www.willowcourtproject.com…read more If you are driving thru or staying in the Derwent Valley I would defiantly suggest driving or walking thru the Historic Willow Court & Royal Derwent Hospital. Willow Court & Royal Derwent Hospital currently comprises of approx 14 buildings set amongst the Lachlan River. Walking thru the grounds and buildings is like stepping back in time when people with mental illness and disabilities were institutionalised. There is a vast range of architectural designs dating as far back as 1830's to the more modern Wards of around 1960. Walking through or past this historic site gets you thinking if Walls could talk what stories could they tell? There is a public road and footpath that travels through Willow Court and Royal Derwent, so you are able to drive or stroll thru Willow Court and Royal Derwent and see most of the buildings via these options without fear of trespass. These Roads are The Ave, Lower Rd, Ring Rd and Glebe Rd New Norfolk. There are plenty of places to park the car if you would like to stroll through Willow Court. Along the Lachlan River is a scenic walking track that takes you the entire way to Tynwald Park which I recommend. This site is currently in Private & Local Council Ownership. To gain legal access to the Wards you would need to ask permission. The Willow Court & Barracks Committee often holds a Willow Court Open Day, where several of the wards including the Barracks (1830) and Carlton House are open to the Public. The next open day will be during the Annual Derwent Valley Autumn Festival. Some of the Wards in private ownership have been reused and is open to the public. The former Olga Ward is one of the best antique shops that I have had the pleasure of going into Alcheringa has been converted into the Willow Court Motel and the Olive Tree Restaurant, The old Church is now the Patchwork Café which is a quilting shop and café. On the Royal Derwent Site (Ring Rd) is another excellent antique shop Ring Rd Antiques. All these places have websites A lot of people take the risk and gain entry to the wards without seeking permission. If people chose to do so I would recommend that you take care and watch where you step and some of the flooring in the Wards around the oval is unsafe. I would recommend wearing strong shoes and take a torch because some of these Wards are dark and have been badly vandalised or damaged due to age and neglect. Remember it's at your own risk. For more information on all the above please visit my website www.willowcourtproject.com where there is Ward descriptions, video walkthrough's, pictures, maps, real life stories and paranormal stories. Nick Jarvis www.willowcourtproject.com

This site was our first introduction to the time when convicts were "exported" from the UK as part…read moreof the punishment for their crimes. Cascades Female Factory was sold off and mostly dismantled after it closed down. The government had to purchase back most of the property and return it to the original state to open the site for historical visits. We took bus 446 (free pending the outcome of the US-Iran war) from near our hotel and it got us there in around 15 minutes. There were two guided tour options offered (1) Notorious Strumpets and Dangerous Girls which was focused on specific women's stories and (2) Convict Women's Tour which provided an overview of life, hardships, conditions and more inside. Each focused on different parts of the factory so it was best to arrive at least 30 minutes early or stay after the tour to see the part of the factory not covered in the guided tour. Good signage were posted throughout the site along with many individual profiles of the women convicts. There wasn't much to see (mostly walls, building outlines and one original home) but the tour guides brought the history and the stories of some of the female convicts to life. Very harsh living conditions, extreme penalties, abuse and heartbreaking separation from the children were conveyed throughout the tour. Well worth a visit if you have time in Hobart. If you have the Port Arthur Historic Site Ticket of Leave (housed the male convicts) then you can visit this site for free.

This UNESCO World heritage site is the best place to connect with a lesser known stories of…read moreAustralia's female convicts. The story is told through bios and artifacts of the displacement, mistreatment and forced migration of convict women & girls, and their contribution to colonisation throughout the history of colonial Australia to the present day. On the journey women were divided into 2 groups depending on their behavior. The class system regulated clothing & jobs of the women while in the factory. The more trustworthy women were employed as cooks, task overseers & hospital attendants. Second class convicts made clothes for the establishment and prepared & mended linen. The crime class was sentenced to the washtub, laundering for the factory, the orphan school and the penitentiary; they also carded and spun wool. All of these tasks were subject to change at the discretion of the Principal Superintendent.

It's a giant tower! Lots of steps to the top and if you…read morecount them correctly you get a 'prize'. New owner is a huge Doctor Who fan and is refurbishing a Dalek to go in the tea rooms! He also sells Doctor Who merch in the shop at pretty good prices.