Volunteer with us

Help the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) to inspire the community to appreciate, conserve and celebrate its natural, cultural and Indigenous heritage.

Volunteers play a vital role at the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). The National Trust relies on the support of talented, hard-working and committed volunteers to support the operations and maintenance of properties and events across the state.

Without the significant contribution from our volunteers the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) would not be recognised as the premier heritage and conservation organisation.

The Trust is in regular need of committed volunteers to generously give their time, expertise and experience to assist with maintaining its many activities. A variety of roles are available including front of house staff, tour guides, gardeners, collections management and administration and marketing.

We promote diversity and practice equity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply

Download your Volunteer Enquiry Form Here

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer at a stunning heritage property! Listed on the National Heritage Register as one of the finest examples of original suburban estate in Australia, Rippon Lea estate is comprised of a large Victorian mansion and 7 hectares of gardens. Built in 1868 the mansion now comprises of 33 rooms. Rippon Lea was home to the Sargood & Nathan/Jones families. With it’s own swimming pool, tennis courts, fernery and lavish decor Rippon Lea was the place to be seen for over a century.

Louise Jones, the last inhabitant of Rippon Lea, left it to the National Trust and in 1972 we opened the doors to the public for the first time. Nearly 50 years later we continue to tell the story of those who lived and worked here and invite the public to learn about Melbourne high society over the years.

We are currently searching for Gatehouse Volunteers at Rippon Lea estate.

Your duties will include the following:
-Customer service.
-Food and beverage handling.
-Cash handling.

Orientation and training are provided.

If you are interested please send your expression of interest to volunteers@nattrust.com.au

As part of the application process we will ask you to agree to register as a National Trust Volunteer.

Thank you for considering volunteering with us. We believe in inclusiveness, diversity and equality and are committed to ensuring that our workplaces are a reflection of that. We encourage talented people from all backgrounds, abilities and identities to apply to our vacancies.

‘We promote diversity and practice equity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply’.

Get involved in the community and help coordinate our gardens team at La Trobe!

We are looking for a volunteer to assist in coordinating our garden program. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a horticultural background, involving the coordination of seasonal tasks and liaising with the National Trust Horticultural Team. You will also be passionate about heritage, appreciating the value of La Trobe’s gardens and working to preserve it for future generations.

 

Other Duties include:

Liaising with our City of Melbourne garden contractor (who mows the lawns and assists with heavy garden tasks).

Meeting four times a year with the Management Team, providing a brief written report on your work and La Trobe’s gardens. This will be an opportunity to discuss current horticultural issues and suggest/reevaluate future plans.

Engaging with fellow volunteers and working together to achieve shared goals.

 

In return for your valuable contributions, you can extend your experience, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

Any appointment of volunteering in this role requires a satisfactory Police Check and current Working with Children Check (WWCC).

Interested?

If this sounds like you..(or someone you know), please get in touch for more information and please share this with your networks.

As part of the application process we will ask you to agree to register as a National Trust Volunteer.

Thank you for considering volunteering with us. We believe in inclusiveness, diversity and equality and are committed to ensuring that our workplaces are a reflection of that. We encourage talented people from all backgrounds, abilities and identities to apply to our vacancies.

If you are interested in this volunteering role please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au.

 

About these wonderful places:

La Trobes Cottage, Melbourne (Volunteer Opportunities: See Above)

The original home of Victoria’s first Lt. Governor, Charles Joseph La Trobe from 1839 to 1854.  La Trobe’s Cottage is now a vital part of Victoria’s history. The cottage was made from prefabricated materials brought from England to be the home of La Trobe, his wife Sophie and their children.

 

Government House, Melbourne (No Volunteer Opportunities Available)

The office and official residence of the Governor of Victoria. The current Governor of Victoria is Her Excellency The Honourable Linda Dessau AM. The House is set next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. It was the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1930. It is the largest Government House in the former British Empire and is almost double the size of the Viceregal Lodge, the former residence of the Lords-Lieutenant of Ireland. Construction began in 1871 and was designed in the Victorian Period Italianate style, and is reminiscent of Queen Victoria’s summer residence on the Isle of Wight, Osborne House.

Hollywood comes to the homestead at this 1860s country house revamped for an Australian millionaire and his movie star wife. Mooramong is a stunning slice of Hollywood in the Victorian countryside that recaptures the life and times of the claire & Scobie Mackinnon from the 1930s to the 1960s. The house features their photographs, curios, and objects d’art while the grounds boast farmland.

 

We are in need of guides – the tasks include:

  • Conduct tours through the house
  • Assisting the  public with questions
  • Cash handling on Open Days

 

Volunteers needed for

  • Open days – 2nd Saturday of each Month
  • Weekdays – assisting bus tours

Orientation and training is provided.

