Messines Bee Farm delivers hands on bee education experiences for schools and communities, designed to spark curiosity and deepen understanding across generations. Our programs are educator led and grounded in real world practice, combining live bees, sensory learning, and engaging teaching approaches to create meaningful learning experiences for children, adults, and older learners alike. We’re passionate about connecting people of all ages with bees, sustainability, and the natural world in ways that feel authentic, safe, and inspiring.
Messines Bee Farmis a beekeeping family business situated in the wheatbelt town of Northam in the heart of the picturesque Avon Valley. Northam is also home to a diverse range of attractions such as hot air ballooning, cultural experiences, wildflowers, tours & trails, historic buildings, white swans and of course our beautiful bees. Messines Bee Farm sells honey products, removes swarms and runs educational workshops.
We love sharing our knowledge of bees with people, young and old and are passionate about educating everyone on the importance of bees, their role for our planet, the plight they are facing and what we can do to help. Come and join us for one of our engaging workshops, we cant wait to introduce you all to our beautiful bees!
Jay, has been teaching for over 17 years. Currently she is a Learning Support Teacher but has taught across all primary age groups as a classroom teacher and music and art specialist. Her passions are differentiating our learning curriculum and creating new products with our honey and beeswax.
Caitlin, has worked as an Education assistant and is currently working in the mining industry as a Heritage and Cultural advisor. In her spare time she is a beekeeper - her specialties are beeswax candles.
Tony, is our resident head Beekeeper who loves nothing more than spending time with his bee family and sharing his love of bees with anyone who will listen. His speciality is mentoring relationships and inspiring community groups with his passion for all things bees.
I love teaching and I love bees. I feel very thankful that I am able to combine my two interests by providing engaging, interactive, creative, hands on and relevant workshops for school aged children.
Our goal at Messines Bee Farm is to spark curiosity and joy in the young, giving students opportunities to pose and respond to questions, educating them on the importance of caring for bees, the bees role in the environment, sustainability and what we can do to help.
Curriculum Areas We Cover:
Biological Sciences: Explore the fascinating world of bees and other living things, focusing on their needs, features, habitats, life cycles, and their vital role in the environment.
Earth and Space Sciences: Discover how seasonal changes affect not only the bees but also the plants and ecosystems they help sustain.
Nature & Development of Science: Foster curiosity through observing bees in action, asking questions, and learning how these tiny creatures contribute to the natural world.
Use and Influence of Science: Understand the impact of sustainable practices, focusing on caring for the environment and protecting vital species like bees.
Design and Technologies: Investigate how science and technology influence food and fibre production, and explore innovative uses of bee products like beeswax wraps as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic.
Sensory Fun: Get ready to see, touch, hear, taste, and smell as we dive into the world of bees with hands-on activities and exciting play!
Up Close & Personal with Bees: Experience bees like never before! Students will start as a group and then rotate through activities, getting up close with real bees (safely, of course) to learn all about them!
One Hour of Bee-mania: Our action-packed incursions last for 1 hour, with a class size of up to 30 buzzing students.
Bee Observation: Peek into the hive with either a real, secure observation hive or explore the digital version, and watch these tiny pollinators in action!
Honey Tasting Adventure: Taste your way through four types of honey and discover the sweet differences – yum!
Themed Incursions for Every Class: Our four themed incursions match various parts of your curriculum, helping students build knowledge in a fun and interactive way.
Flexible and Fun: You can book all four themed incursions throughout the year or pick the ones that best fit your schedule – it's totally up to you!
Special Occasion Fun & Crafty Takeaways: Tie your incursion to celebrations like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Christmas, and add a fun craft activity for students to create and take home as a thoughtful, hand-made gift – no more stressing over presents
Get ready for a buzzing good time that will leave your students excited to learn!
Join us for an exciting one-hour journey into the fascinating world of bees! This interactive experience will immerse students in the wonders of these incredible creatures and their importance to our planet.
Key Highlights Include:
This hands-on session will leave students buzzing with new knowledge and a deeper appreciation for the tiny creatures that keep our world thriving!
Enhance your incursion with this hands-on beeswax experience! Students will discover the wonders of beeswax with the added option of creating their own rolled candles.
Key Highlights Include:
Excite your students with an engaging, hands-on incursion all about the fascinating world of native bees!
Key Highlights Include:
Book now and give your students a buzz-worthy, hands-on learning experience they'll never forget!
Dive into sustainability and the vital role bees play in protecting our planet with this fun, hands-on incursion!
Key Highlights Include:
Book today for a unique, sustainable experience that inspires students to protect the environment while having fun!
For more information about our school incursions or to make a booking. Please call us at 0403 430 042 or email us at workshops@messines.com.au.
Key Highlights Include:
Try something new, spark curiosity, and discover the exciting world of bees with your community group. Book today for an experience you won’t forget!
Both of Tony’s Grandfathers were bee keepers and he has been very excited to continue the family tradition. Pictured here is the old family apiary on Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW. Tony’s Dad is also a beekeeper in Augusta WA, we enjoy swapping bee stories and of course sampling his south west floral blends of honey!
We were excited to be featured in a recent GWN news segment. The segment focused on Jay Page’s achievement
of being selected as one of the three finalists for the Western Australian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2024 and showcased the school
incursions offered by Messines Bee Farm.
We are passionate about teaching children the importance of bees, their role for the planet,
the plight they are facing and what they can do to help. We believe if we educate the child, we can help them make connections to the
land and their future inspiring change that radiates from the child to their families and friends and the greater community.
The potential for positive and lasting impact is great.
Our vision: educate – inspire – connect – change.
One-on-One Beekeeping Mentoring with an Expert
Take your beekeeping skills to the next level with a personalised, 1.5-hour mentoring session with Tony, an experienced beekeeper.
