On Thursday 11^th August Year 1 visited Vaucluse House – Sydney Living Museums. Students learnt 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. The students explored the ways of life for different household members at Vaucluse House and made comparisons with their own lives today.

The tour of Vaucluse House began in the service wing, visiting the former well, dairy, scullery and kitchen, where students discovered how the Wentworths’ 40 servants ran the household without the help of plumbing, power or electrical appliances. An exploration of the kitchen prompted discussions of unfamiliar technologies and students also explored the front of the house, including the beautiful drawing room, where the privileged Wentworths’ led comfortable lives and entertained in style. Upstairs students saw the bedrooms and found out what children wore in the 19th century.

There was also a teacher-led component of the program that included a walk to the vegetable garden, an exploration of the stables and the boys had the opportunity to play some of the games enjoyed by children in the 19th century – croquet, skittles, cup and ball, quoits and hoops.

We had a great day out!