Then and Now: Upstairs Downstairs at Rippon Lea Estate
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.
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.
About the Program
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
| 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 Sargood 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 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. | |||
| 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 Rippon Lea and how it has changed since the 1800s. | ||
| 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 how the invention of new domestic technologies had an influence on daily life. | ||
| VC2HH2S06 | ||||
| Personal and Social Capability | Social Awareness and Management | Collaboration | simple skills required for collaboration with peers | Work together to solve a mystery during the Creature Catcher activity. |
| VC2CPFO03 | ||||
| broader skills required for collaboration with peers and ways to monitor contributions to group tasks | ||||
| VC2CP2O04 |
Program Details
Monday – Friday during school terms.
4 hours, 10:00am-2:00pm
Minimum 20, maximum 60 students per day
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 document.
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.
To book, complete the Online Booking Form. For enquiries, email [email protected] or phone (03) 9656 9889.
Rippon Lea Estate Education Programs
192 Hotham St,
Elsternwick VIC 3185
Our students loved the role play tasks; learning to dance in the ballroom and pretending to be servants by washing clothes and serving drinks. They were full of ideas and thoughts about these experiences in the days following the excursion.
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