Take the tribe on a trip to the past at Australiana Pioneer Village for some historical fun.
If you are looking for something a little educational but also filled but truckloads of fun, take a trip to Wilberforce to visit Australiana Pioneer Village. Here’s what we loved about our day at the historic village.
Fun rides for the tribe
There are a couple of options for rides for the kids (and the grown ups too). There is a little steam train called the Pioneer Express that does a few laps around the miniature railway. There is room for adults to ride in the carriage if they like, but we sent the tribe on their own, much to their delight!
There is also an even smaller ride on train called the Village Express nearby for the little ones. Tickets for the Pioneer Express are $5 per rider and the mini train costs $3 per rider.
There’s also a Hay Wagon ride that goes around the lagoon and the animal enclosures for a few dollars per rider.
Historical Australian buildings
It’s fascinating walking through a historic Church, shearing shed, barber shop, post office, homes and a bank. Inside the homes are artefacts and information. It was interesting to the kids to see bed pans and to see firsthand how small homes were in the 1800’s. They also loved seeing coins, counting machines, how the mail was organised and how the people dressed.
There are friendly staff in some of the shops dressed up in pioneer outfits who are happy to throw their historical knowledge your way. The kids loved learning about jewellery making, oil lamps and the significance of the Pears Soap advertisements from many years ago. There are so many things to see and learn about.
Farm animals and feeding time
There are farm animals at Australiana Pioneer village and a designated feeding time. For $1 a bag, the kids get a carrot and a bag of animal feed and are invited to come up to the animal paddocks where they can offer feed to the sheep and goats and a carrot to the horses and donkey.
School holiday events
A visit to Australiana Pioneer Village in the holidays is even more fun with special events organised during the week. There are Science and Nature workshops and even Dinosaurs that will come and take over the village for a week. Be sure to check their website and social media to stay on top of the different events coming to the village.
Food and eats
There’s two cafes to grab a bite to eat with reasonably priced menus and lots of options for lunch, but you are also welcome to pack a picnic and enjoy that anywhere outside at the village. There is also a regular coffee van on site which we paid a few visits to and a lolly shop that the kids took advantage of.
Visiting Windsor? Take the tribe to Governor Phillip Park.
