When we perform the Primary School version of Louisa’s Walk, we always encourage the students to “bring their imaginations”. As I was walking along ahead of our audience yesterday having just “Skulled” across the road in our imaginary boat, the thought occurred to me that “bringing our imaginations” is also true for the adult performance. I was reminded of my childhood when the best and most memorable games, were the ones without toys but where we used our imaginations to explore all sorts of lands and situations. These games live, these games endure!

Today’s children live in a different world from the one in which I grew up – we barely had television! Now, screens and modern, electronic gadgetry dominate their lives. Perhaps the appeal of Louisa’s Walk is the fact that it is minimalist and that our imaginations have to come into play. I was told the other day by a teacher who had brought a class last year and who was booking to bring her current class, that the children had not stopped talking about Louisa’s Walk “it was better than rock-climbing!”

Naturally we feel enormously proud of the effect that Louisa’s Walk has on almost all who experience the story but we have often been puzzled by its appeal. Yes, we know we are good actors and we know from the feedback we receive that we have a unique and original product but it’s like there is another dimension altogether. I call it soul. Something you can’t manufacture. It’s humbling to feel that we have created something that moves people so deeply. We feel privileged to do so.

Sad but true – locals are not terribly interested in what’s on their own doorstep! As mentioned in a previous post, we have recently returned from a great holiday in Port Macquarie. Apart from enjoying wonderful weather (we came back with mid-winter tans!) we “did” all the touristy things, including most of their history attractions – it’s what you do when you’re on holiday. If it were not for the fact that at “Live History – Louisa’s Walk” we interpret the history of Tasmania for a living, it is doubtful that we would have visited half the historic places in Tasmania that we have. As it is, we have become fascinated with anything to do with Tasmania’s history – it is a rich and compelling tapestry.
Ask most locals where the Female Factory is & what it is and you would get a variety of answers, most of them incorrect. Many would walk through Degraves Street with, perhaps, some awareness of the site and its past but no great desire to explore this further. Whilst a few locals do express an interest and have visited us at “Louisa’s Walk”, the majority of our audience are from interstate or are international visitors. However, when this pattern changes is when locals have visiting friends or relatives – known in the industry as “V.F.R.”. This is when locals come & visit us and “do” all the local attractions and very welcome you are!
The above is not a criticism it is just an observation; most of us locals “do” the attractions when we have a friend or relative to show them off to!
So, welcome all of you Tasmanians with “Visiting friends and relatives”. Come and learn about your local history, particularly the part that women have played in shaping it. Expect to be educated, entertained and informed as the “Louisa’s Walk” actors take you back to the 1840’s and play out Louisa’s story. Laughter and tears and a roller coaster ride of emotions lie in store for you as her story engages you. Storytelling – it’s the oldest form of entertainment known to mankind – Judith and Chris at “Louisa’s Walk” are experts in the craft, come and see for yourself.

We had some brave visitors from the Gold Coast today. Hobart’s temperature was ten degrees if that. The drizzle held off – just. However, as I trotted off down the path ready to start Louisa’s Walk for what must be the 750th time, my eyes were distracted by the promise of Spring. Just under the plane trees where we finish up, thousands of bulbs, planted by Hobart City Council’s dedicated band of gardeners, are just beginning to bud. It is always the promise of hope that makes us, as human beings, feel encouraged and, this sight today, did just that. I imagined that, in a few week’s time, the spot will be alive with colour and something to behold.

We have just returned from our annual break which, this year, we spent in sunny Port Macquarie. I still have a tan but it is fading fast. One of the things about going away on holiday, is that it makes you appreciate where you live. Whilst we loved the sunshine, the beaches and the friendly people of Port it is wonderful to be back in familiar territory. Hobart is a beautiful place and we love the work that we do, bringing history alive for locals and tourists alike. Yes, the grey skies were lowering today, the temperature a chilly ten degrees or even less, but the history and the beauty of our buildings withstand the winter just as they have done for over two centuries.

Experiencing Louisa’s Walk in less than ideal conditions, brings home to our audience a starker reality than the sunny days. The Cascades Female Factory was not sited to catch the sun. The high, stone, surrounding walls blocked out any sun that did shine. Being a female convict was grim, cruel and without any form of comfort. Visitors to Louisa’s Walk, in winter, can better identify with conditions than on the bright, sunny days. The Hobart Rivulet is cascading down the mountain, at present, adding a dramatic touch to the already beautiful surroundings. And,at the conclusion to Louisa’s Walk, the beautiful, spring bulbs promise HOPE – something the convict women hardly dared to dream about. Looking for something to do in Hobart on a winter’s afternoon? Try Louisa’s Walk – as our visitors said today “You’ve made a dull day seem bright!”.

