Discover Their Stories. Walk Through Australia’s History.
Step inside one of Australia’s most remarkable historic places and discover the extraordinary stories of the women and children who lived, worked and endured life at the Parramatta Female Factory.
Join one of our knowledgeable volunteer guides on a fascinating journey through the surviving sandstone buildings and grounds of this National Heritage-listed site.
Discover stories of courage, hardship, determination, rebellion and survival, and learn how thousands of female convicts helped shape the Australian nation.
Whether you are a visitor to Sydney, a descendant researching your family history or someone interested in Australia’s past, our guided walking tours offer an engaging, informative and memorable experience.
Tour duration: Approximately 90 minutes
Standard price: $20 per person
Location: 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta NSW 2151
Bookings: Essential for every tour
Important — All Tours Must Be Booked in Advance
Our tour guides are trained volunteers who generously give their time to share the stories of the Parramatta Female Factory.
As our guides are volunteers, all tours must be booked and confirmed in advance so we can arrange a guide for your visit and notify the site authorities.
We cannot guarantee a guide will be available for visitors who arrive without a booking, including on Fridays.
Please contact our Tour Coordinator before travelling to the site.
Email: contact@parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au
Telephone: 0456 787 252
What Will You Discover?
During your guided walking tour, you will explore the surviving buildings and landscape while learning about the people who lived and worked within the Factory.
Our guides bring history to life through fascinating accounts of:
- Convict women and their lives: Why women were transported to Australia and what happened when they arrived.
- Work and daily life: Spinning, weaving, laundry, sewing and the industries that helped support the colony.
- Mothers and children: Childbirth, the Lying-in Hospital, family separation and the orphan schools.
- Punishment and resistance: The three-class system, confinement, hard labour and the famous Female Factory riots.
- Heritage and architecture: Francis Greenway’s surviving buildings, the Third Class Penitentiary and the historic sandstone walls.
- Life after the Factory: The transition to the Parramatta Lunatic Asylum, later Cumberland Hospital, and the precinct’s continuing heritage significance.
Every tour provides opportunities to ask questions, hear individual women’s stories and better understand Australia’s colonial history.
Please note that access to some buildings and areas may be restricted because of conservation work or site requirements.
Choose Your Tour
Friday Tours — Individuals, Couples and Small Groups
Our Friday tours are ideal for individuals, couples, families and small groups of up to five people.
Visitors may be combined with other small bookings to enjoy a shared guided tour.
Tours are generally offered at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, subject to guide availability and prior confirmation.
Price: $20 per person.
Bookings are essential, even for one person.
Group Tours — Five or More Visitors
Planning an outing for your club, organisation, family or community group?
We welcome organised groups, including Probus clubs, seniors’ organisations, historical societies, family history groups and visitors from interstate or overseas.
Group tours are generally available Monday to Thursday, with other times considered by arrangement.
Larger groups can be divided among several volunteer guides to ensure everyone enjoys a quality experience.
Standard price: $20 per person.
Please enquire at least four weeks in advance for large groups.
School and University Tours
We offer specialised educational experiences for primary and secondary schools, home-school groups, universities and tertiary institutions.
Our Tour Coordinator can work with teachers, lecturers and group organisers to tailor the tour to curriculum outcomes, educational objectives and areas of special interest.
Programs can explore Australian colonial history, convict women, historical inquiry, heritage architecture, archaeology and the conservation of significant historic places.
Discover our School, University and Group Tours
Private and Bespoke Tours
Looking for a more personalised experience?
Our bespoke tours are designed around your interests and are particularly suitable for descendants, historians, researchers, writers, artists, photographers and professional groups.
Whether your interest is a particular convict woman, colonial architecture, family history or the heritage significance of the precinct, we can work with you to design an engaging experience.
Specialist tours generally last between two and four hours, with costs and arrangements confirmed when booking.
Weekend Tours
Private weekend tours may be arranged on Saturdays or Sundays, subject to volunteer availability and site access.
Weekend tour price: $50 per person, with a minimum of two participants.
Please contact the Tour Coordinator well in advance to discuss your preferred date.
How to Book Your Tour
Booking is simple.
Step 1 — Contact our Tour Coordinator
Email contact@parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au or telephone 0456 787 252.
Please tell us your name, contact number, preferred date and time, number of visitors and type of tour.
Step 2 — We Arrange Your Guide
Our Tour Coordinator will check the availability of our volunteer guides and confirm the arrangements for your visit.
Please allow at least one week’s notice wherever possible. Large groups, schools and specialised tours should enquire at least four weeks in advance.
Step 3 — Receive Your Booking Confirmation
Once your tour is arranged, you will receive a booking confirmation number, meeting instructions and payment details.
Please do not make payment until your booking has been confirmed.
A booking enquiry alone does not reserve a place.
Where Do Tours Start?
All tours begin at the Parramatta Female Factory Bicentenary Commemorative Wall, 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta NSW 2151.
Please arrive at least five minutes before your confirmed starting time.
Important: The Female Factory entrance is at 5 Fleet Street, within the former Cumberland Hospital precinct. It is not at 1 Fleet Street.
Getting Here
By Light Rail: From Parramatta Railway Station, walk to the Parramatta Square light rail stop. Travel to Ngara and follow the footpath approximately 100 metres to the Female Factory.
By Car: There is no general visitor parking within the heritage precinct. Parking may be available in nearby streets and public car parks, subject to posted restrictions and availability.
By Coach: Organised groups should discuss passenger drop-off arrangements with the Tour Coordinator before travelling.
View Directions and Transport Information
Accessibility and Preparing for Your Visit
The Parramatta Female Factory is an authentic historic precinct with a variety of ground surfaces, including sections that may be uneven.
Our tours generally involve approximately 90 minutes of walking, standing and listening, with seating available at selected locations.
We recommend:
- Wearing comfortable, enclosed walking shoes.
- Bringing drinking water, a hat and sunscreen.
- Carrying an umbrella or rain jacket when appropriate.
- Advising us of accessibility or mobility requirements before booking.
Visitors using walking frames, wheelchairs and other mobility aids are welcome to contact us to discuss the tour route and possible adjustments.
Read Our Accessibility Information
Weather and Safety
Tours may proceed in light rain. However, tours may be postponed or cancelled in unsafe conditions, including severe weather, high winds or temperatures above 35°C.
If we cancel your tour, you may request a refund or arrange another suitable date.
Some tour content includes accounts of punishment, imprisonment, family separation and difficult historical experiences. Our guides present these subjects respectfully.
Supporting Australia’s Living History
Parramatta Female Factory Friends is a volunteer, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to researching, protecting and sharing the history of the Female Factory.
Our trained guides generously contribute their time and knowledge to ensure these important stories are not forgotten.
Your tour payment supports our heritage research, educational programs, conservation advocacy and efforts to preserve this nationally significant place for future generations.
Book Your Guided Walking Tour Today
Discover the extraordinary lives of the women whose stories helped shape Australia.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Parramatta Female Factory.
Tour enquiries: 0456 787 252
Email: contact@parramattafemalefactoryfriends.com.au
Address: 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta NSW 2151
Parramatta Female Factory Friends Inc.
Protecting the past. Researching the women. Sharing the stories.