Unravelled ... The life of Elizabeth Fulloon, Superintendent of the Parramatta Female Factory, 1824-1827...

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Heather E Garnsey

Unravelled ... The life of Elizabeth Fulloon, Superintendent of the Parramatta Female Factory, 1824-1827

Name: Unravelled ... The life of Elizabeth Fulloon, Superintendent of the Parramatta Female Factory, 1824-1827
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ISBN: 9781764336505

Heather E Garnsey

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English

Heather Garnsey
12 December 2025

Biography: historical, political & military; Reference works; Australasian & Pacific history; Genealogy, heraldry, names & honours; Family history, tracing ancestors

Unravelled ... is the story of Elizabeth Fulloon, the first female Superintendent of the Parramatta Female Factory. Appointed from England and with no apparent background

in managing prisoners or experience in manufacturing wool and spinning, she had to quickly adapt to a colonial posting with only begrudging support from the male staff and ex-convicts engaged to help her run one of New South Wales' most important 19th century institutions.

Elizabeth's task was a difficult one. She was expected to house and keep gainfully employed a growing number of convicts, new arrivals awaiting assignment, and women who, through illness, age or infirmity, would never leave the Factory. The introduction of a Board of Management and increasing bureaucracy made her position more challenging. Her final weeks at Parramatta ended with the infamous Female Factory riot in October 1827, when the women broke out of the Factory in protest at their rations being cut.

Elizabeth's first husband, John Fulloon, died during the voyage to New South Wales in 1824 on board the 'Brothers'; her second, Robert Raine, was found drowned in the Parramatta River, allegedly murdered, and her third, William John Speed, was an ex-convict transported for bigamy. Both her colonial marriages lasted only a few months and ended in acrimony.

Direct descendant Heather Garnsey has found that few stories about Elizabeth's life - as well as those of her three husbands - stand up to scrutiny. With detailed references drawing on archival sources and a full bibliography, Unravelled will give new insights into both Elizabeth's fascinating life and the Parramatta Female Factory in the 1820s.

By: Heather E Garnsey
Imprint: Heather Garnsey
Dimensions: Height: 249mm, Width: 173mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 766g
ISBN: 9781764336505
ISBN 10: 176433650X
Pages: 344
Publication Date: 12 December 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Heather Garnsey is a direct descendant of Elizabeth Fulloon and has been tracing her own family history for over 5 decades. Best known for her work with the Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) from 1984 until her retirement in 2020, Heather is an Honorary Member and Fellow of the SAG, an Honorary Fellow of Family History ACT and was the joint recipient of the AFFHO Award for Meritorious Service to Family History in 2015. She holds a Masters degree in English History and the SAG's Diploma in Family Historical Studies. A sought-after speaker, she has presented papers at many of the triennial Australasian Congresses, NSW annual state conferences, local seminars throughout Australia, in the UK and online. In 2024 she was awarded an OAM for her service to family history.