In return, you can extend your experience, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

If you are interested in helping preserve our heritage please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au

Volunteer in 2020 at McCrae Homestead!

• Are you interested in our history and in supporting the National Trust?
• Would you enjoy joining a team of dedicated McCrae Homestead volunteers?

We are needing enthusiastic for people to join our volunteer gardening team.

They meet every Wednesday from 10am – 4pm.

The homestead built in 1844 by lawyer Andrew McCrae and his artist wife Georgiana is a rare example of drop slab construction.  Georgiana’s great-great-great grandson sold it to the National Trust in 1970.

The Homestead is one of Victoria’s oldest, original existing houses, and was built on a large lease in the Port Phillip colony, Arthur’s Seat Run, comprising 33 square miles or 20,500 acres (8,296ha). The building was designed by Georgiana McCrae who was the illegitimate daughter of the 5th Duke of Gordon, a talented artist and dedicated diarist. The McCrae family were one of the first six pioneer families to establish properties on the Mornington Peninsula.

 

In return, you can extend your experience, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

If you are interested in helping preserve our heritage please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au

Learn a new skill in 2020!

We’re revitalising the much loved Polly Woodside by undertaking conservation works to the rigging and masts.

During 2019 the Polly Woodside will be undergoing extensive conservation works to her masts and rigging. The purpose of this major project is to restore her to a sound and safe condition; repairing and refurbishing where possible and renewing where required.

Tusk Engineering, Ferdi Darley and the Polly Woodside Volunteer Association will be –

  • removing and replacing the rigging,
  • sanding, refinishing and replacing areas of the masts and
  • repainting or replacing associated elements like the blocks.

We are looking for short term and long term volunteers of any description to join us to help overhaul the rig. This includes learning traditional rigging skills and all aspects of stripping down, repainting, re-serving and re-rigging the lines.

Although Polly requires ongoing maintenance, right now, the large and urgent job is to complete this major overhaul.

To apply and for more information on volunteering, please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au

Exciting Volunteer Opportunity!

The National Trust is excited to be opening to the public one of the oldest properties in the Port Fairy district. We are seeking keen and driven volunteers to help open up Mills Cottage to the public and share its unique local history.

Mills Cottage nestles in the historic town of Port Fairy and is one of the oldest buildings in the district. Captain John Mills resided here and is a significant figure to the district, working as the Harbour Master in Port Fairy from 1853 to 1871. Mills Cottage is further significant as it highlights various early building methods and materials, including containing some of the oldest standing timber.

We are looking for volunteers for areas such as tour guiding, welcoming visitors to the house and conservation.

Help the National Trust conduct group and individual guided tours. Interpret the contents of the house and provide an interesting and accurate account of the social history to visitors.

In return, you can extend your experience, meet new people, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

Volunteer in 2020, new year, new challenge!

Constructed of local sandstone and timbers, Portarlington Mill is a significant example of the earliest mills.

After conversion for residential use in the twentieth century as flats for holiday makers the building was condemned in 1962 but saved from demolition when it was purchased by the Shire of Bellarine and presented to the National Trust.

We are searching for volunteers to become a part of the volunteer team at Portarlington Mill

  • Gardening Volunteers
  • Customer Service
  • Tour Guide Volunteers
  • Conservation
  • Help with events such as weddings & birthdays

In return, you can extend your experience, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

If you are interested in helping preserve our heritage please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au

Volunteer in 2020!

Comprises many original shop fittings and pharmaceutical equipment, including that used to prepare medicines prior to the advent of modern dispensing. What was it like, being the only pharmacist for miles?

Help The National Trust promote and conserve Australia’s indigenous, natural and historic heritage through its advocacy work and its custodianship of Dows Pharmacy.

Volunteering is a great way to be active, meet new people and gain experience.

We are looking for:

  • Conservation Volunteers
  • Guide Volunteers
  • Retail Volunteers

In return, you can extend your experience, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

If you are interested in helping preserve our heritage please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au

An exciting opportunity exists to volunteer for Australia’s premier heritage and conservation organisation. Guided by our experienced staff, you will join our team of volunteers.

We are seeking Volunteers to assist at Labassa Mansion in both public facing and behind the scenes roles. There are opportunities in various roles including admin, hospitality and guiding.

Brief overview of Labassa:
Labassa is a stunning Victorian era mansion. Originally called ‘Sylliot Hill’, it was renamed ‘Ontario’ in the 1880s reflecting its new owner Alexander William Robertson’s Canadian heritage. Robertson was a founder of the Cobb and Co. coach company that successfully ran mail services throughout Victoria. He had the mansion redeveloped in the French Second Empire style by commissioning the German born architect, John A. B. Koch, to remodel the house into a thirty-five roomed mansion.

We are searching for volunteers to become apart of the volunteer team at Labassa.  Assisting on Open days, once a month 3rd Sunday of each month.

