Ok I’m back from my “Lap of Tassise” side tour, but I won’t cover that for another post or two. I’m still trying to catch up on the earlier experiences. There is just not enough time for seeing the sights and writing.
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| Mt. Wellington - Hobart |
The Cascade Womens Factory Prison and Cascade Brewery were a disappointment from a visual aspect. All that remains of the prison are the brick walls, and even some of that is recreated, and the small matrons house. As with many of the sites once the originally facility closed, the buildings and land were sold off, used for other purposes, or knocked down. There was a point in Tasmania when they did not embrace their convict past and were embarrassed by it, so they tried to hide it or destroy it and many structures were lost this way. Also in 1976 there were bushfires in the area which destroyed many buildings. The brewery was completely destroyed by the fire, but rebuilt by the factory workers in 3 months; you have to have beer. The tour guide at the brewery told the story of a hardened river of molten glass created from bottles melted by the intense heat. They should have saved it as a piece of contemporary art J The bushfires must have been huge for they destroyed buildings in Hobart as well as in Port Arthur which is 90 minutes away. I’ll need to do a little research.
Saw a few more rainbows.
The tour guide at the women’s prison was enthusiastic and knew the history well, and all the guides are volunteers. It’s an interesting story but I could just as easily read about it rather than visiting the site, but the entrance fee goes towards restoration and archeological work which is worthwhile. The women’s story at the Cascade Factory Women’s Prison was similar to the men’s story at Port Arthur. Women were “transported” from Britain to serve hard time for crimes we might deem as petty. Most were labeled as prostitutes, even though prostitution was not a transportable crime, as another way to demean women. From the tales told I think the women had it worse both Britain and in the prison. This prison, like Port Arthur, were both built outside Hobart so that the upstanding people of the city didn’t have to see the wretched convicts. They also claimed it was for the women’s safety. Harsh living conditions were prevalent; small cells, poor food, hard labor and cruel punishment were standard. Many women were pregnant or became pregnant with the children housed in their own ward, unfortunately infant mortality ran about 75-80%; it probably wasn’t much better outside the prison in those times. If you were pregnant you were still expected to work, usually in the laundry; there was no maternity leave. The prison lies in a valley, at the base of Mt. Wellington near the major water source for the city of Hobart; the Hobart rivulet. When it rained or the snow melted part of the prison would have deep standing water. So much so that the women in yard 1 (there were 5) would have to sleep in hammocks above the water, although they still had to stand and work in it. Not a pleasant life.  |
| Inside Cascade Brewery |
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| Cascade Brewery |
While taking the local bus to the Cascade Brewery, I talked to the bus driver. She had been to the states and like several others I spoke to who had visited the US, they all went to visit Las Vegas. Interesting choice. The Cascade Brewery tour itself was nothing special, but the beer samples at the end and conversation with the bartender were great. It is a small brewery the makes the Cascade brand, but they also do contract brewing for other labels. I thought it was ironic that they make more beer for the other labels than they do under their own label and noteworthy that hops used in brewing are in the same family as marijuana. The interesting things you learn. My conversation with the bartender Andrew and his girlfriend Erin was great. He had spent some time in Canada and the US working and they also did a 3 week stint of house sitting in NYC. They are in the lottery to get a green card to come and live in the states. Both love America. He told me one of the coldest days they spent was a September day watching baseball at Wrigley Field in Chicago. I told him to come back in January! He said something that as a traveler made me happy to hear. He felt that Americans get a bad rap as not being friendly or helpful to tourists or foreigners and related two stories where people went out of their way to help him and Erin. That made me feel good because I know I appreciate the assistance I get when travelling, and I must say Australians are extremely friendly. So keep that in mind the next time a visitor needs assistance. You are representing the USA. Take the time to treat them well. It will help me in my travels. Don’t make us the ugly Americans.
Having fun down under.
Norb
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