Polly Woodside Education Programs

Education program VIC

Welcome aboard shipmates, are you ready to learn the ropes?

Polly Woodside is a 3-masted sailing ship (barque) that was commissioned by William Woodside. She was built in the docks of Belfast and was Christened by Marian Woodside – William’s wife – in 1885. Polly got her name from Marian who was nicknamed Polly. She was a cargo ship, destined to take coal to South America to be sold, returning to England with nitrate. In her many voyages, she rounded the dangerous Cape Horn 16 times – no mean feat for a sailing ship!  

NTV Education currently offers curriculum aligned programs for primary and secondary students. The Primary program is highly recommended for Levels 3 & 4, with strong links to the First Contacts history unit. The primary and secondary cross-cultural program aligns strongly with Levels 3 & 4, and Levels 7 & 8, focusing on Geography and History.  

Please note: Polly Woodside ship is not wheelchair accessible

Ship Shape and Ready to Sail

Level 3-4

Ahoy sailors! Best ye be ready for a day of hands-on activity and exploration aboard Melbourne’s very own tall ship; Polly Woodside! Our crew have a series of activities to ensure students are ship shape for launch day; scrub the deck; steer the ship; signal your crew; climb the yard arm and more!

Students will explore Polly Woodside with a First Mate, learning about what life was like on board a tall ship in the past, exploring food rations, toilets, navigation and hierarchy, through primary source artefacts, hands-on activities, and games.

Curriculum links for Levels 3 & 4
SubjectStrandSub-strandContent descriptionsStudents will…
HistoryHistorical knowledge and understandingEarly colonisation of Australia to c. 1800the causes for the establishment of the first permanent British colony on Gadigal Country (Sydney) in 1788Experience what life was like for an explorer aboard a tall ship, including navigational technologies and daily routines.
VC2HH4K07
   the experiences and perspectives of individuals and groups, including military and civilian officials and convicts, involved in the establishment of the first British colony on Gadigal Country (Sydney)Learn about what the experience of being aboard a tall ship was like.
VC2HH4K08
 Historical Concepts and SkillsUsing Historical Sourcesidentify the features and content of historical sourcesUtilise primary sources aboard Polly Woodside and in the museum, that provide insight into the lives of sailors.
VC2HH4S03 
   describe perspectives of people from the past based on evidence from primary sourcesExplore the evidence provided in George Andrews’ diary, which recounts what life aboard a tall ship was like.
VC2HH4S04
  Continuity and Changeidentify and describe continuity and changeExamine the similarities and differences between the technologies used aboard ships both then and now.
VC2HH4S06
Design and TechnologiesTechnologies ContextsEngineering principles and systemsdescribe how forces affect function in a product or systemExplore the importance of wind power in the operation of sailing ships.
VC2TDE4C01

Further Program Details

Available:Monday-Thursday during term time.
Duration:2 hours
Numbers:20-80 students per session.
Teacher/carer:student ratio:1:10
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: $12 per student. 2025 dates: $13 per student.
Safety:Click here to access the Polly Woodside Task Risk Assessment document.
Accessibility:Polly Woodside is not accessible to thosein wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. The museum is wheelchair accessible.
Bookings:To book in:
Online booking form

For enquiries:
Email bookings@nattust.com.au
Phone: (03)9656 9889

 

Polly Woodside Education Programs

Who knew students could get so excited about history?! Our excursion to Polly Woodside was such a memorable experience! Students could not believe how sailors lived on the ships; from the sleeping quarters, to the hardtack that they survived on with the addition of a lemon/ orange, to pay being docked for not listening and the different names for the locations on the ship. Polly is an absolute beauty and what a great introduction into our 'First Fleet' unit.

Grade 4 teacher, Heritage College, April 2024.

Wurundjeri Cultural Program

Levels 3-8

Explore colonisation, industrialisation and water in the world through different lenses on the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River) at Polly Woodside.

Join an educator from Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation for an engaging and hands-on session in which students will explore cultural connections to Country for the Wurundjeri people; discover different traditional tools and their uses; and take part in a creation story themed roleplay.

Step aboard Polly Woodside with our crew to explore the life of a sailor focusing on nautical technologies and conditions at sea in the time of sailing ships.

Explore the banks of the Birrarung as a class, considering the causes and consequences of colonisation and industrialisation on the Birrarung, visiting key sites such as Enterprize Park where Batman landed in 1832, and a surviving 1800s factory.