Prompted by the nomination for World Heritage Listing, some vital work has been undertaken at the Cascades Female Factory recently . Visitors to the site in the past few months, would have met piles of building materials, including steel, to help stabilise the leaning wall, and stones to create gabion walls instead of the wooden fences previously in place.

A section of the perimeter wall in Yard One had been temporarily buttressed out into the street to stop it bowing further. Now, as part of the ongoing Conservation Management Plan, a steel structure has been built inside the wall and bolted to the wall to prevent any further deterioration. If you think this is just any old bracing however, think again. An archaeological dig, earlier this year, established the location of the administration buildings and prison gates which greeted the inmates on their arrival at the Female Factory. The steel structure has been erected so as to replicate, as far as possible, the shape and size of these buildings. Whilst not attempting to “reconstruct” these buildings, the steel frame, which will include an observation deck, maintains the integrity of Yard One of the Female Factory.

At the time of writing, we have not performed Louisa’s Walk with this structure in place, but we know it will enhance the experience of Louisa’s life in the Female Factory, and will give us all an important visual grasp of the scale of this forbidding place. Audience members who have experienced Louisa’s Walk almost all say “You really take us back there!” Our drama is so compelling it matters little that most of the buildings on this important site are no longer there. However, even though imagination is a wonderful thing, it will really help to have this structure to help visitors see the scale of the original prison.

We have just returned from a wonderful five week break, ready to inform and entertain you anew of the plight of early convict women in the unique way that is, Louisa’s Walk. History comes alive for another year!

Whilst Louisa’s Walk will always be the core and flagship of our Live History business, a glance at the pages of our web site will reveal that we can be commissioned to research,script & perform any historic event at a chosen venue. Last year we received just such a commission from Hydro Tasmania to script and perform a play portraying the history of the Hydro in this State for the National Trust Heritage Festival this month. The theme for this year’s Festival is ” Water- Our Island’s Life Force” a gift for the Hydro and a gift for us! Last year, Hydro Tasmania launched a book entitled “Ticklebelly Tales” written by Heather Felton. This is an excellent book for anyone with an interest in the history of the development of hydro-electric power in Tasmania. It’s also a huge tome & took Chris (the author and playwright of Live History) many hours unpacking and scrutinising its pages for stories and anecdotes that he felt could be dramatically re-lived.
Last Saturday saw the Premiere performance of “Ticklebelly Tales” (we decided that such a delightful quirky title deserved to be re-used, in fact it’s the name for the married men’s quarters at Tarraleah, one of the early power stations). This was actually performed at Tarraleah, a fitting site given the content of the play! This old Hydro village has now been converted into a prestigious tourism complex. It’s luxurious yet completely preserves the integrity and feel of the Village. With our cast of four – we had to employ a couple of male actors as Chris found it too difficult to write about such a blokey history just using he and I – we performed the World Premiere of “Ticklebelly Tales” in the old Highland Church (now beautifully converted to a conference centre).
We had been unsure about what houses we would receive as Tarraleah is a good two hours from Hobart but, we played to two nearly full houses. Our audiences were so appreciative and gathered around the “Stage Door” afterward or spoke to us whilst we were on the Power Station tour which followed, all saying how informative and entertaining they had found the show.

As we drove home through the highlands of beautiful Tasmania, through the bush and along the winding road to Hobart we realised that we would never again take switching on an electric light for granted. Now we had seen the surge towers, the penstocks, the canal. We had seen the huge pylons marching down the valley bringing power to the people and because of Heather Felton’s book and our play we now understood some of the hardship endured by those early workers to bring about this great power scheme.

We have six more performances: four in Hobart on the 14th & 15th of May and two right over on the West coast on the 23rd May.

Bringing history to life in this way is fascinating for us and our audiences. We have learned so much.

With the horror of the Bush Fires in Victoria leaving the rest of the country reeling last month, Chris and I thought about how we could best help. Individually, we thought we could send some cash but then – inspiration, why not a Louisa’s Walk Fire Fund Raiser? We decided to do it sooner rather than later and on Saturday February 21st that is what we did. I spent the week sending emails out to as many networks as I could and also publicised it in our local paper and on the radio. So many locals have still not experienced Louisa’s Walk, like all of us, we don’t value or have a lot of interest in, what is on our doorstep.

