our story
The story of Raith House
A sheet draped over chairs becomes a little house. A handful of flowers calls for a vase. Dressing up leads to a performance, with someone arranging seats for the audience.
At Raith House, we’re creating a home where these everyday moments can unfold. Where children can follow an idea, make something with their hands and find their place among people who know them well.
This is what an unhurried childhood means to us. Time to wonder. Space to be little. And caring people alongside you as you discover who you are becoming.
The Raith House Way
How children learn here
Children’s curiosity, met with thoughtful, intentional teaching.
Our educators prepare purposeful spaces, introduce new possibilities and know when to step back so children can discover something for themselves. A familiar rhythm of play, gathering, meals and rest gives each day its shape.
our history
The house and its grounds
For more than a century, Raith House has been part of the local landscape.
1903
Built for the Merewether family, with rooms, verandas and gardens that still hold the character of another time.
1964
Acquired by the Child Welfare Department and became Raith Lark Hill Hostel, accommodating children in State care.
Today
Being carefully restored for early learning, preserving the character of the home while adapting it for the children and families who will spend their days here.
The chapter from 1964 belongs to the people who experienced it. We acknowledge it with care and respect, recognising that the house will hold different memories for different people.
our people
The people behind Raith House
“Sometimes a place changes what you thought came next.”
After many years running early learning services, Leonie and Andrew hadn’t planned to open another. Then they saw Raith House. They could imagine children gathered around a story, tending something they had planted, or returning to a creation waiting in the studio.
Andrew brings a deep commitment to preserving the house’s history, gardens and character. Leonie brings a creative eye and a love of making. Their shared picture is a simple one: families arriving through the central hallway, greeted by familiar faces.
Working alongside them are Leeza Browne and the team from Platinum Education. An early childhood teacher and experienced service leader, Leeza is helping bring the Raith House Way into everyday life, and Platinum Education will continue supporting our director and educators as Raith House grows.
Our director, once appointed, will lead daily life at Raith House and be a familiar point of connection for families and carers.
Looking forward
We’re working with the home’s character, creating places to gather, make, settle with a book or rest. There will be music, laughter and busy hands, alongside moments of quiet.
The verandas
Wraparound verandas carry daily life into the fresh air, bringing the outdoors close throughout the day.
The gardens
Established trees and gardens offer discoveries that change with the seasons, from a new shoot to an insect on the move.
Spaces to grow
Separate outdoor areas for each age group, with room for movement, exploration and time together.
Our team
It takes a caring team to make a house feel like home.
Our educators are qualified and experienced, and each brings something of themselves, whether a love of gardening, music or storytelling. They take time to know your child, and know when to reassure, when to challenge and when to gently guide.
We care deeply for the people who care for your child. Because the feeling of Raith House begins with them.
A safe Place
Keeping children safe
When you leave your child with us, you are trusting us with someone deeply precious to you.
Safety is part of our everyday work: knowing where children are, noticing when something changes and listening to children in all the ways they communicate. Our team is carefully selected and supported through child protection training and ongoing reflection, and we welcome families’ questions and concerns.
Every child has the right to feel safe, be heard and be treated with dignity in our home.
Come and meet us
The best way to understand what makes Raith House special is to experience it for yourself. Meet the team, wander through the rooms and grounds, and picture what your child’s days here could look like.