Customisable Mentoring Topics: Tailored to your needs, some of the topics we can cover include:
*Travel fees may apply
$250 per child
Ready for an adventure! Suit up in a bee suit and take a walk over to our hives. During this 90-minute experience explore what it would be like to be a beekeeper up close and personal.
Celebrate your corporate milestones or encourage team work in a unique way with a Messines bee farm experience! Discover, how the harmony of a healthy hive mirrors a thriving team and bee inspired to apply these principles to enhance your own workplace.
Celebrate and enjoy a free honey tasting and complementary cheese and honeycomb grazing platter.
Here at Messines Bee Farm we love all things bees and are more than happy to share our passion for bees with the community. We can customise and create for any needs or situation. Do not hesitate to contact us.
You can contact us by phone on 0403 430 042 or email workshops@messines.com.au.
Gooseberry Hill Primary School
We have had the pleasure of inviting Messines Bee Farm to be part of our Mooditj Boodjar celebrations at Gooseberry Hill Primary School for the past two years. Jay’s educational program is engaging, interactive, and highly informative, offering students a hands-on experience that sparks curiosity and deepens understanding.
We were so impressed by her first one-day visit in 2024, that the following year we invited her back to work with us for a full week, engaging students right across the whole school. This extended program was incredibly well received and highlighted the depth and quality of Jay’s work.
The sessions are curriculum aligned and provide meaningful links to student learning, while also being fun and memorable. In addition to student workshops, Jay has generously provided informational sessions for staff during recess, sharing practical knowledge that has enriched our whole school understanding of bees and sustainability.
This year, we were also delighted to include a project where students had the opportunity to build native bee hotels alongside Jay. This hands-on activity inspired some of our budding bee enthusiasts and helped foster a deeper connection with our local environment.
Our staff consistently share high praise and positive feedback following Jay’s incursions, noting the impact they have on both student engagement and knowledge. We would highly recommend Jay and Messines Bee Farm to any school seeking a quality, educational incursion that leaves a lasting impression.
Thanks Jay and the busy bees from Messines!
Leah Andrews
Deputy Principal.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Messines Bee Farm, and especially Jay and Tony, for their recent visit to St Joseph’s School - Southern Cross.
Their engaging and informative presentation gave our students a fascinating insight into the world of bees - from their role in pollination to the process of honey production and the importance of bee conservation.
The hands-on experience and passionate storytelling truly captivated our students, sparking curiosity and appreciation for these incredible creatures. It was a joy to see our children so engaged and eager to learn.
Thank you, Messines Bee Farm, for making the journey from Northam and for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with us. Your visit was a highlight of our team and a wonderful example of learning beyond the classroom.
We look forward to welcoming you back in the future!
Warm regards,
Natalie Beaton
Principal - St Joseph’s School, Southern Cross
Helena College
We loved the experience from Messines Bee farm. Jay did a wonderful job at engaging the children and provided hands on experiences that allowed the children to develop a comprehensive understanding of Bees. We can’t wait to get them back. 🐝 Kellie Sorensen Helena College
Amanda Everett
This is a must see incursion for every child! Jay has magical powers that keep kindergarten children engaged, enthralled and motivated to protect these most important pollinators...bees. The live bee hive was captivating and all the children had the opportunity to see the worker bees busy completing their jobs. It was a true sensory experience as you could see, hear, and smell the bees in the hive and then taste the fruits of their labour...sweet delicious honey.
Thank you Jay for your professional and passionate manner. You will definitely be a memorable part of the Kindy Possums kindergarten learning experience.
I would highly recommend Messines Bee Farm incursions.
See you next year Jay!!
Amanda Everett
Janina Glowacki
Students engaged throughout the session. Great information about the value of bees and how best to support bees in the environment. Thanks Jay. Year 6 Tranby College
Meredith Tolley
We went up to the farm and were warmly greeted by both Jay and Tony. The were so knowledgeable and loved answering all of my questions as well as entertaining and educating our group of kiddos! Could not recommend it enough.
Plus, The drive was quite scenic and enjoyable please don’t let the distance stop you from venturing out. There’s a beautiful river in Northam I want to picnic at next time we visit.
Ofira Shaw
Thank You soo much Tony and Jay.
Soo insightful and absolutely a great way to introduce bee keeping to a novice like me.
I feel like I retained a lot and now have a lot to think about, research ,however now with a much better understanding of the concept of what's involved , consumables .....
Really appreciated the personal touch and the one on one and Jay you looking after my back with the smoker 😁 the experience was above and beyond Ofira 🐝
Georga McMullen
Jay is fantastic! So engaging with the children! The information she shares about the bees is delivered in an age appropriate and interesting way, that keeps the kids enthralled and asking questions! Highly recommend Jay’s bee incursion!
Annick French
I just participated in a great DIY beeswax wrap making session. It was fun and informative (and there was delicious food! WOO!), I'm so glad I went. Thank you!
Fiona Clarkson
Residents, Staff and Visitors had a most excellent experience- Bee keeper Tony gave a such a great informative talk, his enthusiasm was infectious and everyone enjoyed the variety of honey tasting - 😀
Aimee Hudson
What a great experience! Jay come out to our holiday program, she was friendly and engaging with the students. Her program was both informative and interactive, showcasing her passion and years of experience. The children were engrossed in the program, enjoying asking lots of questions and loved the honey tasting! Would definitely recommend having her out and teaching your kids about the importance of bees in our world.
Teresa Hanratty
Jay was engaging and informative. The children were absolutely captivated and loved being chosen to join in and act out all the different jobs of the bees. Whether it is little ones or older students Jay engaged them all. Also links to the curriculum in many different ways.