Curriculum links for Levels 3 & 4
SubjectStrandSub-strandContent descriptionsStudents will…
HistoryHistorical knowledge and understandingEarly colonisation of Australia to c. 1800the causes for the establishment of the first permanent British colony on Gadigal Country (Sydney) in 1788Experience what life was like for an explorer aboard a tall ship, including navigational technologies and daily life.
VC2HH4K07
   the experiences and perspectives of individuals and groups, including military and civilian officials and convicts, involved in the establishment of the first British colony on Gadigal Country (Sydney)Discover what the experience of being aboard a tall ship was like.
VC2HH4K08
   different interpretations of the early colonisation of Australia, including why British colonisation is interpreted as an invasion, and Terra NulliusCompare and contrast the differences between the experiences of the experiences of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and Europeans such as John Batman after invasion occurred on the Birrarung.
VC2HH4K10
  Community, remembrance and celebrationsthe significance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples who are connected to their areaExplore the significance of Country to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people.
VC2HH4K01
 Historical Concepts and SkillsUsing Historical Sourcesidentify the features and content of historical sourcesUtilise primary sources aboard Polly Woodside that give insight into the lives of sailors.
VC2HH4S03 
   describe perspectives of people from the past based on evidence from primary sourcesExplore the evidence provided in George Andrews’ diary, that recounts what life aboard a tall ship was like.
VC2HH4S04
  Continuity and Changeidentify and describe continuity and changeExamine the similarities and differences between the technologies used aboard ships both then and now. Explore the changes that occurred to the Birrarung through colonisation and industrialisation.
VC2HH4S06
GeographyGeographical Knowledge and UnderstandingDiversity of Places and environmentsthe importance of environments, including natural vegetation and water sources, to people and animals in Australia and on another continentExplore the importance of water sources like the Birrarung for the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, as well as the European invaders.
VC2HG4K03
Curriculum links for Levels 5 & 6
SubjectStrandSub-strandContent descriptionsStudents will…
HistoryHistorical KnowledgeAustralia 1800-1900the impacts of the development of colonies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, local-born colonists and migrants, and on the environmentExplore the changes that occurred due to colonisation and industrialisation, including daily life for the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, as well as changes to the landscape.
VC2HH6K02
   the continuities and changes associated with significant developments or events on a colonyAnalyse the impact of John Batman’s treaty.
VC2HH6K03
 Historical Concepts and SkillsContinuity and Changedescribe patterns of continuity and changeExamine the similarities and differences between the technologies used aboard ships both then and now. Explore the changes that occurred to the Birrarung through colonisation and industrialisation.
VC2HH6S07
Curriculum links for Levels 7 & 8
SubjectStrandSub-strandContent descriptionsStudents will…
HistoryHistorical Knowledge development and features of early societies, such as the development of technologies, agriculture, trade, social groups, religious beliefs and lawsExplore some of the oral histories of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people’s experiences pre-colonisation.
VC2HH8K02
  Investigation: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' knowledge and understandings (Deep Time to the modern era)significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ beliefs and values that shaped, and continue to shape, everyday life, such as the relationships with Country and Place, land, trade, technologies and storiesDiscover the beliefs and values held by many First Peoples communities, including dreaming stories which encourage care for Country and Place.
VC2HH8K09
 Historical Concepts and SkillsCauses and consequencesexplain the causes and consequences of significant events, individuals, ideas and developments and their contribution to continuity and changeExamine the causes and consequences of invasion and industrialisation on the Birrarung.
VC2HH8S08
GeographyGeographical Knowledge and UnderstandingWater in the worldthe environmental, economic, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic uses and value of water, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and peoples of the Asia regionExplore the significance of The Birrarung for Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as both a food source and for spiritual and cultural uses. Understand how vital water was to transportation and economics in the 1800s for Europeans.
VC2HG8K02

Further Program Details

Available:On request.
Duration:4 hours. 10am-2pm
Numbers:20-80 students per day.
Teacher/carer:student ratio:1:10
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:$35 per student
Safety:Click here to access the Polly Woodside Task Risk Assessment document.
Accessibility:Polly Woodside is not accessible to those in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. The museum is wheelchair accessible.
Bookings:To book in:
Online booking form

For enquiries:
Email bookings@nattust.com.au
Phone: (03)9656 9889

 

Polly Woodside Education Programs

Plan your visit

Polly Woodside Education Programs

Address:

21 South Wharf Promenade
South Wharf 3006 VIC

Phone:
03 9656 988
Email:
bookings@nattrust.com.au
What we offer:

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Book your school program

Simply fill in our online booking form with your details to make a booking request

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"The staff at Polly Woodside thrust us into the time period immediately and engaged the students in a hands-on experience that really made them realise what life was like onboard ships of the time."

Teacher, Mentone Grammar, March 2024
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