Institutions for the insane?
Australian History
- Thread starter the duck
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Don't go to early with the hints. We like to work a little for the answers.
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Cheers
Rod
Part of the fun is the hunt
Cheers
Rod
TheSilentBugler
Tim
Poorhouses
Workhouses?
By memory the protest was in Tasmania, and girls in the female factory protested against the boring sermon delivered by the pious Reverend Bedford by exposing themselves:
"the notorious bottom slapping flash mob which confronted Reverend William Bedford during one of his visits. As a contemporary observer remembered the occasion, the three hundred women inmates of the Female Factory, growing bored of Reverend Bedfords sermon, and the bland speeches of Governor Sir John Franklin and Lady Franklin before him, turned right around and at one impulse pulled up their clothes showing their naked posteriors which they simultaneously smacked with their hands making a not very musical noise.
SO the institutions were the Female Factories?
"the notorious bottom slapping flash mob which confronted Reverend William Bedford during one of his visits. As a contemporary observer remembered the occasion, the three hundred women inmates of the Female Factory, growing bored of Reverend Bedfords sermon, and the bland speeches of Governor Sir John Franklin and Lady Franklin before him, turned right around and at one impulse pulled up their clothes showing their naked posteriors which they simultaneously smacked with their hands making a not very musical noise.
SO the institutions were the Female Factories?
A bit more on it
Considering what they endured, it is understandable that Convict women didn't always appreciate being judged as having loose morals. At the Cascades Female Factory in 1838, the moralising became too much for the women and they decided to make a point. The governor of Van Diemens Land visited the factory and attended a service in the chapel. Entertaining the governor was the Reverend William Bedford; a morals campaigner whose hypocrisy had elicited the lady's scorn. Keen to impress the governor with a fine speech, the Bedford addressed the women from an elevated dais, then 300 women turned around and mooned him.
Considering what they endured, it is understandable that Convict women didn't always appreciate being judged as having loose morals. At the Cascades Female Factory in 1838, the moralising became too much for the women and they decided to make a point. The governor of Van Diemens Land visited the factory and attended a service in the chapel. Entertaining the governor was the Reverend William Bedford; a morals campaigner whose hypocrisy had elicited the lady's scorn. Keen to impress the governor with a fine speech, the Bedford addressed the women from an elevated dais, then 300 women turned around and mooned him.
Bugger. I read about the female factories but didn't try that as an answer. Seemed to be mostly in Tassie?
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You're right dr duck, female factories.
An estimated 9000 women were in the 13 factories spanning over about 50 odd years. The factories were located in Parramatta (2), Bathurst, Newcastle, Port Macquarie (2), Moreton Bay (2), Hobart Town, Georgetown, Cascades, Launceston and Ross.
Women were sent there for committing minor crimes in their native countries, and a good chunk of them were from Ireland. They were sent to these factories immediately upon their arrival in Australia if they were awaiting assignment, awaiting childbirth/weaning children or undergoing punishment.
Most of the women were married or hired as servants off shortly after arrival, those who wernt were sent to the factories. From what I read it sounded a bit like a cattle auction.
The women who were there worked weaving, making clothes etc, which is why they were called 'factories'. In fact the paramatta female factory apparently produced the first colony's export in the form of woven materials.
Conditions were harsh and often overcrowded. The paramatta one was designed to hold about 300 women but at one point there were well in excess of a 1000 women and children. Punishment for misbehaviour included having their heads shaved, solitary confinement, hard labour (including stone breaking) and being fed only bread and water for up to 21 days. The Women were often punished for what we could consider minor infringements today such as being considered to have loose morals.
I only found out about these places myself last night when trying to figure out a history trivia question. It's an interesting read
Some more info on them for anyone who is interested:
http://www.parragirls.org.au/female-factory.php
http://www.hastings.nsw.gov.au/reso...rt_Macquarie_Districts_historical_soceity.pdf
An estimated 9000 women were in the 13 factories spanning over about 50 odd years. The factories were located in Parramatta (2), Bathurst, Newcastle, Port Macquarie (2), Moreton Bay (2), Hobart Town, Georgetown, Cascades, Launceston and Ross.
Women were sent there for committing minor crimes in their native countries, and a good chunk of them were from Ireland. They were sent to these factories immediately upon their arrival in Australia if they were awaiting assignment, awaiting childbirth/weaning children or undergoing punishment.
Most of the women were married or hired as servants off shortly after arrival, those who wernt were sent to the factories. From what I read it sounded a bit like a cattle auction.
The women who were there worked weaving, making clothes etc, which is why they were called 'factories'. In fact the paramatta female factory apparently produced the first colony's export in the form of woven materials.
Conditions were harsh and often overcrowded. The paramatta one was designed to hold about 300 women but at one point there were well in excess of a 1000 women and children. Punishment for misbehaviour included having their heads shaved, solitary confinement, hard labour (including stone breaking) and being fed only bread and water for up to 21 days. The Women were often punished for what we could consider minor infringements today such as being considered to have loose morals.
I only found out about these places myself last night when trying to figure out a history trivia question. It's an interesting read
Some more info on them for anyone who is interested:
http://www.parragirls.org.au/female-factory.php
http://www.hastings.nsw.gov.au/reso...rt_Macquarie_Districts_historical_soceity.pdf
I remembered the story about the protest from hearing about it on a Radio National documentary a few years ago, but for some reason it just came to me after thinking about the clue for a while.
New question:
Who did not need a towel?
New question:
Who did not need a towel?
Know that one ... Billy Hughes!
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Hahah yep!
For those who don't know much about him: http://billyhughes.moadoph.gov.au/about_billy_hughes/
You got the floor duck.
For those who don't know much about him: http://billyhughes.moadoph.gov.au/about_billy_hughes/
You got the floor duck.
Haven't checked this for google resistance, but here goes:
What was Australia the third country to achieve?
What was Australia the third country to achieve?
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