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.
About the Program
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 | Uncover the societal pressures faced by families in the past, and how the life of the McCrae family differs from families today. |
| VC2HH2K02 | ||||
| differences and similarities between students’ daily lives and how these have changed or remained the same over time | Discover how children in the past played and identify some similarities as well as some differences. | |||
| VC2HH2K03 | ||||
| Community histories | the history of a local historical site of social, cultural or spiritual significance and how it has changed over time | Learn about the social significance of McCrae Homestead, and the Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Wonga to the Bunurong people and how it has changed over time. | ||
| VC2HH2K05 | ||||
| the consequences of changing technologies on people’s lives at home, and the ways they worked, travelled and communicated in the past | Get their hands dirty, using 1800s domestic technologies to discover how they affected daily life and the differences to today. | |||
| VC2HH2K06 | ||||
| Historical Concepts and Skills | Continuity and Change | identify examples of continuity and change by comparing the past and present | Compare lives in the 1800s to lives in the present day. | |
| VC2HH2S05 | ||||
| Causes and Consequences | identify the causes and consequences of changes | Discuss why the invention of new domestic technologies had an influence on daily life. | ||
| VC2HH2S06 | ||||
| Design and Technologies | Technologies contexts | Food and fibre production | explore how plants and animals are grown for food, clothing and shelter | Explore how vital the landscape and agriculture was to both the Bunurong people and the McCrae family in ensuring they had enough food, discovering how milk was turned into butter in a practical demonstration. |
| VC2TDE2C02 | ||||
| Intercultural Capability | Cultural Diversity | cultural diversity in familiar places, including the school and/or local community | Explore the cultural diversity of the local area. | |
| VC2CI2D01 |
| Subject | Strand | Sub-strand | Content descriptions | Students will… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History | Historical knowledge and understanding | Community, Remembrance and Celebration | causes and consequences of changes in a local community and the contributions and experiences of people from diverse backgrounds to a local community | Discover how the Bunurong people and the McCrae’s contributed to the local area. |
| VC2HH4K02 | ||||
| Early colonisation of Australia to c. 1800 | different interpretations of the early colonisation of Australia, including why British colonisation is interpreted as an invasion, and Terra Nullius | Explore the meaning of Terra Nullius, and how the story of the Bunurong people, as told by the McCrae family refutes this claim. | ||
| VC2HH4K10 | ||||
| Historical Concepts and Skills | Causes and Consequences | describe the causes and consequences of change | Describe the cause of colonisation of Victoria, and the consequences for different people. | |
| VC2HH4S07 | ||||
| Intercultural Capability | Culture, Identity, and Belonging | understandings that can be gained from intercultural experiences, including a critical perspective on, and respect for, diverse cultures, including their own | Understand what the McCrae family learned from their interactions with the Bunurong people. | |
| VC2CI4C02 | Hear about the McCrae family's interactions with the Bunurong people, and why it has been described as a mutually respectful relationship |
| Subject | Strand | Sub-strand | Content descriptions | Students will… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History | Historical Knowledge and Understanding | Australia 1800-1900 | the impacts of the development of colonies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, local-born colonists and migrants, and on the environment | Discover the impacts of colonisation on the Bunurong people, and how the landscape has changed. |
| VC2HH6K02 | ||||
| the causes and consequences of people migrating to a colony from Europe and Asia and the perspectives, experiences and contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony | Understand the contributions of the McCrae family to the local area, and discover the causes and consequences for migration from Europe to Australia in the 1840s. | |||
| VC2HH6K04 | ||||
| Historical Concepts and Skills | Causes and consequences | explain the causes and consequences of significant events and developments | Explain the cause of colonisation to Victoria and the consequences for different groups of people. | |
| VC2HH6S08 |
Program Details
Monday-Friday during term time.
4 hours – 10am-2pm.
minimum 20, maximum 50 students.
Teacher/carer:student ratio: 1:10
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.
$17 per student.
Click here to access the Task Risk Assessment.
The house and kitchen are wheelchair accessible. Some doorways are narrow, please get in touch for more information.
To book, complete the Online Booking Form. For enquiries, email [email protected] or phone (03) 9656 9889.
McCrae Education Program
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!
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