Email sent to Minister for Arts and Heritage, Madeleine Ogilvie MP, on 16.04.26
Dear Minister Ogilvie,
I am writing to respectfully request the removal of the portrait of Martine Delaney (a biological male) from the Wall of Women display at the World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory Historic Site in South Hobart.
The Cascades Female Factory exists to preserve and interpret the lived realities of women and girls who suffered profound sex-based oppression under the colonial system — including systematic prostitution from a young age, rape, forced pregnancies, separation from their infants, and brutal control tied directly to their female biology.
Including a portrait of a man in this “Wall of Women,” even though he has legally changed his sex marker under Tasmania’s 2019 self-identification laws, undermines the historical integrity of the site. It erases the sex-based nature of the oppression the Female Factory was built to commemorate.
On 13 April 2026, women from the Female Factory Flash Mob 2026 held a peaceful sit-in protest at the site to draw attention to this issue. Site staff respected their right to protest, and many visitors expressed support. I have attached their full media release along with photographs from the action for your reference.
As Minister for Arts and Heritage, I urge you to direct the removal of this portrait on the basis of sex so that the display can accurately reflect the historical record of the female convicts.
Tasmanian women deserve to have their history honoured truthfully and without erasure. I would appreciate a written response outlining your position and any intended action on this matter.
Thank you for your time and for your responsibility over Tasmania’s important heritage sites.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Elizabeth Caballero
Retired General Practitioner
President | Women Speak Tasmania
Attached Documents:
Cascade female Factory Flash Mob 2026
Media Release Flah Mob 2026
Gallery:
