An important part of Australian and local history could soon be recognised alongside the iconic Sydney Opera House on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The State and Federal Government has officially added the infamous Parramatta Female Factory to Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, bringing the site one step closer to receiving the prestigious honour.
Australia’s first purpose-built institution for convict women, the Parramatta Female Factory was once home to tens of thousands of female convicts, orphaned children, vulnerable girls and young women.
Also added to the tentative list is the Institutions Precinct, which was established in the 1820s and includes a former mental asylum, orphan school and an Industrial School that only closed in 2008.
The precinct has been on the Australian National Heritage List since 2018 and is recognised for its outstanding heritage value to the nation as a place that demonstrates Australia’s social welfare history.
Making the announcement at the Parramatta Female Factory, Federal Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek said it’s important to remember all of our history, even the dark and difficult parts.
“The Parramatta Female Factory was a brutal place, particularly for the poor, the lonely, and the powerless,” she said.
“There’s a thread that runs through these buildings. It’s the way we’ve sought to institutionalise, control, and discipline young women.
“We want the memory of these women and girls to live on. Which is why we are adding the Parramatta Female Factory to Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List.”
Tentative listing is the first step in the World Heritage nomination process. Sites must undergo a rigorous assessment process and meet at least one of 10 selection criteria to be included on the list by the World Heritage Committee.
Federal Member for Parramatta Andrew Charlton said this milestone has been the product of more than a decade of hard work by local community advocates.
“As the second European settlement in the country, Parramatta’s history is the history of Australia,” he added.
“Just a stone’s throw from Parramatta’s CBD, the Parramatta Female Factory is a remarkable cultural and heritage asset that must be protected and preserved for future generations.
“The Parramatta Female Factory holds a special place in the hearts of the local community. This achievement brings us one step closer to UNESCO World Heritage listing for this unique piece of Australian history.”
Thanking those who have campaigned for the listing of the site, NSW Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe added it’s crucial that sites such like the Parramatta Female Factory are recognised as the important places that they are.
“This site is home to Aboriginal stories, Colonial stories and the modern stories of multicultural western Sydney,” she said.
“To have a historical hub such as this in Parramatta is a wonderful thing and I am grateful that after fighting for its protection for so long, we are making progress.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.