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The Ross Female Factory, erected in 1833, is located in the town of Ross, Tasmania. It was initially built to house the convict chain gains employed on the Ross Bridge.
The Ross Female Factory is one of four female factories built in Tasmania. Between 1847 and 1854 it operated as a probation station for female convicts and their babies. The buildings were converted from a chain gang station and extended to include a chapel, dining rooms, hospital, nursery, solitary cells, dormitories and an outer courtyard. The women were taught how to sew, clean, cook, launder and care for their children.
The Ross Female Factory is a protected historic site today, managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service and the Tasmanian Wool Centre of Ross. Visit the Overseer’s Cottage and look at the display including a model of the Female Factory in 1851.
You will notice that there are few remains above ground, however, the Ross Female Factory is the most archaeologically intact female convict site in Australia. Take time to follow the Ross Heritage Trail which runs past the site.
Ross is about a one-hour drive from Launceston (78 km) south along the Midlands Highway.
We acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their enduring custodianship of lutruwita / Tasmania. We honour 40,000 years of uninterrupted care, protection and belonging to these islands, before the invasion and colonisation of European settlement. As a destination that welcomes visitors to these lands, we acknowledge our responsibility to represent to our visitors, Tasmania’s deep and complex history, fully, respectfully and truthfully.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal people who continue to care for this country today. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present. We honour their stories, songs, art, and culture, and their aspirations for the future of their people and these lands. We respectfully ask that tourism be a part of that future.
Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre
16-20 Davey St, Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6238 4222
bookings@hobarttravelcentre.com.au
hobarttravelcentre.com.au