However, I am happy to report that on the day we got twenty people, a mixture of visitors to our State plus many locals. It didn’t matter where they came from, all ticket sales went through to the Fund Raiser. We had a great Show and knowing that it was going to this cause made us all feel good. The next day when I attended my Uniting Church they were joining in the National Day of Mourning for the fire victims. As we stood shoulder to shoulder singing “The Great Southland” there were few dry eyes. Many people came and gave me further donations and afterwards the leader of the Service decreed that there would be a plate at the door for further donations. All together we raised $ 855.00 for the Appeal. Someone told me that if I donate it through Rotary then the Tasmanian State Government will match it dollar for dollar. This I have done.

We may be small but every little bit helps. If everyone does what they can and gives what they can we can change the world!

Yesterday it was 34 degrees here in Hobart -no big deal for some of Australia’s mainland but hot for us here in Tassie! We start Louisa’s Walk outside the Cascade Brewery in South Hobart which is usually quite cool and breezy with winds blowing off Mount Wellington. As we walk along the rivulet sharing Louisa’s story it’s cool and shady BUT when we enter Yard One of the Female factory the heat really hits! The high sandstone walls, that are all that is left of the Yard, really trap the heat and we always advise, when people book during hot weather, sunhats and water. We have developed strategies over the three and a half years we have been performing Louisa’s Walk to place the audience in the little shade patches offered by the Yard. With a welcome breeze yesterday, we all felt quite comfortable.

Equally so, the cooler weather presents a challenge but we think the cold weather gives more of a reality to “The Shadow of Death Valley” as the Female Factory was sometimes known. High stone walls and roofs, meant that no sun penetrated that grim interior. The women were given few clothes and no underclothing – imagine the cold of the Crime Yard as they waded through inches of freezing water when that Yard flooded! As I have said on a previous post, I love taking young girls, in their teens say, so that they can appreciate the freedom won for them by these courageous women of the 19th century. We also have to remember however, that this freedom is not a reality for many in the world today; we are fortunate to have been born into a developed country. For so many, in third world countries, slavery, malnutrition, even starvation, is the norm.

Many who experience Louisa’s Walk are grateful that we are showcasing the plight of the women and helping to lift the profile of the site. We are passionate about what we do. We feel privileged to tell their story but let’s not forget this hard won freedom is not the case for so many in the rest of the world. Come & experience Louisa’s Walk, visit the other Yards on the site and the Visitor Centre run by the Female Factory Historic Site then pause and remember the inhumanity that exists today.
It’s not over.

After Louisa leaves the grim clutches of “The Shadow of Death Valley”, she walks her audience back up to the top of the Cascades. We intentionally make this a time with plenty of room for reflection and silence. There is so much to absorb. So much to digest. As one slightly dazed person said “It’s like coming out of a very powerful film and having to face the daylight”. However, as Louisa promises, we do stop at a few places of interest along the way. One of these is at the top of Degraves Street where, it is thought, that some of the twelve hundred convict babies who died at the Cascades Female Factory lie buried. Here, we pause and have a few “respectful moments” in memory of these poor little souls. It’s always a very poignant time and again, Louisa and William are sensitive to the need for silence afterwards. Remembering that the majority of these infants died of marasmus (malnutrition) or diarrohoea (almost certainly due to a total lack of hygiene) it may not be too strong to use words like “infanticide”?

We were both very keen to visit the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) recently to see Anne Ferran’s mixed- media exhibition The Ground, the Air showcasing the women and children who were transported to the Colonies. Having such a strong background in the topic we were, of course, fascinated by Anne’s work; the stark paddocks at the Ross Female Factory could only be there, I recognised them immediately. It is hard to say what most resonated with us. For me, perhaps, it was the “soft caps” mounted on tall images which so spoke of faceless ones, or the actual artifacts; small mounds of soiled clothing and rags. The death register strewn with slips of copperplate writing on which the names of the deceased were written. The woven hangings, depicting the diseases which carried off so many; tuberculosis, marasmus, whooping cough, dysentery, the list goes on. For Chris, it was to see a photograph of those dividing walls which we paint with our words on Louisa’s Walk. Anne Ferran has succeeded in mounting a very powerful and moving exhibition which leaves you thinking about what you have seen for a very long time – just like Louisa’s Walk.

The Ground, the Air uses photography, installation and video to explore how the past haunts the present. Louisa’s Walk uses, words, drama and interpretation to bring history to life. So long as artists like Anne Ferran and Christina Henri ( whose ongoing project to obtain 25,566 convict bonnets from anyone who wants to sew and contribute one – this number represents the number of women who were sent to the Colonies during the years of transportation- see my post on “Convict Bonnets”) are committed to showcasing this shameful period of our history, the profile of our Female Factories will be lifted. Let us not forget either, the ongoing work of the many volunteers who work for the Female Factory Historic Site Inc.

