VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers make their day

By Tania Phillips

The Rockhampton Heritage Village is owned and operated by Rockhampton Regional Council but not without the invaluable help of a large group of volunteers according to the Councillor tasked with watching over the village.

The township museum is situated on the Bruce Highway, Parkhurst, on the northern outskirts of Rockhampton. It showcases the rich colourful history of the Rockhampton district 1850-1950.

However according to Rockhampton Regional Council Communities and Heritage portfolio spokesman Cr Drew Wickerson it is the volunteers who bring the whole thing to life.

“Our aspiration was always to make the Heritage Village a living history museum, recreating what life was like in Rockhampton from 1850 to 1950 – that century of development in Rockhampton,” Cr Wickerson, who was involved in the setting up the museum before becoming a councillor, said.

“Unlike other museums which have great objects and artifacts in glass cases our ambition was to have the life more than the artifacts. We have artifacts there but they’re not inherently valuable themselves. They’re old stuff but it’s our volunteers that literally breath life into the place so when you go there, rather than see a Cobb and Co Coach parked somewhere we’ll have a coach driver and team of horses taking you on rides around so you can actually interact and feel what it was like to actually live the time. Other things too blacksmiths working, wheelwrights, people doing day-to-day farming activities, washerwomen type roles, the lady of the household going about her daily routine. We have an amazing heritage hospital run by entirely by volunteers.

“They are the lifeblood of the village. Any council including ours could never afford to pay the hundreds of volunteers that we have to do those sorts of roles. It’s just impossible.”

The village is made up of original and replica buildings including St Peter’s Church, Arnold’s Store, The Kalapa School, Rackemann’s Cottage, Rosewood Homestead, The Country Hospital, Lakes Creek Railway Station, Dingley Cottage, Fire Station, Anderson’s Printing Works, Power House Neilsen’s Buggy Works, Blacksmith, Karl and Woods Coach and Wagon Builders and more

It is home to a great range of restored vintage vehicles (many of which are driving regularly for visitors to ride in), a hall of clocks, timber cutters camp, a blacksmith shop, homesteads and cottages, vintage machinery and a range of friendly farm animals.

The village is a popular destination for school tours with hundreds of school students visiting each year to catch a glimpse of how life was in days gone by.

The Village is the home of many local events including school holiday activities, Christmas Fair, Cultural Festival and is also an accredited tourist information centre.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Closed most public holidays.

Entry $5 per person

VOLUNTEERS

The Heritage Village is currently seeking volunteers to assist in areas such as catering, reception, carpentry, mechanics, tour guiding, gardening, cleaning, event organising and more. People volunteer for many reasons: it is a great way to learn new skills, make new friends, and give a little back to the community. If you need to do volunteer hours to receive government assistance such as Newstart, you can do so at the Heritage Village. Ask the village for more information.

Turning back the time in Rockhampton. There are all sorts of interactive displays including a heritage hospital and fire station.

St Peters Church.

History in the making: Volunteers bring heritage to life

By Tania Phillips

There is nothing like turning back the hands of time and that’s just what Anne Wyatt and Ray Whiting get to do on a regular basis.

The duo are part of the large volunteer work force at the Rockhampton Heritage Village and it’s very obvious that it’s something they love to do.

For both it’s something that they became involved in after retiring.

“I’ve been volunteering here about four years,” Anne, the retired retail worker, explained.

“I retired from work and I wanted something to do so I looked up volunteering in Rockhampton and Rockhampton city council had volunteer positions. You just filled out the form and Heritage Village got back to me and I’ve been there ever since.

“I do reception and I do school tours. It’s a lot of fun. It’s usually grade two-three that comes through and they are really really good.”

For Ray, who has been at the village for the past two years, it was all about proximity.

“Before here I worked at the jail – I was a correctional officer but I’ve got a background in hospitality though,” he explained.

“We had the tavern across from the village here and I saw it being built. Saw it come up from the ground. When I retired I still lived close to here and it was so handy for me just to walk across. I can volunteer and I’m here in ten minutes. I’m the same as Anne I’m in reception but I’ve just started driving the old cars around. I think that’s fantastic. You get the people who come and they absolutely love going for a ride in one of the old cars. Just the smiles on their faces it makes it worth coming to work.

“The car I had out yesterday was a 1926 Rugby and the other one that I drive is a 1923 A Model Ford.

“We’ve got a few cars here but those are the two we use mainly for driving people around.”

Both find their jobs really satisfying, enjoying the camaraderie and fun of working out at the village – making new friends, learning and teaching a new generation about the history of the region and how people lived.

Businesses that you don’t see any more. A chance to ride in cars from the 20s or even Cobb and Co Coaches. Volunteers Anne Wyatt and Ray Whiting.