Early to Rise
About the program
Step into the past and experience farm life at Rouse Hill Estate through hands-on activities and object-based learning.
Students explore the property and learn about life on a farm in the 19th century. They visit the beautifully preserved stables and learn about the vital role of horses – for both transport and farm work – and how daily life on the farm depended on hard work and routine.
Hands-on activities include:
- shifting bags of chaff and polishing saddles in the tack room
- feeding the chooks and the sheep
- hanging out the washing
- pumping water
Through these activities, students learn firsthand what daily life was like for children on a farm in the late 19th century.
Early to Rise complements the other Stage 1 History program at Rouse Hill Estate, Lessons from the Past. (Please see the Lessons from the Past page for the cost scale of combining the two programs.)
Prepare your group with an ‘Excursion introduction’, found under Resources. This introduction supports teachers, including those working with ASD students in integrated classrooms.
Conservation works are currently underway on the property and are scheduled for completion in July 2025. Some parts of the main house and stables will be publicly inaccessible during this time however the learning programs are not impacted as we have adjusted the program to move impacted program sections to other areas. If you are interested to know more about the conservation works, please read Conservation works at Rouse Hill Estate.
Rouse Hill Estate
356 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155- Wheelchair accessible
Cost (GST free)
From $200 for up to 20 students
See page for cost scale details
Duration
90 minutes
Session offered
Monday to Friday 10.30am–2pm
Maximum students
60 per session
Supervision ratios
The supervision ratio is 1:10 for primary groups and 1:15 for secondary groups. Teachers and parents attend free of charge at these ratios. One carer per student with special needs will be admitted free of charge
Additional visitor costs
Each additional visitor will be charged at the concession rate of $12
Related
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Onsite
Child's Play
Students learn about what it was like to live at Vaucluse House for the wealthy family of William Charles and Sarah Wentworth, with their ten children and many servants
Onsite
Lessons from the Past
Integrating outcomes from History, PDHPE and Creative Arts, this program gives students the opportunity to learn firsthand about what school life was like in the late 19th century
Onsite
Now and Then
As students are guided through the property, they discover that the household lived without the benefits of running water, bathrooms, electricity, appliances or paved roads