Hobart Town George Town Cascades Launceston Ross Inquiry into Prison Discipline Task Work The End of Factories Magistrates Classes of Offences in Magistrates' Courts Newspaper Articles

Five female factories operated in Van Diemen's Land during the period of transportation, housing female convicts who were: awaiting assignment; awaiting childbirth or weaning; or undergoing punishment. These factories were located at Hobart Town, George Town,  Cascades (Hobart), Launceston and Ross.  They were called factories because the women were expected to work whilst housed there. Towards the end of the convict period, some female convicts were also housed on the hulk Anson moored in Prince of Wales Bay near New Town (Hobart).  However, this was a probation station, not a factory. Many non-prisoners were employed at the female factories.  A list of female factory employees is being compiled.

Inquiry into Female Prison Discipline

In 1841, an inquiry into female prison discipline was established. This inquiry is held at the Archives Office of Tasmania, reference CSO 22/50 No.208 pp.55–428. Provided here is a breakdown of what is contained in each section of the report. (Note: CSO 22/50 also contains the report of an inquiry into the Hospital and Nursery at Cascades Female Factory—No.169 pp.1–54).

Task Work

In 1849, Task Work was introduced in the female factories. Convicts were expected to perform a certain amount of work each day. If they did extra work, they were credited with time off their sentence. The Task Work system is outlined in Work of Female Convicts (ML Tas Papers 187 CY 1927).

The task work the convicts undertook included needlework, washing, barrack duties and general work, which included carding and picking.

The End of the Factories

After the end of the transportation in 1853, administration and funding of the houses of correction in Van Diemen's Land, including the female factories, were transferred from the British Government (via the Comptroller General's Department) to the local authorities (via the Sheriff's Office).  This marked the end of the female factories as institutions in that form — Ross in 1854, Launceston in 1855 and Cascades in 1856  (Hobart Town and George Town had already closed).  These institutions either closed altogether (Ross) or became gaols (Cascades and Launceston). 

During both periods, as female factories and gaols, they were known as houses of correction.  To further complicate matters, after the factories had become gaols they were still referred to, at times, in both the press and official documents, as factories.  Furthermore, other institutions, such as Brickfields and Campbell St Gaol, were also, at times, referred to as houses of correction.  Brickfields was also known as a branch factory.

Magistrates

When convicts were charged with offences—usually offences against convict discipline by their employers—they were written on their conduct records, along with the sentence.  At the end of the entry the magistrate's initials were often written in brackets.  A list of some of these magistrate's initials is provided here—this list is by no means complete, but is a work in progress.  If you have any to add, please contact us.