Spatial scientists, historians and archaeologists have used world-leading GIS technology to unearth the unexpectedly sordid past of a 19th century Tasmanian women’s prison.
The amazing story of the mapping and excavation of the 250 year-old Female Factory, located in the Tasmanian midlands township of Ross, is one of dozens of extraordinary projects that will be uncovered at next week’s Ozri conference.
More than two centuries ago, the Ross Female Factory, housed female convicts who were hired to the local gentry, in addition to learning skills such as sewing and weaving.
GIS has been central to the site’s excavation, which spatial sciences educator Darren Llewellyn said has already left historians scratching their heads.
“One of the most surprising things dug up is money, which isn’t usually found within a prison site,” Mr Llewellyn said.
“This may point to visitors, prison officials or guards coercing the female prisoners into prostitution.
“Also, although the prison housed female convicts in group sleeping quarters, a separate building constructed later contained cells built for individuals.
“One likely explanation for this is that they were built to prevent the intimate relations which developed between some of the prisoners.”
Mr Llewellyn said GIS had played a pivotal role resolving discrepancies between the factory’s official, archived plans and what was actually built on the site.
“When you take into account that the site has undergone many renovations and extensions, each with their own set of plans of which many anomalies are noted, it makes it extremely hard for archaeologists to know where to dig exactly, ” Mr Llewellyn said.
“This is where GIS technology comes in – it gives us the capability to layer satellite images, topographical and ground-penetrating radar data with historical street maps over the original archived site plans.
“We can then see patterns in the relationships between these plans – such as small mounds or lines in the earth that may indicate walls or boundaries – and pinpoint the location of the buried remains.”
Find out more at Ozri 2011 – www.esriaustralia.com.au/ozri
