Telling the stories of displacement, mistreatment and forced migration of convict women & children.

As the Cascades Female Factory physical site underwent major redevelopment to better highlight its historical importance, a new website was essential to reflect these upgrades and improve access for visitors and researchers worldwide. The new website needed to be a modern, engaging, and informative portal that captured the essence of the convict era and the stories of the women and children who were forced there. The result is a website that reflects this dark and poignant history, both honouring the legacy of the women whose lives were forever changed there, and setting the tone for the stories of resilience and survival.

With the new website now prominently showcasing the variety of tours, interpretive experiences and events that the site has to offer, it helps visitors plan their visit ahead of time to get the most out of the experience. Interactive features – virtual tours, detailed maps of the site, timelines of the factory’s history, and multimedia presentations of archival material – extends the site’s reach beyond its physical location, making it accessible to a global audience. Now catering to international visitors or those unable to visit in person, all features are designed to be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, ensuring compliance with the latest web accessibility standards.

Recognising the importance of the Cascades Female Factory to descendants and historians, the website includes dedicated sections for family history research. Users can access a wealth of resources and archival materials that aid in genealogical research, making the site a valuable tool for those tracing lineage back to former inmates. The dual functionality of the website – to both educate about and preserve history – is fundamental to its success.