Cross-Cultural Program at McCrae Homestead
Students experience two perspectives of how life would have been at McCrae Homestead through European and Indigenous cultural heritage interpretation.
Discover a unique experience at the McCrae Homestead by exploring the parallel experiences of the McCrae family and the Bunurong community in the 1840s. Accessed through Georgiana McCrae’s personal diaries, her son George McCrae’s diary accounts, family letters, sketches and paintings, the program shares what is anecdotally considered a mutually respectful relationship between the Bunurong people and the McCrae family. This interpretation is supported by the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation and is one that we have permission to share.
About the Program
Join our educators for a day of hands-on historical fun and discovery at McCrae Homestead.
Step back in time to learn about the lives of the Bunurong people, who have lived in the area for tens of thousands of years, learning some of their creation stories, exploring various painted symbols and their meanings as well as visiting a Willum (hut) on site. This activity invites students to consider the change that occurred for First Peoples post-colonisation, as well as the change in the landscape of the Mornington Peninsula.
Explore the 1840s homestead, discuss the McCrae family’s reasons for choosing to settle in Australia, and discover how children in the 1800s played, learned, entertained themselves, slept, went to the toilet, and ate, comparing the McCrae’s experiences to those of your own.
Get ready for some hard work, visiting the old kitchen and discovering how much effort went into something like making breakfast, churning some butter which you can then take home.
Jump into some old-fashioned games on the lawn, engaging in 1800s fun and frivolity with quoits, sack races and more!
Curriculum Links
| Subject | Strand | Sub-Strand | Content Descriptions | Students will... |
| History | Historical knowledge and understanding | Personal histories | differences in family structures and roles and how these have changed or remained the same over time VC2HH2K02 |
Uncover the societal pressures faced by families in the past, and how the life of the Sargood family differs from families today. |
| differences and similarities between students’ daily lives and how these have changed or remained the same over time VC2HH2K03 |
Discover what life was like for some children in the past; the games they played and the social pressures faced, and realise some similarities as well as some differences. | |||
| Community histories | the history of a local historical site of social, cultural or spiritual significance and how it has changed over time VC2HH2K05 |
Learn about the social significance of Rippon Lea and how it has changed since the 1800s. | ||
| Historical Concepts and Skills | Continuity and Change | identify examples of continuity and change by comparing the past and present VC2HH2S06 |
Compare lives in the 1800s to lives in the present day. | |
| Personal and Social Capability | Social Awareness and Management | Collaboration | simple skills required for collaboration with peers VC2CPFO03 |
Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
| broader skills required for collaboration with peers and ways to monitor contributions to group tasks VC2CP2O04 |
Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
| Subject | Strand | Sub-Strand | Content Descriptions | Students will... |
| History | Historical knowledge and understanding | Personal histories | differences in family structures and roles and how these have changed or remained the same over time VC2HH2K02 |
Uncover the societal pressures faced by families in the past, and how the life of the Sargood family differs from families today. |
| differences and similarities between students’ daily lives and how these have changed or remained the same over time VC2HH2K03 |
Discover what life was like for some children in the past; the games they played and the social pressures faced, and realise some similarities as well as some differences. | |||
| Community histories | the history of a local historical site of social, cultural or spiritual significance and how it has changed over time VC2HH2K05 |
Learn about the social significance of Rippon Lea and how it has changed since the 1800s. | ||
| Historical Concepts and Skills | Continuity and Change | identify examples of continuity and change by comparing the past and present VC2HH2S06 |
Compare lives in the 1800s to lives in the present day. | |
| Personal and Social Capability | Social Awareness and Management | Collaboration | simple skills required for collaboration with peers VC2CPFO03 |
Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
| broader skills required for collaboration with peers and ways to monitor contributions to group tasks VC2CP2O04 |
Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
| Subject | Strand | Sub-Strand | Content Descriptions | Students will... |
| History | Historical knowledge and understanding | Personal histories | differences in family structures and roles and how these have changed or remained the same over time VC2HH2K02 |
Uncover the societal pressures faced by families in the past, and how the life of the Sargood family differs from families today. |
| differences and similarities between students’ daily lives and how these have changed or remained the same over time VC2HH2K03 |
Discover what life was like for some children in the past; the games they played and the social pressures faced, and realise some similarities as well as some differences. | |||
| Community histories | the history of a local historical site of social, cultural or spiritual significance and how it has changed over time VC2HH2K05 |
Learn about the social significance of Rippon Lea and how it has changed since the 1800s. | ||
| Historical Concepts and Skills | Continuity and Change | identify examples of continuity and change by comparing the past and present VC2HH2S06 |
Compare lives in the 1800s to lives in the present day. | |
| Personal and Social Capability | Social Awareness and Management | Collaboration | simple skills required for collaboration with peers VC2CPFO03 |
Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
| broader skills required for collaboration with peers and ways to monitor contributions to group tasks VC2CP2O04 |
Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
Program Details
Plan your visit
McCrae Education Program
Address:
11 Beverley Road
McCrae 3938 VIC
11 Beverley Road
McCrae 3938 VIC
McCrae Homestead was a brilliant excursion for our Grade Fives. It fitted perfectly into our unit of work on the development of colonial Australia. The entire four hours we spent there was highly organised, incredibly informative and very hands-on which you need to be with primary students. We'll definitely be returning next year!
Grade 5 teacher, Flinders Christian Community College, April 2024.
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