Labassa’s friendly volunteer team operates all aspects of the tearoom including set up, table service, food preparation, drying dishes and general cleaning.

By volunteering in the house, volunteers provide customer service to our visitors and gain knowledge of Labassa’s history and architecture.

In return, you can extend your experience, learn new skills and enrich your life by becoming involved as a volunteer with the National Trust.

 

If you are interested in helping preserve our heritage please contact

volunteers@nattrust.com.au

An exciting opportunity exists to volunteer for Australia’s premier heritage and conservation organisation. Opening up to the public for the first time, we need a dedicated volunteer team to assist showing the wonders of Napier Waller House.
Napier Waller House 
Napier Waller house was the home of the noted Australian muralist, mosaicist and stained glass painter Mervyn Napier Waller. Napier Waller’s most prominent piece is the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and much more of his art is spread across Victoria.
The property encapsulates his spirit, a projection of his work, as well as holding many of his draft pieces and the work of his wives, Lorna & Christian, who were both respected artists in their own right.
In more recent times it has been used as the residence and surgery in the Dr Blake Murder Mystery series.
What’s involved
We are searching for volunteers to build a team in the following areas:
  • Tour guiding – training provided
  • Gardening
  • Collection Care
  • Admin
If you have an interest in one or more of theses areas we would love to have you aboard to volunteer team.
By volunteering at Napier Waller house you not only get to know the personal and artist history in this property but learn new skills, meet new people and have lots of fun.
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) is dedicated to advocating for social, cultural, environmental and Indigenous heritage across Victoria. We are an independent, non-profit organisation supported by a large community base.
Sound like you?
As part of the application process, we will ask you to agree to register/sign up as a National Trust Volunteer.
Thank you for considering helping the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). The National Trust is built on the power of the community. Volunteering with the National Trust of Australia (Vic) will be subject to a satisfactory Police Records check and/or Working with Children check.
We promote diversity and practice equity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.

Corporate Volunteering

Get out of the office for a day or two and it can help your staff build better relationships, increase moral, productivity and reduce stress levels.

Businesses can partner up with The National Trust of Australia (VIC) in many ways:

  • Team volunteering days – such as a working bees at one of the National Trust sites
  • Staff can volunteer at one of our community events across Victoria
  • ‘Virtual’ volunteering time via work computers, including research
  • Support for skilled staff members to deliver projects or expand areas
  • A staff secondment program – for example a building company could offer its staff to help out with a community building or refurbishment
  • Group training and workshops – can you help teach our staff and volunteers new skills

We offer a range of one-day conservation activities for groups of 5 to 30 people, all supervised by our operations coordinators and assisted by our ongoing volunteers.

Find out more by emailing us at volunteers@nattrust.com.au

How to become a volunteer?

Signing up to be a volunteer is simple an easy!

Your application should include:

  •  A completed Volunteer Enquiry Form (please download above)
  •  Copy of your resume

You can submit these via post or email: volunteers@nattrust.com.au

or

People and Culture Department
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria)
Tasma Terrace
6 Parliament Pace
East Melbourne VIC 3002

For more information please contact the People and Culture Department on 03 9656 9840 or via volunteers@nattrust.com.au 

Internships

 

At The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) interns are an important part of the team.

Whether you sign on for a summer internship or during the academic year, you can work on critical projects, events, research and properties.

At the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) you’ll get a unique perspective on our process and those who lead it.

Our mission is to inspire the community to appreciate, conserve & celebrate its natural, cultural and Indigenous heritage. Achieving this requires great people who are passionate,  creative, and energetic, and who possess the following values:

  • Passion for innovation and Learning
  • Open and respectful with others and dedicated to making a difference
  • Willingness to take on challenges and see them through
  • Committed to personal excellence and self-improvement

Our values include:

  • Leadership and Inspiration,
  • Celebration and Inclusion,
  • Innovation and Learning,
  • Resourcefulness,
  • Trust and
  • Responsibility

At the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) there are many opportunities and we share knowledge, experience, and resources to help each other achieve our career and grow both professionally and personally.

The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Intern Program is a flexible program of up to 6 months, for students currently completing studies at an Australian or New Zealand University or Tafe respectively in either and undergraduate, diploma or post-graduate course. Interns may be studying one of many tertiary disciplines including marketing, economics, business, human resources, cultural heritage, museum studies, advocacy, social justice, arts etc 

We promote diversity and practice equity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.

For further information or to apply, please email: volunteers@nattrust.com.au

All Internships for 2017 are currently full. Applications for 2018 will reopen in the 2nd half of this year. See above for Volunteering Opportunities.

 

Volunteer Intranet

The Intranet contains secure information and services for Staff & Volunteers. Please contact volunteers@nattrust.com.au if you require a login.

Volunteer Intranet