Chiltern Tour Guide and Conservation Cleaning Volunteers

Do you want to make a meaningful difference in your community while connecting with history, people and place?

The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) is looking for passionate volunteers to help care for and share three of Chiltern's most fascinating heritage treasures: Dow's Pharmacy, Lake View House and the Federal Standard Printing Works.

Behind every heritage place is a team of volunteers who make it possible for visitors to experience the stories, people and objects that have shaped our past. By volunteering with us, you'll play a vital role in preserving these remarkable places for future generations.

From welcoming visitors and sharing local stories, to caring for historic collections and maintaining beautiful heritage gardens, every volunteer contribution helps keep these sites alive and accessible for the community.

About the Properties

Step inside Dow's Pharmacy, one of Australia's most intact nineteenth-century pharmacies, where original medicines, equipment and furnishings remain exactly where they were left decades ago.

Explore Lake View House, the childhood home of celebrated Australian author Henry Handel Richardson, whose experiences here inspired her classic novel The Fortunes of Richard Mahony.

Currently closed but with help we can bring new life to the Federal Standard Printing Works, home to rare printing machinery that tells the story of how rural communities stayed connected through their local newspaper. With more volunteers, we begin to explore opening this extraordinary site more often and share its stories with more visitors.

What Could You Be Doing?

Every volunteer brings different interests and skills, and there's flexibility to get involved in a variety of ways.

You might:

• Welcome visitors and share the fascinating stories behind our historic buildings and their former occupants.
• Help preserve significant heritage collections through careful conservation cleaning and collection care.
• Assist in maintaining the beautiful gardens and grounds of Lake View House.
• Help ensure these unique places remain open and accessible for locals and tourists alike.

No specialist knowledge is required for many roles, and training and support will be provided.

Volunteering with the National Trust is about more than helping maintain historic places.

It's about:

• Preserving Victoria's heritage for future generations.
• Giving visitors memorable experiences that inspire curiosity and connection.
• Becoming part of a friendly and passionate volunteer community.
• Learning new skills and gaining unique heritage experience.
• Sharing your knowledge, interests and enthusiasm with others.
• Making a genuine contribution to an important community asset.

Whether you love history, gardening, meeting people, conservation, or simply want to give back, there's a place for you on our team.

If you've ever wanted to make a difference, meet like-minded people, and help ensure these remarkable stories continue to be told, we'd love to hear from you.

Volunteer with the National Trust in Chiltern and help keep Victoria's heritage alive.

**Sound like you? **

The National Trust is a not for profit organisation that aims to conserve Australia’s history and heritage for present and future generations.

We use Better Impact to manage our vast number of Volunteer applications. You can start your journey us there and will receive a link as per of the reply to this application.

As part of the application process, we will ask you to agree to register as a National Trust Volunteer. Volunteers are required to have a current Working with Children’s Card (free for volunteers) and police check which you can apply for as part of the application process.

If this sounds like you (or someone you know), please fill in an application. If you have any problems or require further detail please contact [email protected] and please share this with your networks.

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.