Volunteering

Volunteers play an integral role at the Western Australian Museum, enriching the visitor experience, programs and research beyond the skills and resources of our staff.

Existing Volunteers

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Interested in Volunteering?

Explore current volunteer opportunities at WA Museum Boola Bardip now.

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Volunteer opportunities include front of house (FOH) and back of house (BOH):

Front of House volunteers enrich the visitor experience through friendly customer service and supporting Museum functions in presenting and interpreting gallery and exhibition content, public outreach and education programs.

Front of House volunteer roles include:

  • FOH – Exhibitions, Public and Education Programs
  • FOH – Submarine Guides (WA Maritime Museum only)
  • FOH – Robert Steele Exhibition Operators (WA Maritime Museum only)

Back of House volunteers support the work of the Museum’s curatorial and conservation staff and may assist with research, cataloguing, labelling, cross checking and field-work preparation.

Back of House volunteer roles include:

  • BOH – Collections & Research

FRONT OF HOUSE (FOH) - VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

FOH - EXHIBITIONS, PUBLIC AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Role:

  • welcomes visitors and assists with general enquiries, including way-finding
  • engages with visitors throughout the Museum, gallery spaces and exhibition layouts
  • participates in exhibition and gallery content training
  • participates in education and program-specific training
  • engages with the visitors through content delivery
  • assists Museum staff in presenting exhibition and gallery content
  • assists Museum staff in the delivery of education and public programs
  • assist with background research for the development of public programs
  • assists and adheres to emergency procedures and instructions, as required
  • participates in organisation, site and role specific training, as required
  • plays a part in mentoring programs for new volunteers 

 

FRONT OF HOUSE (FOH) - VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

FOH – SUBMARINE GUIDE

Role:

  • welcomes visitors and assists with general enquiries, including way-finding Museum facilities
  • delivers engaging content and tours generally informing visitors about the workings of submarine(s)
  • tours are delivered on board the ‘HMAS Ovens Submarine’
  • informs visitors of all the safety aspects of inside, outside and around the submarine
  • instructs visitors of all the safety aspects of the slip way and exhibition engines
  • assists and adheres to emergency procedures and instructions, as required
  • plays a part in mentoring programs for new volunteers
  • participates in organisation, site and role specific training, as required

 

FRONT OF HOUSE (FOH) - VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

FOH – ROBERT STEELE EXHIBITION ENGINE OPERATOR

Role:

  • welcomes visitors and assists with general enquiries, including way-finding Museum facilities
  • operates the Robert Steele steam engines as part of visitor engagement within the ‘Robert Steele Exhibition’.
  • delivers engaging demonstrations of the ‘Robert Steele Exhibition’ to visitors and groups generally informing them about the workings of the exhibition engines.
  • instructs visitors of all the safety aspects of the slip way and exhibition engines
  • assists and adheres to emergency procedures and instructions, as required
  • plays a part in mentoring programs for new volunteers
  • participates in organisation, site and role specific training, as required

BACK OF HOUSE (BOH) - VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

BOH – COLLECTIONS & RESEARCH

Role:

  • be able to work alongside paid curatorial, conservation and other staff to enhance our programs and services
  • attention to detail, patience and physical dexterity
  • have basic computing skills
  • be knowledgeable in the areas of science, humanities, library or conservation, but it is not essential.
  • assist in research and basic collection management duties
  • undertake data entry, sorting, cataloguing collection items, labelling, cross-checking, packing artefacts, shelving and some item identification
  • participate in collection background research, transcription of oral history recordings, digitisation of images and scanning and OCR’ing documents
  • assist conservators in conservation treatments, monitoring treatment solutions, packing and supporting artefacts
  • assist with research projects and helping to maintain the some of the interactives and displays at the Museum
  • contribute to field work, especially if they have a relevant interest, in natural history survey work, fossil collecting, diving, caving or cave diving, maritime archaeology survey work, and remote sensing, but also for general field support and camp management
  • play a part in mentoring programs for new volunteers.