One in five Australian women are descended from convict women so it's fitting that an exhibition telling the stories of those early arrivals will be held in Parramatta, one of the earliest European settlements.

Parramatta's Prince Alfred Park was the site of the first Female Factory in Australia, in 1804.

It then moved to Fleet Street and remains of the factory, which opened in 1821, can be seen today.

Women Transported - Life in Australia's Convict Female Factories opens at the Parramatta Heritage Centre on August 2.

The curator of the exhibition, Gay Hendriksen, said the stories that have come out of the factories were ``very wild, very sad and very interesting''.

"These women are the mothers of our nation,'' Mrs Hendriksen said.

"They were convict women waiting to be employed by free settlers, waiting to give birth and waiting to be married. Colonial men or convict men could come and ask for a wife and they'd have one hour to talk. The women could reject their request it was like speed dating.''

Mrs Hendriksen said all the women incarcerated in the female factories did laundry, weaved, spun fabrics and a variety of other work.

Artifacts included in the exhibition were some of the "very few'' in existence that had a direct connection to these women, Mrs Hendriksen said.

They include a christening gown, a laundry-thumper, spindle and bookmarks.

Maureen Upfold, of Pennant Hills, is a descendent of two convict women Mary Wilson and Anne Dunne, who arrived in 1806 and 1831 respectively.

Mrs Upfold has lent an ambrotype of Ms Dunne to the exhibition.

"She was sent here for stealing linen and Mary Wilson for stealing household goods including pillow cases, stockings and butter - and she had five aliases,'' Mrs Upfold said.

Both brought their young children with them, she said.

Mrs Hendriksen said a series of public programs would be held in August-November to accompany the exhibition, which will later visit four states.

The history of convict women had been largely ignored, Mrs Hendriksen said.

"The first industrial action riot happened in 1827 at the Parramatta Female Factory when women demanded better food and working conditions.''

Details: For full event details visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au or phone 8839 3311.