At the National Wool Museum curiosity is sparked and senses are engaged!
We offer an exciting range of tours and hands-on workshops. Our learning experiences align with the Victorian Curriculum, develop the general capabilities, and use inquiry-based pedagogy.
In our programs students will:
- Explore the story of Geelong and the region, focusing on human enterprise and innovation.
- Discover fascinating exhibits, objects and machines.
- Make and create with wool, fibre and textiles.
- Learn about First Nations traditional owners, the Wadawurrung people.
- Experience the 1910 Axminster Jacquard carpet loom, the grand centrepiece of the museum, in action.
The museum offers a variety of self-guided visits, museum educator-led tours and workshops to suit the needs and learning outcomes of schools. Alongside the core exhibitions On the Land: Our Story Retold and In the Factory, we also present a vibrant annual program of temporary and touring exhibitions that offer a diverse mix of lifelong learning experiences.
All facilitated programs are led by experienced museum educators and align with the Victorian Curriculum.
Maximum group size is 30 students. Two groups of 30 students can be accommodated at the same time, but please contact our Learning Officer for a schedule.
For larger groups: please contact the Learning Officer at [email protected] or call 03 5272 4701.
Self-Guided Visits
Groups can participate in a teacher-led guided tour of our galleries using our Exhibition Activities, Conversation Starters and Exhibition Insights.
Alternatively, teachers can use their own guides and worksheets.
Bookings essential to avoid clashes with other groups and programs.
Book online
Museum-educator Guided Tours
Duration: 45 minutes
Students: 30 maximum
Audience: Primary and Secondary
Learning Stage: Foundation - VCE
Learning Area: Humanities, English
Students are led on a tour of the wool-themed galleries, “On the Land” and “In the Factory.”
Through storytelling and visual thinking routines students explore Wadawurrung Country, learn about the development of the wool industry in Geelong and compare historical and contemporary technologies.
Students will also examine historical objects such as the Ferrier Wool Press and the scouring machine.
The tour supports learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, as well as incorporating intercultural capabilities and critical and creative thinking.
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Learning Workshops
A First Visit to the Museum
Duration: 45 minutes
Students: 30 maximum
Audience: Kinder, Childcare, Playgroups
Learning Stage: Three to 4-year-old kinder
Learning Area: Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
Welcome to the National Wool Museum, your museum!
Students are introduced to the world of museums through interactive stories, games and exploring objects. Most of the items presented can be handled.
These sessions encourage students to be curious learners, exploring new environments and objects that help them understand their place in the world
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Stitch in Time
Duration: 45 minutes
Students: 30 maximum
Audience: Primary School
Learning stage: Foundation to Year 4
Learning Area: Humanities-History, Design Technology
What do objects from the past tell us about people and places? Follow the threads of time through the Museum’s unique collection items to look at how daily life has changed.
Discover the stories of human invention and resourcefulness connected to these historical sources.
Students will build stitching and fabric stencilling skills and view a ‘wagga’ quilt from the Museum’s collection.
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Woollen wonder
Duration: 45 minutes
Students: 30 maximum
Audience: Upper Primary to Lower Secondary
Learning Stage: Year 3 to Year 8
Learning Area: Humanities - History, Science, Design Technology
How does wool get from a sheep’s back to the clothing rack?
Go on a sensory journey and discover the unique properties of wool through hand skills like scouring (washing), spinning wheels, dyeing, knitting and weaving.
Students experiment with and explore the properties of wool and make a felt-based artwork.
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Mapping the Land
Duration: 45 minutes
Students: 30 maximum
Audience: Upper Primary, Lower Secondary school
Learning Stage: Year 5 to 8
Learning Area: Humanities-Geography, Design Technology, Visual Art
The Geelong region on Wadawurrung Country is home to precious landscapes: rugged coastline, grasslands, and the forests of the Brisbane Ranges. These ecosystems have been radically altered by human intervention: through agricultural practices, urban development and introduced species.
In this workshop, students will look at Wadawurrung art and European maps of the area to investigate representations of the landscape and mapping conventions. Through hands-on inquiry, students will collaboratively tackle issues around sustainability and land management practices.
Students will then make their own creative map of Geelong.
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Industrial Innovations
Duration: 45 minutes
Students: 30 maximum
Audience: Secondary school
Learning Stage: Year 7 to VCE
Learning Area: Humanities-History, Business, Design Technology
The National Wool Musuem’s 1910 Axminster Gripper Loom is one of only two machines in the world that is still operational. Students will get to watch this machine in action.
Through observation and discussion, students learn about a revolutionary innovation - the Jacquard punch-card programming system. They discover how this industrial innovation is connected to the computer systems we use today and how machines used in the textile industries changed how people work and live.
Working collaboratively, students will then decode their own Jacquard punch-cards, cracking the code to create a special design.
Available Monday - Wednesday only
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Temporary Exhibitions 2025
Museum Educator Led Tour: 45 minutes
The Museum's annual temporary and touring exhibition program offers a broad range of learning opportunities to explore, respond and learn about People, Places and their connections to each other across Australia and the World. Our tours of these exhibition can be tailored to meet the needs of individual schools.
English, Humanities, Visual Art, Design Technology, Civics and Citizenship, Cross Curricula priorities.
Need to know more...
Email [email protected] for further information and bookings.