎 What’s on offer:
• FREE Tours & Talks (bookings recommended)
• Explore the PFFF Research Centre & Babette Smith Collection – you might even discover a convict ancestor
• Special talk: “Unknown Women Pioneers” with Judith Dunn OAM
• Browse unique heritage displays, stalls & Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe
• Enjoy music, markets, and a vibrant heritage atmosphere

☕ Relax at Matron Ann Gordon Café - for our BBQ or enjoy our famous tea, coffee & delicious scones.

🎟️ All events are FREE – but tours and talks require booking:
👉 https://events.humanitix.com/heritage-day-at-parramatta-north-2026/tickets

🔗 More event details:
👉 https://australianheritagefestival.org.au/event/34976257-a/heritage-day-2026-at-parramatta-north

🚊 Easy access: Take the Parramatta Light Rail from Parramatta Square and alight at Ngara

💜 Come and experience History – HerStory – OurStory at one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites.

Bring your family, bring your curiosity—and be part of the story.

27/03/2026

NATIONAL HERITAGE FOR HAMBLEDON COTTAGE, ELIZABETH FARM AND EXPERIMENT FARM COTTAGE.

These three of Australia's most significant colonial sites are currently being assessed for the National Heritage List. Together, we have already made positive progress — but we must now expand our campaign with the goal of securing heritage listing.

A proposed development of 320 multi-storey dwellings at Gregory Place threatens to permanently harm this heritage precinct, its historical sightlines, its archaeological fabric, and the quiet streets that define this precinct. Families in surrounding streets will lose their privacy and neighbourhood character.

These sites tell Australia's foundational colonial story. Once lost, that integrity cannot be recreated.

Experiment Farm Cottage
The cottage sits on the site of the first land grant in Australia, given to James Ruse, an ex-convict who had been brought to Australia on the First Fleet to carry out his sentence in 1787. Upon completing his sentence Ruse asked Governor Arthur Philip for an allotment of land to prove he could farm the land and be self-sufficient, which he successfully achieved in 1791 by cultivating a 30-acre piece of land. Surgeon John Harris built the Indian-style bungalow.

Elizabeth Farm
The oldest surviving European dwelling in Australia, once occupied by John and Elizabeth Macarthur and their children

Hambledon Cottage
Built in 1824, this well-preserved and beautifully furnished home sits on the Elizabeth Farm Estate. The house was built by John Macarthur, a British army officer and pioneer of the Australian wool industry and was most notably occupied by his governess Penelope Lucas in 1827. Built in the Colonial Georgian style, using rendered sand stock brick.

https://andrewcharlton.client.ml.net.au/have-your-say/stop-gregory-place-save-parramatta-s-heritage-petition/

Please like, click on the link and sign the petition to urge the Australian Heritage Council and Minister Murray Watt to expedite the National Heritage listing — before irreversible damage is done.

27/03/2026

22/03/2026

Bi-Monthly Guest Speaker Programme 2026

AN AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE EVENT
TOPIC: Registers of the Forgotten;
19th Century asylums and mental health facilities
GUEST SPEAKER: Christine Yeats FAHS

WHEN: Friday 17th April 2026
12pm General Meeting
1pm Afternoon Tea
1.30pm Talk
WHERE: Parramatta Female Factory Friends Rooms, the ‘Greenway’ Matron’s Quarters, 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta
NO parking onsite - Limited 4 hr. on street parking.

https://bit.ly/RegistersoftheForgotten

New members are most welcome

This talk explores the records relating to nineteenth-century mental health facilities and asylums for the infirm and destitute in NSW. It will draw on government reports, admission registers, employment records and other material in the NSW State Archives Collection. Particular attention will be given to the layered history of the Parramatta Female Factory site and its transformation from female factory to asylum complex.

Christine Yeats, FAHS, is an archivist and historical researcher specialising in local and community history. She is Chair of the Jessie Street National Women’s Library Board, Senior Vice President of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Convenor of the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Committee Assessment Sub-Committee and Chair of the Independent Scholars Association Australia (NSW). She is Review Editor of the Journal of the Royal Australian Society and was awarded an RAHS Fellowship in 2023.

03/03/2026

COLONIAL CRAFT - STRAW PLAITING & BRAIDING + CRAFT CIRCLE - 2 EVENTS ON THE SAME DAY!

