An excursion to Cascades Female Factory Historic Site is an immersive learning experience. Our tours and workshops bring to life the stories of the women who spent time here and offer students opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of the female convict perspective.
Site entry (self-guided visit)
Cost: $5.50 per student
Explore the Cascades Female Factory with your students with support from our audio experience which provides an overview of the history of the site, as well as the stories of the women and children that spent time here.
Tours & Workshops
Dive deeper into the history of the Cascades Female Factory by including a tour and/or workshop as part of your visit. Each of our tours and workshops are 1 hour in duration.
1-hour program: Select one tour OR one workshop
2-hour program: Select one tour AND one workshop
Please note: The program prices listed below are charged in addition to site entry ($5.50 per student)
Tour: Convict Life at the Cascades Female Factory
Recommended level: Years 4 – 12
Cost: $4.50 per student (min. 15 students)
On this guided tour, discover what life was like for convicts at the Cascades Female Factory. From the rules and regulations of the site, daily life and living conditions, and the types of work convicts undertook, students will learn women’s stories of resilience.
Tour: Notorious Strumpets & Dangerous Girls
Recommended level: Years 7 – 12
Cost: $6.50 per student (min. 15 students)
Explore the stories of seven convict women who demonstrated remarkable resilience on this guided tour of the Cascades Female Factory. Described as ‘notorious strumpets’, students will understand that there was more to these women than society at the time would have us believe.
Workshop: Mary Derrick’s Story
Recommended level: Years 1 – 4
Cost: $4.50 per student (min. 15 students)
Learn about transportation, convict history, and what life was like in the past through the story of Mary Derrick – a young woman who spent time at the Cascades Female Factory. Students will experience doing laundry by hand and find out what convicts wore, and reflect on how life has changed over time.
Maximum 30 students per session.
Workshop: Explore and Discover Historical Sources
Recommended level: Years 4 – 12
Cost: $5.50 per student (min. 15 students)
Discover the range of sources that historians and archaeologists have used to understand and interpret the Cascades Female Factory. Students will explore convict records and artefacts recovered from the site, and learn how these can be used together to tell the stories of the women who spent time here.
Maximum 30 students per session.