Bonney Djuric

Founder, Parramatta Female Factory

Bonney Djuric is the founder of Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Association and has a B.Ed. Australian Catholic University, B.Fine Arts (Honours) National Art School and is currently completing a Masters Degree at COFA UNSW. 

Recently she was the keynote speaker at the NSW Women’s Gathering and has been interviewed on ABC Hindsight, ABC Sunday Arts and Conversations with Robyn Ch 31. She was advisor to playwright Alana Valentine for the Parramatta Girls play.  

Since 2003 Bonney has led a campaign to raise the level of public and government awareness of the need to recognize, promote and value women’s contributions and heritage. Her interest in women’s history and heritage emerged from her own journey of discovery into the institution where she was once an inmate.  

Her vision is to see the dedication of Australia’s earliest major female convict site, the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct established as a National Heritage Centre for Women and the adjacent institution, formerly Parramatta Girls Home, established as the National Centre for the Forgotten Australians. 

Bonney argues that historical sites of male convictism and detention have received the recognition and memorialisation appropriate to their significance in the story of Australia but what of women’s experience?  

istorically the determination of heritage sites has largely been the domain of men. The implications of this gender bias can be seen in its overall neglect and disrepair. For the most part ghosts are the only occupants. 

Bonney is concerned that even though the remnant buildings of the Precinct are on the State and National Heritage registers they are not adequately protected or valued as significant to women. It is not widely known that the Female Factory was the destination of all unassigned convict women to the colony of NSW, nor is it widely known that prior to European settlement this location was regarded as A Woman’s Place.  

next step towards this goal is securing the national recognition and protection the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct site deserves. To achieve this I am looking for sponsorship, in- kind services and the formation of campaign groups to generate interest and support for this ambitious project. Will you join me and be part of uncovering a part of our country’s history that has been neglected for too long? Can I count on your vocal support?

Website address:

 www.pffp.org.au        

 www.parragirls.org.au

Email    info@parragirls.org.au   or  bdjuric@tpg.com.au