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The Third Yard was built between 1842 and 1845. Solitary cells were situated in the middle, running the length of the yard. Measuring 1.5m by 3.5m, they were able to accommodate 112 women. Between 1869 and 1877 the yard was utilised as a Boys Reformatory. In 1885 the cells in the yard were demolished. The Female Factory has witnessed the suffering and deaths of many convict women and children who were forced to live with their incarcerated mothers. Poor hygiene conditions combined with inadequate nutrition and the long, arduous working hours, provided an environment in which disease spread rapidly with devastating consequences. The Nursery was one of the most severely affected areas of The Female Factory. Infant mortality reached high levels and in 1838 public outrage led to the movement of the Nursery to Brickfields in North Hobart where the infant mortality rate fell. In 1851 the Nursery was again returned to the Female Factory. Within a month the death rate again soared. The press at the time named the Female Factory "Shadow of Death Valley". The Nursery was returned to Brickfields. The First Yard, which lies adjacent to the third, was purchased by the Tasmanian Government in 1975 to mark the International Year of Women. The area now features a display detailing the history of The Cascades Female Factory. Island Produce has aimed to increase public and scholarly recognition of the courage of the women who suffered cruelly in the hell that was The Female Factory. Island Produce:
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