Parramatta's neglected heritage - The Female Factory

[@FionaEm]

My 4 x great-grandmother was transported from England with her two children, and spent her early years in NSW at the Parramatta Female Factory - yet I'd never heard of the Factory until I became involved in tracing our family tree in recent years.

[@therowantreehc]

Great to see your focus on the Parramatta Female Factory. I have been researching and advocating for it for 10 years. Such an important site.

[@rustycompasstravel]

Thanks Gay. Looks like it's reaching a decisive time now. It will be appalling if the heritage issues don't take priority. But the signs aren't good. Developers seem have had a free run in Parramatta for decades.

[@Its_Shaun_the_Sheep]

Played cricket at the Female Factory! Beautiful place😊

[@sunflowerdog13]

Much appreciated Rusty. The St Johns Cemetery is also a highly significant repository of rare local indigenous Kangaroo Grass, not so much neglected, but being conserved (by default). It certainly needs specialist maintenance funding for hand weeding of exotic grasses, as the survival characteristic of Themeda-triandra contributes greatly to the cemetery's unique amenity and charm. Indigenous knowledge-based care needs to be increased for sure, even careful cultural-burn mosaic to present the full story in Parramatta's Priceless Cultural Landcape.

[@rustycompasstravel]

Thanks Simon.

[@tammiefoster-arundell1200]

My Great Grandmother Mary Browning spent 9 months in 1828 class 3. Apparently, she was a wild woman many years after arriving on the Friends as a Convict 1811

[@henrydavis9953]

Thanks for sharing

[@rustycompasstravel]

Thanks Henry

[@ucviet1]

Nice vlog....I also noticed that famous photo behind you of the soldier. I once read a story about him... Some journos set out to find out who he was and what happened to him.... Unfortunately without success... ( one person said basically that day was hectic beyond belief)

[@karenwilson6119]

Fabulous story. I wonder why there is so much opposition to putting both sites on the heritage list? I, like you, did not know of these sites until a decade ago.

[@rustycompasstravel]

Yeah - seems like a terrible wasted opportunity for Parramatta.

[@leslierogan176]

Karen the reason there is so much opposition is that the site is virtually unknown much of the public are obvious to the significants. Mental Health stigma might have frighten people away. Additional you have the added issue of City of Parramatta Population Demographics 46% being born overseas. You have the added issue - current essential infrastructure is not meeting the population needs - with new infrastructure being overwhelmed within a few years of completion. Yet the population is expected to double in 5-10yrs resultant increasing density - loss of private Green space - increasing burden on the limited Community Resourced Greenspace that each Local Council is suppossible to have which was evident re the state of Parramatta Park (Crownland belonging to the people) January 2019 sorry state NSW Government owned inadequate funding allocation to undertake maintenance! Not forgetting it is UNESCO Convict (United National Environment & of Social Significant site ).

[@kimgee4821]

There is also a very small cemetery on Church st and near Barney st or Pennant hills Rd. I use to walk to work there back in the 70’s. The government just knocks anything down in Parramatta regardless what residents say, just to put up those ugly high rises.

[@sydneysuz]

Hi Rusty there is also a huge community campaign for this site we actually developed an alternative proposal for a museum of nsw to go here. Can I contact you directly ?

[@rustycompasstravel]

Hi Suzette. For for sure. Would be great to be in touch. What's your organisation? Will send you a message.

[@margnoble4677]

Hi, l was in Parramatta girls home in 1971 an sent back in 1972, l came from a abusive home an kept running away, the horror that happened in that place nobody would ever believe, no doors on toilets no doors on showers an the physical abuse l still carry to this day

[@rustycompasstravel]

So sorry to hear of your experience Marg. Important for us to know.

[@trevorpowis3577]

Mark, chúc mừng năm mới Trev Powis Cohuna Victoria Australia

[@steveanhiron6764]

Mother in-law ( RIP ) was borne there . Unfortunately it is the cause of her children and grandchildren’s health and happiness .