Convict lives

Convict Lives tells the stories of 33 fascinating women. Cascades Female Factory in Van Diemen's Land opened in 1828 and closed as a gaol in 1877. Female convicts, and some locally convicted women, were sent there for punishment, to be assigned or hired as servants, or to await confinement. In telling their stories, the authors provide historical context for the critical events in these women's lives. Discover how the assignment and probation systems operated for female convicts in Van Diemen's Land. Learn how society at the time viewed and treated women, especially those whose morality was compromised by crime.