Visiting Cascades Female Factory

About Cascades Female Factory

This former prison for convict women, operating from 1828, is one of the eleven sites of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing. Little of the original structure survives, so guided tours and the dramatised 'Her Story' performance bring the lives of the women and their children to life.

Tip: Book the guided tour or performance rather than wandering alone; the empty yards make much more sense with the stories.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 1 hour.
• Cost: Low cost.
• Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
• Where: South Hobart, mountain-foot village of the Cascade Brewery and the Hobart Rivulet track.

Best time to visit Cascades Female Factory

To avoid the biggest crowds, aim for the quietest of the good months:

• May: 15°C (59°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• March: 20°C (68°F) highs, about 8 rainy days, moderate crowds.
• April: 17°C (63°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds.

When to visit Hobart has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Cascades Female Factory is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen MONA – Museum of Old and New Art and Salamanca Market.

• No. 10 of the 16 sights in our Hobart things-to-do list.
• Day 5 of the 5-day plan.
• One of the picks in historic sites in Hobart.

Near Cascades Female Factory

Also in South Hobart, so you can walk between them:

• Cascade Brewery — 1.5 hours, mid-priced
• Hobart Rivulet Track — 1.5 hours return, free

If you like Cascades Female Factory

• Salamanca Place — Salamanca, 1 hour
• Shot Tower, Taroona — Taroona, 45 minutes

Staying near Cascades Female Factory

Stay in South Hobart ($$) to walk here: mountain-foot village of the Cascade Brewery and the Hobart Rivulet track. All areas to stay in Hobart.

Questions travellers ask