Female Convicts Project

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads)—Last month I had the pleasure of attending Maitland & Beyond Family History's Female Convicts of Maitland and the Hunter Seminar. I was also given the honour of launching their "Rosebuds – Children of the Maitland & Hunter Valley Female Convicts" publication and bonnet collection. The launch was the culmination of four years of research of female convicts connected to Maitland. The team identified 1,000 women and the book is these women's stories. Congratulations to Female Convict Bonnet Project Coordinator Vicki Osborn and the volunteer members of the Maitland & Beyond Family History. Their countless hours of effort have ensured that the contribution women made to the early settlement of Maitland is recognised. Their research importantly has resulted in a record of the challenges they faced as convicts, women, wives and mothers. The day also saw presentations and discussions by Dr Brian Walsh, author of 'Convict Women on Farms in the Hunter Valley' and Maitland female convict presentations about Elisabeth Benson, Caroline Haines and Charlotte Dawson. I thank Maitland and Beyond Family History for their ongoing dedication to preserving and enriching this important part of Maitland's development and history.