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Outback House: Summer recreation

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Girls stand in river, man with horse stands in river
Outback House: Summer recreation

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  5–6


Outback homesteads had neither electricity nor running water in 1861.

Fire was used for heat. Water was drawn from underground wells or stored in tanks and was then carried inside. Candles provided light.

For many, isolation was a terrible struggle. Long distances and limited forms of transport meant that people spent months without visitors and rarely travelled to towns or cities.

In this clip from Outback House, a nearby swimming hole provides a welcome source of fun. It also gives the squatter's wife a few hours of rest from juggling the demands of three children and the challenges of running the homestead.


Things to think about

  1. 1.How do you have fun in hot weather? What games and activities do you enjoy in your spare time? How would your leisure time be different if you lived 150 years ago? What games would you have played?
  2. 2.What words does Mrs Allcorn use that tell you she finds the 1860s lifestyle very different from her own? Look at the colonial clothing Mrs Allcorn is folding. What do you notice? Where do Adam, the kitchen staff and children go swimming? How do they travel there? Notice what they wear to go swimming.
  3. 3.Mrs Allcorn says 'values have changed'. What do you think she means? Make a list of ten things you value. What would you value if you lived in the 1860s? How would your values be different if you were: a kitchen maid, squatter, shepherd or stable hand? Make a list of values for each person.
  4. 4.Find out about games and leisure activities for children in the 1800s. Use search terms such as 'traditional games children 1800s Australia'. Next, plan a recreation day for Oxley Downs in 1861. Include five different games or activities. Make a list of equipment you will need. Write or draw instructions for each game. Try them out with your family or friends.



Production Date: 2005


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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