Parramatta Female Factory

Last updated

Parramatta Female Factory
Parramatta Female Factory.jpg
Female penitentiary or factory, Parramata, watercolour; 15.9 x 25.7 cm.
Parramatta Female Factory
Location5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates 33°48′03″S151°00′00″E / 33.8009°S 151.0°E / -33.8009; 151.0
Status Register of the National Estate
Security classFormer female factory
Capacity7,500
Opened1821
Closed1848
Managed byNSW Planning, Infrastructure and Environment
Website https://www.parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au

The Parramatta Female Factory, is a National Heritage Listed place and has three original sandstone buildings and the sandstone gaol walls. The Parramatta Female Factory was designed by convict architect Francis Greenway in 1818 and the only female building authorized by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. It comprises the 1821 Matron's Quarters and Administration and Stores Building, the 1821 Female Hospital and the 1826 3rd Class Female Penitentiary. It is the first female factory in the penal colony of New South Wales, and is located at 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. It was one of 13 female factories in the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. In New South Wales, female factories were also established in Bathurst, Newcastle, Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay (2 factories). The factory idea was a combination of the functions of the British bridewells, prisons and workhouses. The Parramatta Female Factory is being considered for World Heritage listing.

Contents

History

The first female factory was above the Parramatta Gaol, in what is now Prince Alfred Square [1] (formerly known as Gaol Green and Hanging Green). This two storey building was commissioned by Governor King and the convict women moved in 1804. Within a decade there was considerable pressure on the authorities to deal with increasing numbers of female convicts who could not be adequately accommodated at the factory. There were over 200 women and children in a place that could only house 30 at night.

The factory was the destination for many of the convict women sent as prisoners to the colony of NSW. Over 9,000 names have been recorded as passing through the factories, of which an estimated 5,000 went through Parramatta. [2]

With the arrival of Governor Lachlan Macquarie a solution was acted on. Macquarie selected a 4-acre (16,000 m2) portion of William Bligh's 105 acre grant further upstream on the Parramatta River to build a new factory and issued instructions to convict architect Francis Greenway to design a building that would accommodate 250 women. This was the first purpose-built female factory in the Colony and a model for the others.

The first stone was laid by Governor Macquarie in 1818 and the women were transferred from the old factory in 1821. [3] The factory was built using convict labour from locally quarried sandstone and was completed in 1821 [4] at the cost of £4,778. The walls of the main building ranged from 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 m) at the foundation to 20 inches (510 mm) at the apex of its three storeys. It had an oak shingled roof, floors of 6 inches (150 mm) paving or stringbark with barred leadlight windows in the basement and lead glazed windows on the upper floors. The first floor was used for meals with the top two floors for sleeping and other activities. The porter, deputy superintendent, superintendent and matron were provided with separate accommodation on the site.

The Parramatta Female Factory was multi-purpose. It was a place of assignment, a hospital, a marriage bureau, a factory, an asylum and a prison for those who committed a crime in the Colony. The reason it is called a factory is because it manufactured cloth - linen, wool and linsey woolsey. It was also the site of the colony's first manufactured export producing 60,000 yards (55,000 m) of woven cloth in 1822.The women also did spinning, knitting, straw plaiting, washing, cleaning duties and if in third class, rock breaking and oakum picking. [5]

In October 1827, the factory was the site of women rioting as a response to a cut in rations and their poor conditions. The matron, Mrs Raine, had resigned and she had to be rescued. Ann Gordon began her work as the factory's new matron and superintendent with her first task being to negotiate with the women who had escaped from the building. She was able to persuade them to return, but the disputed ration of bread and sugar remained. In less than an hour over 100 women escaped en masse and proceeded into the town where 40 soldiers and the threat of guns brought them back. They returned with a plunder of foodstuffs and when the ringleaders were confined, they released them. [6] This was the first of the riots. Other riots at the factory occurred in 1831,1833, 1836 and 1843. [7]

Gordon had been appointed by the Governor, Ralph Darling. He had complained previously that there was no one available to take the role but he had offered the position to Gordon at £150 per annum (£50 less per year than her predecessor). Ann, her husband Robert, and their children, were given quarters. [8] Darling was supportive of Gordon as she endeavoured to introduce smooth management into the factory. She had several assistant matrons and four other staff including a constable who was the gatekeeper but they were not always co-operative. By 1835 she had added to the staff various trusted women convicts who served as midwife and overseers. [8]

In 1836 Gordon was dismissed, although the governor,Richard Bourke said there was no wrong doing, and she received a years salary in compensation. Discipline has deteriated and there were rumours of impropriatary. He told his superiors and he had introduced order and the factory was a prison. [8] Gordon was replaced by Sarah and Thomas Bell who were the matron and the keeper. [9]

By 1842 the factory accommodated 1,203 women as well as children. With the end of convict transportation to the colony, in 1848 the site was reassigned as a Convict Lunatic and Invalid Asylum.

