The Female Factory.

There have been two things, which, if not above all others, have been equal to any in importance, as regards the attention and management of Governor Bourke ; they are—
1st-The just discipline, and just assignment, of the male convicts.
2nd.- The just discipline, and just assignment, of the female convicts.
With regard to these two great affairs of our State policy; Governor Bourke has, with respect to the first, done almost every thing, save a few exceptions. With respect to the last, he has done almost nothing.
It is difficult, and certainly tedious, to describe the relative magnitude of any two, or more, great evils ; but the evils of a neglect of discipline, as regards the female convicts is only inferior to what would result from neglecting the discipline of the male. The former however are not so much seen and felt as the latter, for the number of the female convicts is comparatively small. Yet they are real, distressing to the Colony, and sufficiently extensive to call for redress.
We often see in a morning from twenty to thirty female convicts, marching two and two from the Jail to the Police. These are those who have absconded from their service, the previous day, and been picked up by the constables in brothels, and public-houses and the street; generally in a state of intoxication. Suppose fifteen convict female servants to leave their service every day, we learn, from such an incident, that 105 families are put to inconvenience (not to say in cases of sickness, to distress) weekly by the inexcusable vices of this class of our society. Surely every humane Governor will consider this to be a great public evil? The public cannot help themselves. Servants are so scarce, that unless the ladies of the Colony were content to employ the female convicts, they might cook their own dinner, and scour their own houses.
Convict women, are more skilful, and a great deal more robust than the female emigrants who have hitherto come to the Colony. The females who have expatriated themselves did so to avoid servitude. If they had been content to hire at home as domestic servants they could have got places. But they came to New South Wales under the promise, by their kidnappers, of being made wives as soon as they arrived. Hence a considerable number of the genteelest and best educated of them have returned home again ; but not until many had fallen a prey to the evils of our young men among the higher classes, civil and military. The more robust and humbly bred among the female emigrants are doing well, either as wives or servants. Many of the genteeler sort who cannot get home again are living either as concubines or courtezans. Some, were common prostitutes at home. These may be seen in the streets every night, pursuing their unhappy vocation. But to return to the female convicts.
These woman we have already said, are generally robust,and skilful as house-servants, as nursery servants, and as laundresses. It is therefore of vast importance that they should be compelled to see and to feel, that sobriety, industry, and chastity, are more pleasurable, or at least less painful, than drunkenness, insolence, and debauchery. The question is, how are they to be made to feel this ?
It does not follow, that, because no Governor has hitherto made them feel this, that it cannot be done ? We affirm, that no Governor hitherto, has made any attempt, worthy the name of an attempt. They have confined these women in crowds in a factory, without adequate discipline or order. Their punishments for bad conduct have been ill-judged, and ill-administered. The whole of what has been done, in short, since the Colony was founded, has been futile and imbecile.
Nothing will alter the conduct of our female convicts but suffering. They must be made to suffer for their misconduct. The question is, how shall this be accomplished, consistently with a due preservation of their health ?
The tread-mill is a common punishment for obstreperous women in England. It is a machine which can be made a pleasant and healthy recreation. For instance, a feeble but healthy person, treading the mill for five minutes, and then resting ten, would find it a healthy exercise.
It is absurd therefore to allege, as some do, that the tread-mill, though proper for males, is too laborious for females. It may be made too laborious for either sex. It may be so made, as to destroy ; it may be made a healthy if not pleasant exercise even for boys and girls.
If a surgeon be in constant attendance on the female factory tread-mill and regulate the hours of their labour according to the health and strength of the parties; we cannot see the least danger in their being subjected to this sort of punishment.
At all events, we do hope, that as Governor Burke has accomplished such great things in regard to the just discipline, and just assignment, of the male convicts (we speak generally; there are still improvements to be made in some of the ironed gangs), we trust he will not leave the Colony, until he has thoroughly reformed that receptacle of female depravity the Parramatta Factory. Whatever improvements have been made by Mr. Bell, we defy either him or any other man, to make it what it ought to be, so long as the present regulations continue in force.
The adding to their original sentence every month which, by Colonial sentence, they spend in the gaols of the Colony, would also be some restraint on the vices of female convicts. Something of the kind takes place now, but not regular account is kept against the offenders, and very few will ever be punished finally in this way.

 The Sydney Monitor 21 August 1837, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32157048