Primary Schools

Past and Present

Our interactive history Schools鈥 Program is designed to enable primary school students to step back into the recreated world of colonial South Australia in 1892. 听This is an excursion option for a class of up to 30 students with our costumed guides taking students through a range of nineteenth century hands-on activities in the historic house. The Program is usually offered on Wednesday mornings from March to November.

Together with the educational activities and resources on our website, our Program may assist teachers and students with the following areas of the Australian Curriculum in the Humanities and Social Sciences:

  • How my world is different from the past and can change in the future (Year 1)
  • Australian communities 鈥 their past, present and possible futures (Year 5)

While at Urrbrae House students may discover answers to such questions as

  • What was it like to be a lady or gentleman visiting the wealthy pastoralist Mr Peter Waite and his wife Matilda, the owners of the grand Urrbrae House built in 1891?
  • What sort of school lessons did Victorian children have?
  • What was it like to be a servant in South Australia in 1892?
  • What new technologies were changing people鈥檚 lives at the end of the nineteenth century?
  • How was life different in colonial South Australia in the nineteenth century compared to today?

All of our staff and volunteers have 鈥淲orking with Children Check (WWCO)鈥 screening. There is a charge of $228.80 (includes GST) per class or $150.15 (includes GST) per equity class (Public Schools鈥 Index of Educational Disadvantage Category 1-4 school) for the program in 2024.

Booking requests for 2024 will be open from 22 January 2024.

If you wish to request a booking please download and complete the Booking Request form, and email to urrbraehouse@adelaide.edu.au

Other enquiries email: urrbraehouse@adelaide.edu.au

Testimonials

My favourite bit was the morning tea and writing with the ink pens. This was the best excursion I've been on. Master Solomon, Black Forest Primary School.

We played Croquet, had a tour around the house, ate delicious food and dressed up in very lady like clothes; as soon as I stepped into the house I knew I was going to enjoy it from the very start... I also wish I lived there! Miss Constance, Bellevue Heights Primary School.