Heritage Volunteers

Volunteering is a fundamental part of heritage conservation work in Australia and many volunteers work on heritage conservation activities in organisations across NSW. The NSW Heritage office describes heritage as consisting of ‘those places and objects that we as a community have inherited from the past and want to hand on to future generations.’ Heritage can take the form of historic buildings, gardens, railways, paper archives, monuments, Aboriginal places, relics and many other structures and items. There are many different organisations involved in preserving our heritage in NSW including government organisations, local museums and historic societies, rail enthusiasts and maritime organisations.

Government

The NSW Heritage Office works with communities to identify and protect the rich and diverse heritage of NSW. The Heritage Office provides funding and advice and maintains an online list of all statutory heritage items in NSW.

Visit the NSW Heritage Office website to find out about funding opportunities and awards, get advice and access a range of resources.  Check the NSW heritage database to find out if a place near you is listed – look under the Search for NSW Heritage link.  

The State Records Office has volunteers who assist with work on historical documents and help make the State records collection more accessible. Training is provided for volunteers. Projects include record conservation, records investigation and archiving and indexing of records from the convict to the modern period. Visit the website www.records.nsw.gov.au for more information about volunteering with The State Records Office.

Local Councils

Your local council website can be a good place to start if you want to find out about local heritage volunteering opportunities. The NSW Government’s Local Council Search page will be able to tell you which NSW local council area you live in. You may need to use the Council website’s search function, or look under the local community directory to find heritage groups.

Non-Government Organisations

Rail Heritage Australia (NSW) is a peak organisation of rail heritage promoting rail heritage in NSW. The website contains links to many rail related heritage websites under the members page.

3801 Limited is a non-profit company which manages the restoration of historic trains. Many volunteers help maintain a Heritage fleet of diesel locomotives and carriages ranging from the 1920s to the 1960s.

The Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division) is an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Australian Railway History.

The NSW Rail Transport Museum is an independent, non-profit organisation involved in collecting, preserving and presenting the railway heritage of NSW for the benefit of the community. The Museum manages the Rail Heritage Centre at Thirlmere NSW. The Museum has over 2000 members, including an active volunteer workforce.

The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney has a large volunteer program. Volunteers are involved in many aspects of the operation of the museum. Follow the link above for more information.

The Kosciuszko Huts Association is a heritage group that looks after mountain huts in Australian national parks. One of the primary activities of the KHA is to carry out maintenance of the historic huts in Kosciusko National Park. Follow the link for more details.

The National Trust (NSW) is a community-based charity organisation, whose mission is to protect and conserve our heritage for today and for future generations. The National Trust has a large number of volunteers working in both conservation and in bushland management activities. You can find contact details for the Trust on their website.

The Historic Houses Trust manages 12 museum sites, mainly in Sydney. It has an active volunteer program.  Volunteers offer their skills, time and experience. In return, volunteers are provided with opportunities for learning, recreational and social activities. Go to their volunteering page for more information.

The Royal Australian Historical Society is a voluntary organisation founded in Sydney in 1901 to encourage Australians to understand more about their history. It has a membership throughout Australia. See the website for more information.

Regional and Local Museums and Historic societies

There are many regional and local museums and historic societies located across NSW.  Open Google click on pages from Australia and search using key words such as ‘regional museum’ then your geographic area, e.g. ‘regional museum Hurstville’ or ‘Hurstville museum’ or ‘Lismore historic society.’