Parramatta's Female Factory is among convict-era buildings that would be transformed under a plan to turn a historic site in Sydney's west into a lively hub for artists, creative industries and start-ups.
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A cluster of former institutions in North Parramatta's heritage core would be revived as museums, businesses and cafes in a Carriageworks-like precinct designed to capitalise on the city's arts boom.
The idea for the western Sydney cultural and creative industries hub is outlined in a Sydney Business Chamber discussion paper launched at the site on Thursday.
David Borger, who is the chamber's western Sydney director, said the plan would invite artists and businesses to repurpose buildings on the site that had largely been off-limits to the public for years.
"It is long past time that we find a new and innovative use for this remarkable site," he said.
“Great cities need great cultural precincts and western Sydney currently does not have a home for its growing creative industries."
Nearly 30 buildings and open space on the three-hectare site beside the Parramatta River could eventually host festivals, community events, art installations and hackathons, the paper suggests.
The proposal is the latest idea to transform the precinct, which is steeped in history.
It houses significant heritage buildings – including the 1818 Francis Greenway-designed Female Factory, former Roman Catholic orphanage, Parramatta Asylum and Parramatta Girls Home.
Thousands of female convicts, orphaned children, and vulnerable girls and young women, passed through state and church-run institutions on the site over nearly 200 years.
Mr Borger said the proposed arts and innovation hub would recognise the site's sensitive past.
“The precinct is a special place for many members of our community and contains traumatic memories for the people who have inhabited the site, from our first Australians to recent times, and they need to be honoured and remembered."
Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Memory Project director Bonnie Djuric said the discussion paper was "a first conversation" but the creative community was "best-situated" to revive the site.
"My hope is the organisations that show interest in activating the site do appreciate its history.
"It's about moving forward in a positive way while remembering the past."
Sculptor Rebecca Gallo said the hub would help ease the area's "glaringly obvious" shortage of spaces for artists.
"There is no opportunity to have dialogue, to have work available to local audiences and to talk about it, which I think is really important."
The discussion paper names a slew of prospective tenants including Parramatta Artists Studios, Western Sydney University, Riverside Theatre, Sydney Story Factory and Diversity Arts Australia.
Conserving the heritage core is part of the state government's $310 million Parramatta North urban renewal project that includes residential and retail development over the next decade.
Plans to build thousands of dwellings as part of the project have drawn criticism from community groups who feared the development would compromise the heritage site.
The government's property development arm has emphasised there will be no residential development in the heritage core.
UrbanGrowth NSW chief executive Barry Mann said the government wanted the area's historic sites to stay in public hands.
"Together with our partners and community, we can develop a shared vision for the heritage core that is future focused and respects the Indigenous, colonial and institutional stories of Parramatta north."
