Students experience two perspectives of how life would have been at McCrae Homestead through European and Indigenous cultural heritage interpretation.
An Indigenous and non-Indigenous facilitator will deliver a tailored program representing Indigenous cultural heritage through activities delivered alongside traditional European activities. This program has been created in partnership with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.
The Bunurong component of the program involves learning about the culture and heritage of the Bunurong people at the time when the McCrae homestead was built on Bunurong Country. Activities as part of the Bunurong component of the program include:
- Tracking animal footprints and identifying the animal that made those tracks.
- Gathering native food types practicing Bundjil’s lore.
- Learning about the importance of ceremony and storytelling.
- Experiencing traditional dance to share at a Corroboree.
The European component of the program demonstrates what daily life was like at the McCrae Homestead on the property which was known as Arthur’s Seat Run at the time. Activities as part of the European component of the program include:
- A house tour of the 1844 McCrae homestead.
- Domestic duties such as butter churning, hand washing with wash boards and sweeping.
- Old fashioned games such as egg and spoon races, sack races, quoits and skipping.
- Historical links to original diary entries and art work by the family that highlight the interaction that the McCrae family had with the Bunurong people during 1844 to 1851.
