Volunteer Roles

What do our volunteers do?

When you become a volunteer with us you join a team of passionate people who work together to carry out the many tasks that need to be done to keep the Village going.

You may choose to work in a public role (in costume) or behind the scenes in a support role. Wherever you choose, we will value your contribution. All volunteers receive training when they start and throughout their time with the Village.  

  • Gardening volunteers assist our Heritage Gardener with a variety of landscaping, horticultural, and related tasks in our historical gardens. Bed preparation, planting and cultivation, and harvesting will be a few of the tasks undertaken. Gardening volunteers should have an interest in traditional crops and may be involved in researching appropriate plants.

  • There are volunteer opportunities for keen photographers, skilled or amateur, who want to capture the Village, and our buildings, as well as photograph our events.

  • Live Days are held on the second Sunday of each month except December, October, the month in which Easter falls, and June. They are days on which the Village presents ‘living history’ in greater depth than is possible on other weekends.

    The Live Days participant’s role is to interact with visitors and to make the Village come alive for that person. The role is costumed, and the Live Day participant should have a good knowledge of the settlers within the 1840-1880 period.  You will be part of a team recreating many crafts and activities.

  • We have an expansive collection of historical items dating from 1840s - 1880s, with some key pieces into the early 1900s. We require volunteers with skills or interest in conserving and maintaining the integrity and quality of our collection items.

  • Meeting visitors is a rewarding and stimulating experience. A volunteer guide will meet and greet all visitors ensuring they are presented with the history of the Village. Through initial and on-going training, volunteer guides will over time build a knowledge of the 1840-1880 period of East Auckland, in particular. A volunteer guide should possess good interpersonal skills, communication skills and enjoy imparting knowledge to others. This role is costumed.

  • Minimum 25 students per visit. We need volunteers with carpentry or repair skills to assist with ongoing maintenance of our buildings. The buildings in the Village date from 1840 and require on-going conservation. The maintenance must be done with appropriate materials and in a manner that ensures the building is presented in an historically correct way.

  • Housekeeping at the Village is based on our ‘Adopt a Cottage’ scheme in which volunteers are responsible for the regular, on-going cleaning of a nominated building.

  • We are always looking for volunteers with musical skills who can perform historical music to enliven the atmosphere during our events and Live Days.

  • The Village strives to achieve authenticity in depicting activities from the 1840-1880 period including demonstrating crafts of the period. Craft demonstrations can be carried out by volunteers during our live day events.