PLACES TO VISIT

Click on the property name to view Education & Learning programs.

Bookings are essential at all places.

Perth Metropolitan Region

East Perth Cemeteries

When Governor Stirling arrived in the Swan River Colony in 1829, one of his first acts was to set aside land for public needs including the practical requirement of a cemetery. East Perth Cemeteries have significant heritage value because they were the main burial grounds for the Swan River Colony from 1829 to the end of the 19th century.

A visit to the Cemeteries and follow up activities allows students to examine significant events, people and settlement during the period of the Swan River settlement and into the goldrush. 
Australian Curriculum: History Swan River Colony resources for year 5 students and pre and post visit activities are available.

No 1 Pump Station, Mundaring Weir

The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme designed by CY O’Connor was originally built to transfer water from the Perth hills to the goldfields of Western Australia, a distance of 560 kilometres. The scheme was opened in 1903.    
No 1 Pump Station was the first of eight steam pump stations and an extensive four-year renovation project by the National Trust now makes No 1 Pump Station a showcase for the scheme.

Schools visiting No 1 Pump Station have a wide choice of tours and activities including Water Corporation's Waterwise Schools Programs. Students learn about the significant people and events involved with the scheme.
Teaching, research resources and pre and post visit activities are available.

Old Observatory, West Perth

The Old Perth Observatory, situated at the top of Mount Eliza near Kings Park, is now the headquarters of the National Trust. Originally there were three main buildings on the Observatory site but today just the Government Astronomer's Residence remains.

The building and land have historic significance. Visiting schools can use the Observatory as a base from which to explore West Perth and how the area and architecture of the area changed between 1890s and mid 1900s.

Tour Through Time resources and pre and post visit activities are available.

Peninsula Farm (Tranby), Maylands

Situated on a rise above the banks of the Swan River, Peninsula Farm is a unique example of a colonial farmhouse. It is one of the few surviving examples of colonial domestic buildings of the Swan River Colony. The buildings and artefacts provide an excellent introduction to settlement and life during the early days of the Swan River Colony.

School visits include a tour and hands-on activities.
Australian Curriculum: History Swan River Colony resources for year 5 students and pre and post visit activities are available.

Woodbridge, near Midland

When Captain James Stirling explored this area he named it 'Woodbridge' as it reminded him of the area around his wife’s family home in England. Charles Harper bought the property in 1883, constructing the house and using the land to trial various crops and farming methods.  Two of Charles and Fanny’s sons were killed at Gallipoli in 1915. From 1921 it was used as a school and from 1942 a government home for aged women.

Schools can choose tours and activities to suit age and ability levels.

Teaching resources and pre and post visit activities are available.

Regional areas

Central Greenough (historic settlement), near Geraldton

Located 380 kilometres north of Perth, the Greenough Flats form the flood plain at the mouth of the Greenough River. During the 1860's Greenough became a thriving agricultural area with Central Greenough at the hub. The decline of the area led to the population dropping dramatically in the first half of the 20th century.

Visiting this large site gives an understanding of the history of the period and the reasons for its decline.

Ellensbrook, Margaret River

Built in 1857, by Alfred and Ellen Bussell, Ellensbrook was home to their family of 12 children. The buildings use local materials and are examples of pioneering building techniques. Initially the tiny dwelling was of simple construction but with more prosperity more rooms were added. The site is strongly associated with Aboriginal sites and legends and links historical, social and spiritual heritage values.

Golden Pipeline

The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was an engineering marvel in the early 20th Century. The scheme depended for its success on 8 pump stations at intervals along the railway route from Mundaring Weir to Kalgoorlie. This heritage ‘place’ is therefore a ribbon 560km long and about 20 metres wide, with pumping stations, their associated buildings and related infrastructure along its length. The Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail follows the pipeline and has interpretation all along the route. Explore the Golden Pipeline as you journey to Kalgoorlie.

Old Farm, Strawberry Hill, Albany

The original farm was built in 1830 and was the site of the first farm in Western Australia under constant cultivation. In 1835 Captain Sir Richard Spencer, the first Government Resident in Albany, his wife and nine children arrived at the settlement and took possession of Government Farm as it was then known.  The Bird family purchased the property in 1889 and changed the name to 'The Old Farm'. This place, with many of its original artefacts, was the first historic property in WA to be restored and opened to the public by the National Trust.

Wonnerup, near Busselton

Wonnerup is set in farmlands close to a tuart forest near the Vasse Estuary wetlands. The original house was built by the Layman family in 1838. A second home was built in 1859 and in 1874 the one teacher school was opened. All buildings are open to the public.

A collaborative program with Department of Environment and Conservation engageS students with the history and cultural heritage of the area and the biodiversity of the tuart forest.

York Courthouse Complex

York was the first inland town established in Western Australia. The Old Gaol and Courthouse complex features historic colonial buildings which date from 1852. The buildings, erected gradually over many years, include two law courts, prison cells and a troopers' cottage.

Schools visiting York Courthouse are encouraged to download resources available on this website for links to the Arts.

Burrup Peninsula, Pilbara

The Burrup Peninsula near Karratha in the north west of Western Australia, is too far for most schools to visit. The National Trust's online courses about the region meet the standards of the Australian Curriculum: History and WA Curriculum Council. 
The Ancient World: Investigating the Ancient Past is a depth study for year 7 students that uses the Burrup Peninsula as an Inquiry. The course explores how we know about the ancient past and what legacies are left of ancient societies.
The Burrup and Beyond: 40 000 years of Local History is a Unit 1A/2A WA Curriculum Council Modern History  course for year 11 students. It  explores the conflict between the heritage values and ancient history (the rock art/ petroglyphs) of the place and the sustainablity of the changing landscape.