Travel in comfort aboard your Coach Holidays & Tours luxury coach to Parramatta, where you’ll begin a compelling journey through the lives of female convicts and their children in early colonial Australia.

This tour is personally guided by Judith Dunn, renowned historian and author, whose engaging commentary brings the human stories of early Sydney vividly to life.

After meeting Judith, enjoy morning tea by the peaceful surrounds of Lake Parramatta, before setting out to follow the Convict Women’s Trail.

Your experience includes:

• A visit to the site of the First Female Factory, Australia’s earliest women’s gaol

• A short guided walk around the Second Female Factory, designed by Francis Greenway and the oldest surviving convict women’s site in the country

• Fascinating and often confronting stories of individual convict women, their crimes, and the choices they faced

This powerful and story-rich experience is both entertaining and thought-provoking, offering insight into the lives of women once labelled “the very dregs of society.” Was this a valid description? What were their choices?

Enjoy a relaxed lunch at Rosehill Bowling Club, before continuing the journey into the lives of the convict women’s children. Visit the site of the Parramatta Orphanage, described in its time as the “model orphanage of the colony.” Learn about the children’s clothing, daily routines, and treatment.

With full coach commentary between venues and Judith Dunn’s deep knowledge and warm delivery, this tour is a meaningful and memorable day out.