Friends,

Another exciting event to add to the calendar this month. Lyn Watkins is, by popular demand, running another two workshops this year called Colonial Craft Workshop

In this workshop, participants will be making a replica of a sun bonnet, similar to a hat made and worn by female convicts.

Workshop led by Lyn Watkins, talented crafter and descendant of Factory women

WHEN: SATURDAY, 14th March 2026 - 10 am to 1 pm.
WHERE: Parramatta Female Factory Friends Room
5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta
No parking onsite - limited 4-hour on-street parking

Straw plaiting was one of the numerous occupations of the convict women. All manner of household items were made from plaited straw. A plaited straw hat or a bonnet was an essential item of clothing in such a hot climate, and for women, an adornment when trimmed with a ribbon or two.

Workshop: Cost $15 plus straw kit $15 (workshop 1 only)
Equipment: Bring your own scissors and tape measure.

PLEASE NOTE: We welcome previous participants. Cost: $15 only for the second workshop.
All enquiries to Lyn: [email protected]
Bookings essential - places are limited: Eventbrite:

https://bit.ly/colonialcraftworkshop1

Morning Tea provided

2ND EVENT

CRAFT CIRCLE
Come along, inspire others or be inspired, share your love of craft, bring along your current project for a morning get together at the Female Factory - c1818-1848, making it once again a hub of creativity!

Meet in the PFFF Rooms 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta
Saturday 14th March 11 am - 1 pm.
COST: $5 (which includes your morning tea)

https://bit.ly/colonialcraftworkshop1

Love to see you all there.

26/02/2026

Vale - Lucy Frost and a beautiful tribute by Hamish Maxwell-Stewart🥲

Emeritus Professor Lucy Frost

Below is a message from Hamish Maxwell-Stewart:

I am writing to let you know the sad news that Lucy Frost died on Saturday 7 February after a long illness. Lucy, was many things—courageous, far-seeing, passionate, generous and caring. She was also intensely private and did not want it widely known that she was sick. Her loss will be acutely felt.

Born in Tennessee on 19 August 1941, Lucy migrated to Australia in the early 70s to take up a position as a lecturer in English Literature. In 1997 she became the first female professor to be appointed in Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania. Her appointment was transformative. She reorganised the curriculum and encouraged a generation of younger scholars. Together with Cassandra Pybus, she set up CAIA (the Centre for Colonialism and its Aftermath).

She became acutely interested in convict history, particularly transported women and their children. To better promote and research their story, she co-founded the Female Convict Research Centre. She also served for a decade on the board of the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site Ltd. She was a member of the four-person team that commissioned the “Footsteps Towards Freedom” sculptures on the Hobart waterfront. These four bronze figures of convict women and an orphan school-boy resulted from an international collaboration with Irish Sculpture Rohan Gillespie.

Lucy was a passionate believer in the power of digital technologies to better organise research and research communities, as well as to transform the way in which stories could be told about the past. She played a pivotal role in the formation of DHT, which was built out of the earlier digital initiatives she had pioneered. Along with Adrian Graves, she helped draft the constitution and until November 2025 served as Chair of the Board.

Lucy authored many books including No Place for a Nervous Lady: Voices from the Australian Bush (1989), Chain Letters Narrating Convict Lives (2001), Abandoned Women: Scottish convicts exiled beyond the seas (2012) and Convict Orphans (2023).

At heart, Lucy was a planetary wanderer. Every year she would slip away to travel to a new country. Now that she has gone on her last journey she will be sorely missed by all in the Digital History team.

23/02/2026

Dear Factory Friends,

If you came to the Parramatta Female Factory last Friday for the General Meeting or saw Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald, you will know the news I am about to share. The Parramatta Female Factory did not receive a stand-alone World Heritage Status. It didn't make the final assessment. It is no understatement to say the Committee, many members and the community are gutted by the news. The government have shared their commitment, and we need to hold them to it:

The Labour Government put Parramatta’s Female Factory forward for World Heritage Listing because it is one of the most important historical sites in Australia. “Irrespective of the outcome of the UNESCO process, we are determined to protect the Female Factory for future generations.” (Andrew Charlton).

https://www.parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/eMEDIA-RELEASE-UNESCO-WH-SUBMISSION.pdf

This open letter encapsulates our feelings about the news. After the letter, is what our first step is going to be, and we ask each of you to contact your local politicians, State and Federal Heritage Ministers and make the 5-point demand as well. Email them, visit them, share with your networks. Also, Hon. Penny Sharpe MLC, Andrew Charlton MP, and Donna Davis MP have been exceptionally helpful, so write to them as well to help give them evidence they can use in the continued fight.

