Calthorpes House

About this activity

Every seen those old black and white photos and wondered who the people were smiling back at the camera? Where did they live? What was it like to live in Australia during that time?

Calthorpes' House is a journey back through Australian history, where kids and families can experience what it might have been like to live here during the 1920s. It's a window into an almost forgotten world.

Calthorpes' House was built in 1927, and this house is a treasure chest of domestic history.

As you wander around the house, imagine what it would have been like to grow up in a house like this. How does it differ to how you live now? The house is like a window into the past, with it's original furnishings,household appliances and photos that genuinely capture a time in Australia's past. It's a great insight into the style and fashions of the late 1920's, in just your average middle class Australian home - something that you wouldn't really think about turning into a museum, but once there you realise how fascinating it really is.

Calthorpes' House have a number of community and school programs and events across the year, which will really help kids get the most out of this educational stop.

They have special school holiday events too, and ones you might not expect from such a museum (like Revive, Restore and Re-Veg where kids can get their hands dirty as they plant spring veggies in the garden - types that would have been eaten by the Calthorpe family back in the early days of Canberra!)

There are also fun programs especially for kids where they can enjoy rhymes, games, and crafts all inspired by the history of the house! 

Are you ready to see another side to Australian life?