Rippon Lea
Education Programs

Foundation to Level 2
Cost: $17 per Student
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For Enquires

Email [email protected] or phone: (03) 9656 9889

Digital Resource Level 1 Primary

This program at Rippon Lea Estate examines the past through family history, children's life, schooling and domestic work. It includes toys, games, sports, period clothes and exploration activities.

Rippon Lea House and Gardens is one of the largest surviving nineteenth century grand suburban estates in Australia and was included on Australia’s premiere heritage listing, the National Heritage list in 2006.

The house was completed in 1868. It was built for Frederick Sargood. Sargood made his money selling soft-goods on the goldfields. The house is named after his mother’s maiden-name, Rippon. Lea is an English word for meadow. The property was a large, self-sufficient farm, about twice the size it is now. The mansion was originally 15 rooms; it currently has 33 rooms. Sargood moved in with his first wife, Marian, and their 9 surviving children. There were 7 maids, a butler, 7 gardeners, a coachman and a groom.

NTV Education offers a lower-primary level program, as well as a VCE Geography resource pack available for purchase.

Then and Now:
Upstairs Downstairs

Foundation – Level 2
Join our costumed educators, and step back in time to learn about life in the 1800s. This full-day program is jam-packed with activities that will have students taking on the role of children of the mid-1800s; playing, working, and exploring in four hands-on activities.

Explore the beautiful Rippon Lea Estate as guests of the Sargood family, discovering differences in daily life, investigating past toilets, and learning some of the rules of etiquette.
Step into the shoes of one of Rippon Lea’s 36 servants in a series of activities that will see students discover the impacts of changing technologies on people’s home and work lives from the 1800s to today.

Get ready to work together as detectives in the Creature Catcher activity, inspired by Rippon Lea’s past zoo, hunting for clues in Rippon Lea’s beautiful and expansive garden.
Uncover the changing nature of children’s pastimes with a series of outdoor games from the 1800s like croquet, quoits, and skipping.

Curriculum Links - Foundation to Level 2

SubjectStrandSub-StrandContent DescriptionsStudents will...
HistoryHistorical knowledge and understandingPersonal historiesdifferences 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 historiesthe 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 SkillsContinuity and Changeidentify 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 CapabilitySocial Awareness and ManagementCollaborationsimple 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.

Further Program Details

  • Available

    Monday - Friday during school terms

  • Duration

    4 hours - 10am-2pm

  • Numbers

    minimum 20, maximum 60 students.

  • Resources

    Social script for parents and teachers of students on the autism spectrum.

    Teachers will receive a detailed resource pack that includes suggested pre- and post-visit activities upon booking.

  • Cost

    2024 dates: $15 per student. 2025 dates: $17 per student.

  • Safety

    Click here to access the Rippon Lea Education Task Risk Assessment document.

  • Accessibility

    Please advise our bookings team if your students require wheelchair-friendly access; some accommodations can be made. The mansion has a set of stairs which is not accessible.

  • Bookings

    To book inv
    Online booking form

  • For enquiries:

    Email [email protected]
    Phone: (03)9656 9889

We visited Rippon Lea Mansion with two separate groups. We had a fantastic experience and will definitely be visiting in the future with more school groups.

Grade 1 & 2 teacher, Ripponlea Primary School, November 2023.
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South Yarra 3141 VIC
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