Current use

The Parramatta Female Factory is now the earliest surviving female factory in Australia. The site is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register and is inscribed on the Australian National Heritage List on 17 November 2017. [10] [11] [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta</span> City in New South Wales, Australia

Parramatta is a major suburb and commercial district in Greater Western Sydney, located approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of the Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is often regarded as the secondary central business district in metropolitan Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachlan Macquarie</span> Scottish British army officer and colonial administrator (1762–1824)

Major General Lachlan Macquarie, CB was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821, and had a leading role in the social, economic, and architectural development of the colony. He is considered by historians to have had a crucial influence on the transition of New South Wales from a penal colony to a free settlement and therefore to have played a major role in the shaping of Australian society in the early nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macquarie Place Park</span> Heritage-listed park in Sydney, Australia

The Macquarie Place Park, also known as the Macquarie Place Precinct, is a heritage-listed small triangular urban park located in the Sydney central business district in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The former town square and milestone and now memorial, public park and monument is situated on the corner of Bridge Street and Loftus Street. It is named in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The precinct includes The Obelisk or Macquarie Obelisk, the Sirius anchor and gun/cannon, the Statue of Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, the historic Underground Public Conveniences and the Christie Wright Memorial Fountain. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Greenway</span> Architect

Francis Howard Greenway was an English-born architect who was transported to Australia as a convict for the alleged crime of forgery. He became known as the ‘forefather of Australian architecture’, and is the only ever convict in the world to have his face on a bank note. In New South Wales he worked for the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, as Australia's first government architect. He became widely known and admired for his work displayed in buildings such as St Matthew's Church, St James' Church and Hyde Park Barracks.

D'Arcy Wentworth was an Irish-Australian surgeon and the first paying passenger to arrive in the new colony of New South Wales. He served under the first seven governors of the Colony, and from 1810 to 1821, he was "great assistant" to Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Wentworth led a campaign for the rights and recognition of emancipists and for trial by jury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta Correctional Centre</span> Building

The Parramatta Correctional Centre is a heritage-listed former medium security prison for males on the corner of O'Connell and Dunlop Streets, North Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was in operation between 1798 and 2011. The centre was initially called Parramatta Gaol until its name was changed to Parramatta Correctional Centre in 1992. When in operation, the centre was managed by Corrective Services NSW, an agency of the Department of Communities and Justice of the Government of New South Wales. Immediately prior to its closure, the centre detained short term sentenced and remand inmates, operated as a transient centre, and was the periodic detention centre for metropolitan Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney</span> Heritage-listed building in Sydney, Australia

The Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney is a heritage-listed former barracks, hospital, convict accommodation, mint and courthouse and now museum and café located at Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Originally constructed between 1817 and 1819 as a brick building and compound to house convict men and boys, it was designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. It is also known as the Mint Building and Hyde Park Barracks Group and Rum Hospital; Royal Mint – Sydney Branch; Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary; Queen's Square Courts; Queen's Square. The site is managed by the Museums of History New South Wales, an agency of the Government of New South Wales, as a living history museum open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lennox Bridge, Parramatta</span> Heritage-listed bridge in Sydney, Australia

The Lennox Bridge is a heritage-listed sandstone single arch bridge across the Parramatta River, located in Parramatta in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge was designed by and built under the supervision of David Lennox, the first Colonial Superintendent of Bridges using convict labour between 1836 and 1839. The Lennox Bridge is the third oldest surviving masonry bridge in New South Wales. The bridge carries Church Street, the main north-south street of Parramatta's central business district. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

The following lists events that happened during 1821 in Australia.

