School Programs

Education is our chance to share our passion for Australia’s unique natural, Indigenous and historic heritage with those who will follow us. It is an integral part of ensuring the continuity of our work.

Colony, Country and Conflict

STAGE 3 pupils examine and contrast the differences in food, medicine and law and between colonial and Indigenous cultures.

Plants, Pills and Potions

STAGE 2 pupils grow crops and make plant-based colonial medicines in Surgeon John Harris’ garden.

The Seed that Saved Sydney!

STAGE 1 pupils ‘travel back in time’ and plant corn on the same land where James Ruse farmed.

Seriously ‘Old School’ – Woodford Academy

The Woodford Academy, the Blue Mountains oldest building, offers school students the chance to study history from a rich primary source. Built originally as

Exploring History – Cooma Cottage

This program will allow students to develop historical inquiry skills.

A Currency Lad, from Convicts to Leading Citizens

Students will learn about the life of James and Mary including how they built their house and how activities such as eating and drinking, keeping warm and

Tales of a Colonial Settlement

This includes and builds on the story of James and Mary and their home to set them in the context of the developing Berrima Village between 1830 and 1860.

‘Present and Past Family Life’ and ‘The Past in the Present’ – Miss Traill’s House, Bathurst

A tour of the house, a handwriting lesson from the past and old-fashioned games.

Fantastic Visions – Norman Lindsay Gallery, Springwood

Norman Lindsay's home in Springwood became an artistic centre for the creation of an arcadian vision.

Animals in Arcadia – Norman Lindsay Gallery, Springwood

Students are introduced to the life and work of the artist and writer Norman Lindsay and in particular his artwork and stories about animals.

Life in the Country – Saumarez Homestead, Armidale

Students interpret and document the site using photographs and drawings, their own observations, maps, plans and primary sources.

Primary School Portraiture Program

This program offers primary school audiences the opportunity to learn about the practice of portraiture and to experience the variety of practice in this field.

Governing and Caring for Country – Old Government House, Parramatta

Explore colonial life and consider the lives of convicts, governors and First Nations Australians in this Stage 2 education program at Old Government House.

The Past in the Present and the Present in the Past: From the Paddock to the Plate

Step back in time to the world of a pastoral property dating from the 1830s.

Related content section

Search National Trust