Incidentally, when I first arrived in Tasmania over thirty years ago, no-one owned their convict heritage. That has all changed now and those who have convict ancestry are proud to own it. I used to think it was because they were ashamed of what their ancestors did. Now I think it is because we should all be collectively ashamed of what the British Colonial system inflicted on poor, helpless human beings whose only crime, often, was poverty. This is not to sanitise or romanticise the convicts, of course many were thugs and murderers but so many others were just victims of circumstance. Let us hope that bringing to light the horrors of the past, by whatever medium, we can help to build a more humane world.

On Louisa’s Walk we take our audiences right through Louisa’s Story from arrest,sentencing & conviction. Yes, we keep parts of the transportation deliberately lighthearted at times (rowing across the “road” into Degraves Street is always good for a few laughs as the “frigates”, “cutters” and “whaling ships” (cars & trucks!) whizz by). Or then there’s the “Odd One” that Louisa always puts on the tiller! Remember, we are story-tellers and we know the necessity for highs and lows, light and shade. BUT, as soon as we cross those grim gates at the Female Factory (Women’s Prison) the mood becomes sombre. This is intentional. To pretend that life within those walls was anything other than a miserable hell-on-earth would be doing those fifteen thousand poor souls who passed through those awful gates a grave disservice.

The change of mood is palpable; as Louisa is curtly told she may not keep the treasured quilt she has counted on to bring her solace and luck, the audience become stilled – you can hear a pin drop. We have become used to the looks of disbelief and horror as we tell of daily life in the “Shadow of Death Valley”. Tears in the Nursery Yard are not uncommon.

Therefore, it was with great interest that we took a large group of women out on Louisa’s Walk recently, who had all come to Hobart for the Women in Corrective Services Convention. They had spent the morning visiting the Facility for Women at Risdon Prison – the modern version of the Female Factory. They were fascinated by the nineteenth century prison model: tales of solitary confinement in Dark Cells and Iron Collars worn for minor infringements could hardly compare with the relative “luxury” of today’s prison. Questions flew thick and fast at the end and Chris was kept on his toes answering them. It was fulfilling and satisfying for us to have an audience with such a background in, and knowledge of, women’s corrective services.

These women came from all sorts of backgrounds: some had been in prison themselves, others worked in corrective or social services. It would have been fascinating to have a discussion with them at length to see how they saw the differences that two hundred years have brought to prison reform. Is it better? Hopefully! Does it reform? Hopefully! Is the deprivation of freedom ever the answer ………………..?

All these questions are way too big for this forum but if you have an opinion why not reply to this blog? Better still why not visit Louisa’s Walk next time you are in Hobart & discuss it with us afterwards?

Last week Tottenham Central School from N.S.W. visited Louisa’s Walk as part of a five day excursion to Tasmania. The teachers told me that the students had been fundraising for a long time to raise the money needed for the trip – well done everyone. It’s great for students to work to achieve goals and to understand that rewards, such as travel, come as a result.
They were a great audience and, even though the majority of the class of 23 was made up largely of boys, they were attentive and supportive of our performance. Even though Louisa’s story is, naturally about a woman we find that it appeals equally to both male and female simply because it is a mesmerising story. Right back as far as early man, human beings have communicated using storytelling. Louisa’s Walk communicates factual history in such a way that by the end, the audience has absorbed almost by osmosis, heaps of historical information. We like to compare experiencing Louisa’s Walk with reading a well researched historical novel whereas the guided tour is like a history text book.

I felt a real moment of “YES!” when, walking along the road as Louisa heading for the Female Factory, I heard a group of girls talking behind me, one said “Imagine what it would have been like to have lived then and put up with all this. I would rather have been tipped over the side (of the transportation ship)”. If we can achieve “imagine whats” from an age group that is traditionally not very interested in our past, I think we are succeeding in, at the very least, stimulating an interest in our history. I particularly like showcasing Louisa’s story to teenage girls just so that they can appreciate the hard won freedom that woman (in some parts of the world) enjoy today.

The teacher organising Tottenham Central’s excursion was kind enough to email us to tell us that Louisa’s Walk had been one of the best activities on their trip to Tasmania. Thanks Guys!

Another mainland school to have visited Louisa’s Walk is Somerset College from Queensland who come over for a trip, to experience the winter cold of June in Tasmania, every year.. They discovered us two years ago and have booked in for their third visit next June already – we look forward to meeting the students and taking them on Louisa’s journey.