cast low

Being 66 was looking pretty good as I joined the Seniors' Bus Trip to the Female Factory in South Hobart.  I had never been there before.

Mt Wellington / kunyani looms behind.

Here's part of my gang engrossed in the drama.  The rest of us were in the solitary cells producing oakum from old rope.  Reduce, re-use, recycle.

The play was cleverly written by the two actors.  Of course, it was much grimmer back in the day for, where there is now airy open space, there were two-storey walls where you see the linear paving.  There is no suggestion that cradles were made of metal but it was certainly grim with 100 babies in the nursery but little sound because they were too weak to cry.  Many died.  After a short time for weaning, the mothers were put in solitary cells for 6 months to punish them for becoming pregnant.  The surviving babies were sent to the orphan school.

Such deplorable history didn't spoil our appetite and we were whisked away to the Casino (!!!!!!) for lunch.

I haven't been there for about 30 years.  Back in my day, we would have work dinners then kick on at the Casino disco.  More history.  All this for $35!  I was basking in my seniority until I managed to develop a cold on the bus on the way home to the sunny East Coast.