Community & Business
2 March, 2024
More volunteers needed to welcome visitors
WITH more than 65,000 tourists visiting Mareeba Heritage Museum and Visitor Information Centre each year, the group needs a good pool of volunteers to call upon.
Centre manager Sandrine Gloton said a recent recruitment drive increased volunteers by five, but more people were needed.
Currently they have 34 volunteers ranging in age from 56 to 94, but all ages were welcome.
Ms Gloton said it was always helpful to have additional volunteers on hand.
Volunteers can assist in all manner of tasks from cleaning, tourist welcoming/guiding, researching and sourcing new exhibition pieces, general maintenance and more.
She said if people knew about the history of the town and had historical stories to tell, or were hands-on and clever, they would be a perfect fit for the volunteer role.
“...it’s really keeping alive the heritage of Mareeba in the museum,” Ms Gloton said.
“There’s so many things that can be done…everything is handmade by the volunteers here.”
Ms Gloton said volunteers could be of any age - with the current average age being 80 - but they had hoped to attract some younger school leavers or university students to help with the technology side of the museum.
The minimum requirement is once a month, then volunteers can help as much, or as little, as they prefer.
Ms Gloton said by making the minimum requirement, each volunteer could stay abreast of what was happening in the centre.
Volunteers over the age of 55 could also use the time, 15 hours a week required, as approved voluntary work to claim Centrelink benefits.
With no information centre in Cairns, Ms Gloton said visitors relied upon Mareeba for all their Far North Queensland guidance.
“Because of that, people come here to get their information. We are quite a big centre,” she said.
Mareeba Heritage Museum and VIC opened in 1995 and has welcomed thousands of people through the doors since then. The stories of the region and its history have been told during this time, with the region being showcased throughout the world.
The museum tells the story of Mareeba and shares the history of the region from the days of growing tobacco to sugar cane, the First Nations people and multiculturalism of the community.
The museum takes each visitor back in time and is a careful curation of the artefacts from days gone by.
For all volunteer enquiries, or more information, call or visit Mareeba Heritage Museum and VIC on 4092 2906 and speak with the general manager.
