The Museum

Volunteering

The Charles Sturt Memorial Museum Trust is managed and operated by Volunteers.

We are welcoming of new volunteers to the operations. An interest in history, local heritage and a bit of organising is all you need to join in. The house is open for guided tours on FIRST and THIRD Sundays each month (unless this falls on Christmas Day) from 2pm until 5pm.

Group tours with or without morning and afternoon teas are by appointment and advanced bookings are always made. Hire of the grounds or venues also require advanced booking. This ensures that volunteers can be approached to help set up and pack up for bookings.

Hosting

We need people able to act as welcomers and caretakers when we have visitors, hirers and groups in the Visitor Centre and grounds. You could help out once a week or once a month in the Visitor centre to be constructed during 2022.

lunch

Tour Guiding

Guided tours of the house occur on the first and third Sunday afternoons, or by arrangement with groups and organisations during the week. Guides show people through the house and galleries and sometimes the garden. They describe and explain the life and times of Captain Charles Sturt and his family as well as the more recent history of restoration of the house and introduce visitors to the exhibition in the galleries. You could help out on some Sundays or for weekday tour groups. A guiding script is available to assist you in the fundamentals of tour guiding and to familiarize you with the history of The Grange.

maintenance

Gardening

The gardening group meets once a week, usually on a Wednesday at mid-morning but sometimes on a Thursday. In the summer time, attendances is more frequent to water the garden. Jobs include digging, planting, weeding, potting up and fertilising as well as pruning. Research about plantings and nursery catalogues of the 1840s is also a common pastime in the garden crew. Morning coffee and lunch are shared, usually on the verandah. We don’t garden in bad weather.

gardening

Catering

Organising refreshments at annual Trust celebrations (Sturt’s birthday, AGM BBQ) is managed by any Members and Friends available. Setting up and putting away tables, chairs, cups and cloths is also part of all catered group tours which might happen up to a few times a month in Spring and Autumn. We also wash dishes, organise table cloths, maybe even make cakes and sandwiches and stock up as needed.

Cleaning & minor maintenance

This crew is usually recruited from the other volunteer groups! Working bees are held a couple of times a year, usually on a weekend. Minor repairs are done, and the house, items in the collection and galleries are cleaned. Morning or afternoon tea is organised to feed and water the workers.

Researchers

Always welcome to help build our knowledge of the life and times of Charles Sturt. Access to the archive, library and collection is by arrangement. An easy task from home is researching the provenance of Collection artefacts, ie the donors, the owners, dating of artefacts, their social and cultural usage and valuation.