Cascades Female Factory: Convict Women's History

Discover the captivating history of the Cascades Female Factory, a World Heritage-listed site in Tasmania. Explore the stories of convict women and the impact of British colonization on the First Nations culture.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cascades Female Factory Historic Site - The World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory tells the story of the dispossession, mistreatment and forced migration of Australian convict women and girls, and their contribution to colonisation throughout the history of colonial Australia to the present day.
What's Included
  • Tours, as selected in options
  • Self-guided audio experience
  • Access to the World Heritage Site and gallery
Additional Information

The Cascades Female Factory is a historic site recognized as a World Heritage location, highlighting the narrative of the displacement, mistreatment, and forced migration of convict women and girls, as well as their significant contributions to Australia’s history from colonization to the present. Interwoven are the stories of the Palawa, the First…

Location
Cascades Female Factory Historic Site
16 Degraves St, South Hobart
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(95 Ratings)
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Katrina_m
Sep 28, 2025
Such an eye opener! - Such an eye opener! How the ladies managed to survive under these conditions is beyond belief. To be thrown in to these conditions for the “crimes” committed is incredibly sad. We would highly recommend visiting. The staff are very knowledgeable and present a great tour.
Review provided by Viator
Emily565
Sep 15, 2025
Interesting historic site - Excellent tour guides on site. Very informative & gave us a real insight into the history of female convicts. Loved hearing the stories. Definitely recommend a visit if you’re in Hobart.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passenger78046
Sep 8, 2025
Beautifully moving visit to harsh realities of history - Moving and eye-opening, especially after visiting Hobart Penitentiary the day before. The museum offers a really fascinating optional audio tour (free), so you can go at your own pace and control how much of the grim and painful information you take in as you walk around experiencing the layout of the site. As a bonus, the views around the site are quite beautiful -- soothing for the soul as you're learning about the harshest injustices of incarceration and poverty, and the even sharper toll those take on women, who often had even fewer options available to them than men. Strongly recommended for those interested in the history of the era in general and in the history of transportation sentences in particular, though not for children or the faint of heart.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan
Sep 7, 2025
Sad, Distressing, Yet So Important - This was a moving and confronting experience. Although very little of the original prison remains, the site has been carefully preserved and thoughtfully presented. The staff were welcoming, and the gift shop was lovely. The improvements since 2020 are impressive, with a professional layout offering both self-guided audio tours and guided tours. We chose the guided option, and while it was extremely well delivered, the raw and graphic details were confronting—at times it felt like stepping into a page of Holocaust history. It was distressing and very sad, but also incredibly important to see and reflect upon. A powerful, worthwhile visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alicebv9931lo
Sep 5, 2025
Worth the visit. - An interesting and thoughtful historical site. Great tour of about half an hour and engaging. I particularly loved the Raja Quilt recreation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juiko
Aug 18, 2025
A thought provoking and haunting experience - I went on a Monday afternoon. The site stretched wide at the foothills of Mt Wellington, just beyond the edges of town. It was quiet, almost too quiet. Marcelle, the guide, spoke with a voice that carried centuries of sorrow—her stories of injustice and hardship still linger, whispering through my mind long after her words have faded. She breathed life into three women’s stories, yet I am left haunted by the silence of the thousands more whose voices I will never hear. I wander alone through the Matron’s quarters—a humble, pre-foundation cottage, one of the last original buildings of the Female Factory. The rooms are bare, their emptiness pressing in on me. On one wall, scraps of wallpaper from different eras peel back like fragile layers of memory. I stand in the stillness, imagining all these walls have witnessed: punishment, endurance, despair. Once a place of relentless labour on the farthest edge of the world, it withstood wars and upheavals, and now it remains—quiet, unassuming, but heavy with secrets. It stands as a reminder, not of triumph, but of truths our society once preferred to bury. The past breathes here, restless, asking not to be forgotten.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Francescar1986
Jul 26, 2025
Not to be missed - I recommend visiting this site, within the circuit of prisons recognized as a UNESCO heritage site, unique for the fact that it was a women's structure. The visit includes a very complete audio guide and the possibility to participate in a free guided tour. The visit was touching, poignant and absolutely engaging.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stay15797949996
Jul 7, 2025
Mark's just excellent! Condemned tour. - Mark was excellent! I was really intrigued about the site and excited to learn more about some of the main women on trial. Mark was incredibly welcoming, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and he orchestrated the tour with lots of character and suspense. I really enjoyed the tour and couldn't recommend enough! I left feeling really humbled and reflective - thank you Mark and team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
509waynem
Jun 3, 2025
Great History - Incredible history in Hobart. The site of the former convict factory/prison is vital for those interested in Australian history. You can take a guided tour and we are glad we did. Mark was so informative and we learned a lot about Australia's convict history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thetunafiles
May 27, 2025
Excellent tour - Provides the history of the female convicts sent to Tasmania. The tour is worth doing and the guide was very informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $23
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).