Female factories were based on British bridewells, prisons and workhouses. They were for women convicts transported to the penal colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Government House, Parramatta</span> Mansion in New South Wales, Australia

The Old Government House is a heritage-listed former "country" residence used by ten early governors of New South Wales between 1800 and 1847, located in Parramatta Park in Parramatta, New South Wales, in the greater metropolitan area of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is considered a property of national and international significance as an archaeological resource. It also serves to demonstrate how the British Empire expanded and Australian society has evolved since 1788.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Cathedral, Parramatta</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

St John's Cathedral is a heritage-listed, Anglican cathedral in Parramatta, City of Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. St John's was given the status of provisional cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney in 1969, and designated a Regional Cathedral in 2011 for the Western Region. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Farm Women's Prison and Factory Site</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Eagle Farm Women's Prison and Factory Site is a heritage-listed archaeological site at 116 Lamington Avenue, Eagle Farm, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It operated between 1829 and 1839 as part of the Moreton Bay penal settlement. It is on the site now part of the Australia TradeCoast, previously the Eagle Farm Airport. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Alfred Square</span> Reserve in Parramatta LGA, New South Wales, Australia

Prince Alfred Square is a 1.5-hectare (3.7-acre) park on the northern side of the Parramatta River in the central business district of Parramatta. It is one of the oldest public parks in New South Wales and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. St Patrick's Cathedral is located directly opposite the square to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Cemetery, Parramatta</span> Cemetery in New South Wales, Australia

St John's Cemetery, Parramatta, also known as St John's Anglican Cemetery, Saint John's Cemetery, and First Fleet Cemetery, is a heritage-listed cemetery at 1 O'Connell Street, Parramatta, City of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

The Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct is a heritage-listed conservation site in Parramatta, in the City of Parramatta local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The site was used as the historically significant Parramatta Female Factory from 1821 to 1848. After its closure, the main factory buildings became the basis for the Parramatta Lunatic Asylum, while another section of the site was used for a series of other significant institutions: the Roman Catholic Orphan School (1841–1886), the Parramatta Girls Home (1887–1974), the "Kamballa" and "Taldree" welfare institutions (1974–1980), and the Norma Parker Centre (1980–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Luke's Anglican Church, Liverpool</span> Heritage-listed church in Sydney, Australia

St Luke's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church at Elizabeth Drive, Liverpool, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Francis Greenway and built from 1818 to 1820. The property is owned by the Anglican Parish of Liverpool and is the oldest still existing Anglican church in Australia. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle Government House</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Newcastle Government House is a heritage-listed former military post and official residence and now park and psychiatric hospital at 72 Watt Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Newcastle Government House and Domain, Newcastle Military Barracks & Hospital, Newcastle Industrial School for Girls, Reformatory for Girls, Lunatic Asylum for Imbeciles, James Fletcher Hospital and Fletcher Park. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 March 2011.

Parramatta Archaeological Site is a heritage-listed urban facility at 45 Macquarie Street, Parramatta, City of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Archaeological Site and Associated Artefacts and V by Crown; 45 Macquarie Street; Wheatsheaf Hotel & Convict Hut Archaeological Site; Foundry/Blacksmithy; Industrial Archaeological Site. The property is privately owned. The site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Gordon (superintendent)</span> British born Australian factory superintendent

Ann Gordon born Ann King was a British born Australian female factory superintendent at the Parramatta Female Factory in the Colony of New South Wales. She ran the factory, nicknamed "Gordons’ Villa", for women convicts, from a riot in 1827, until she was dismissed in 1836.

References

  1. ↑ Geographical Names Board of NSW -http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/place_naming/placename_search/extract?id=ujjtBKrXMn
  2. ↑ "Convict Female Factories". Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Convict Female Factories". Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Government and General Orders". The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 27 January 1821. p. 1.
  5. ↑ "Convict Female Factories". Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "RIOT AT THE FEMALE FACTORY". Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 31 October 1827. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Parramatta Female Factory". Parragirls. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Weatherburn, Hilary, "Ann Gordon (1795–1868)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 20 October 2023
  9. ↑ "Parramatta Female Factory". Parragirls. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Cumberland District Hospital Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment . Retrieved 6 May 2012. CC BY icon.svg Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
  11. ↑ "Cumberland Hospital Heritage Precinct". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment . Retrieved 12 October 2017. CC BY icon.svg Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
  12. ↑ National Heritage List. "Parramatta Female Factory and Institutions Precinct". Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

Further reading

Archival holdings

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.