Let's walk together - like the Female Factory women!!!

Much of the community is gutted by the UNESCO rejection of the Parramatta Female Factory for World Heritage. This is after 15 years of advocating for it with support from amazing Australians like Jack and Judy Mundey and Tom and Meg Keneally, 20,000+ petitions from all over Australia and internationally, as well as significant state and government support.

The reason we believe is that its assessment focus was on the institutional care of the submission, not the 1000s of women who went through or the 5 fights for rights by hundreds of women against military, police and the system, including the first women's workers action.

We are pleading that the state and federal government continue the good work, listen to the women's voices through history and our voices now. Submit an extension of the 11 world heritage sites to 12, as was done for the Tasmanian Wilderness. Make it a museum with management by museum experts with appropriate funding.

Why is this highly significant women's site not given the same ongoing care and funding? Surely this site is of no less value, historically or as part of our Australian identity !!!!!!!!

The Parramatta Female Factory Friends have fought for this place. We submitted a successful National Heritage Listing because we believed it was worthy, just as we believe in the world heritage value. Let's all walk together and honour women, past and present, make this place and its stories accessible to all Australians, not lost again!!!!

What we are asking and what you can include in any communication with others is:

Given the current status of the site and its vulnerability at this point, we call on the Federal Government and the NSW State Government to immediately:

1. Reinvigorate the World Heritage Process by submitting an application to extend the current 11 Convict Sites on the UNESCO listing to include the Parramatta Female Factory national listing. There are a number of precedents, including the recent Tasmanian Wilderness addition.

2. Provide a single transparent governance model for the precinct that will prevent fractured decision-making and project-by-project erosion of heritage values and inappropriate re-purposing. It needs to have a historic site and museum specialisation as seen with Museums of History NSW and Cockatoo Island

3. Give appropriate custodial care through resourcing - a dedicated, multi-year funding envelope for management, conservation works, interpretation design, research access, survivor-informed engagement and high-quality visitor and education infrastructure, including a management structure and incumbents with specific museum and historic built heritage expertise.

4. A museum that honours and shares this foundational history and its potency as a part of our Australian identity.

5. A commitment that any rezoning or major development proposals that have an impact on this National Listing proceed only with World Heritage-grade heritage impact standards and genuine community consultation and well-defined limitations for developers that respect our past and future.

Attached is our press release. You can also use elements of that to state the case of what we want. Your individual responses is more effective than a form letter. Brief and succinct is the best... each communication will help!

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/housing-v-heritage-un-knocks-back-bid-for-historic-parramatta-precinct-20260220-p5o3zj.html

We will continue to do what we can to protect this amazing site and ensure its existence and access into the future, so our future Australians can connect with this place and history.

Warmest Regards,
Gay Hendriksen
President, Research Coordinator
Parramatta Female Factory Friends
Gateway to the Past and Present for all Australians
0447 189 137

23/02/2026

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY OBSERVANCE

Friday 6th March 2026
9.30am PFFF Rooms Open
10am Research Rooms open
10am Guest Speaker: Kerima-Gae Topp, Topic: Australian Women of Note
11.15am Morning Tea - Matron Gordon’s Tea-Room
12pm Site Tours including the 3rd Class Sleeping Quarters & Penitentiary c1823
Cost: (Talk $5, Morning Tea $5; Tours $10)

BOOKINGS at EVENTBRITE: https://bit.ly/4b4EWTF

TALK: ‘Women of Note’
Our Australian bank notes are graced with some very ‘note-worthy’ women but how much do you know about the important role each has played in our country’s history to deserve the honour to feature on our notes?

Today our bank notes feature a woman on each, but this was not so on of our earlier notes, so when did it change?

Kerima-Gae’s research has discovered some amazing facts about these women, some of which were totally unexpected.

Thus, this presentation should leave you with a new appreciation of our wonderful ‘Women of Note’.