Hobart's History Comes Alive

The Sisters of Charity Visit Again!
We had a particularly large group yesterday on our play Her Story at the Cascades Female Factory. Some of them appeared to be from a religious order as they wore crosses and head coverings.
Sure enough when it came time for Mary to sing “Abide with Me” in the Chapel, our came their song sheets! The Sisters of Charity regularly include Her Story in their itinerary when ever they have visiting personnel. Not only do they enjoy our brilliant play but it echoes their own history when Sisters would walk up the Rivulet to minister to those long ago convict women. Because they are in the “know” they also have the words to the old hymn with them………….

BTW the singing was magnificent and very moving as it bounced off the old convict sandstone walls.

Pictured are Sisters of Charity from around the world; Ireland, Zambia, Nigeria and the USA.

Sisters of Charity From Around the Globe.

Apple for the Teacher Award.
Hayley Simpson of Snug Primary School must be an exceptional teacher. Not only has she won the Apple for the Teacher Award but she chose to sell the prize of an Apple I pod/watch to enable her class to come to the Cascades Female Factory to learn all about convict women through some activities and to experience the drama Her Story. As it happened, it wasn’t necessary because 7 HO FM heard about it and offered to pay for the excursion! The students attended today and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thanks to Hayley they now know so much about female convict life via the teaching skills of Anton and Esther and the performance skills of Chris and Judith at Live History Plays. Thank you too to 7 HO FM!

Snug Students on Her Story.

The weather has been a bit challenging for us at Live History Plays this week. Why is it that as soon as the calendar says it’s Spring the weather turns more wintry than ever? It started to pour yesterday just as we started Her Story and didn’t let up until we had finished. We made a quick decision and decided to take our audience (including a tiny baby and a toddler) upstairs under the cover. Everyone was so grateful!!!

We have an Undercover Option Upstairs

A Snowy Spring Day.

It’s been a busy week for us at Live History Plays with extra groups and schools. Alamanda College from Victoria brought x 2 groups and Invermay Primary School brought another . One student from Invermay told us that she had researched one of her ancestors and that he had worked as an Overseer on site but had been sacked for “being too kind to the pregnant women” .

Our New Sign Board at the Cascades Female Factory

His name was Lovell – can anyone shed any more light on this?

Do you like the new sign board created by Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority? It’s to help keep people, who haven’t paid the $20 ticket price to experience Her Story, at a distance!

Robyn Everist of Hobart Walking Tours brought a lovely group of women on Her Story today. All friends and keen walkers they had decided to put themselves into Robyn’s capable hands and get her to organise a walking tour tailored just for them Most of them had never visited the Cascades Female Factory or experienced Her Story before.
What a good idea! But why is that we locals don’t usually visit the tourism things on our own doorstep? Why not copy their idea and get Robyn to design your own special walking tour she does it so well and is a mine of local information, you will learn so much about your own lovely city…..?

Robyn Everist Accompanies Her Group on Her Story.

Hobart Walking Tours on Her Story.

Students LOVE Her Story!

It was a chilly start as Live History Plays took Somerset College on our dramatic experience at the Cascades Female Factory this morning. The Grade Six students, who come down, from the Gold Coast for a winter camp every year to experience our winter cold and history, were well rugged up.
We took the girls first and then the boys and both were equally engaged.
Somerset College have been coming down to visit us at Live History Hobart for, at least, the last 10 years; firstly on Louisa’s Walk and now on Her Story. Each year they wear a different coloured beanie so teachers can keep track of them – this year it was blue!
As ever the kids were totally absorbed and asked many insightful questions afterwards.
Kids LOVE learning about history in this way!!

We are closing Her Story on Tuesdays and Wednesdays over winter – June to August inclusive.    The first 2 weeks of August  will be entirely closed to give us our annual break.

Visitor numbers to the lovely city of Hobart do drop considerably over winter. although the advent of our winter festivals particularly Dark Mofo and Festival of Voices helps to boost numbers again.

Experiencing the story of Mary James on dark, cold winter days only adds to  the experience in most visitor’s opinion.  The convict women were cold and damp most of the time;

A Wintry Landscape as Mary's Backdrop.

winter conditions add to the drama on every level!

Come and hear the tale of Mary James on a cold, frosty day and re-live her harrowing life.  You will be amazed!