Volunteer at the Memorial
The Australian War Memorial has nearly 200 volunteers actively contributing to its mission. They assist in a wide variety of roles, both at the front-of-house and behind the scenes. Our volunteers vary in ages and backgrounds, and all have an enjoyment interacting with visitors and sharing the stories of our nation.
Become a volunteer
Recruitment processes are conducted throughout the year as and when volunteers are required for specific areas. Application forms for specific volunteer roles will be available here when opportunities arise, so please check back regularly.
Volunteers receive appropriate training relevant to their work, unless they have been recruited because of a special skill they possess. Training periods vary and are provided by expert Memorial staff and guest speakers depending upon the role.
All volunteers are eligible for discounts at the Memorial shop and cafés, as well as being able to attend the various military history lectures organised by the Memorial.
More information
For general volunteer enquiries, please call (02) 6243 4234 or email volunteer.admin@awm.gov.au
Voluntary Guides
Voluntary Guides provide a range of free and paid tours 364 days a year.
Extensive training is required to provide successful applicants with the tools needed to deliver an exceptional visitor experience. Accordingly, the Memorial conducts only one recruitment process for voluntary guides each year.
Learn more about how to become a Voluntary Guide.
Meet some volunteers
Ian Haidon
Ian Haidon has been volunteering in Official Records for 10 years and has completed over 3,000 hours of work. He worked in the public service for 37 years, with 23 years spent at the National Archives. Ian has an ongoing project cataloguing WWI and WWII records, as well as a project with WWI war diaries.
“I discovered there is a numbering system that no one knew about, so I’m cataloguing the WWI war diaries.”
“I love this place. I love the history of it and I love the stories of the people, the ordinary people, like my uncle who died in the Second World War and I always planned that I would come and try and volunteer here when I retired and here I am.”
Maree Rule, Voluntary Guide
Ric Pelvin
Ric Pelvin has been volunteering in the Photo, Film and Sound department captioning photographs since March 2021 but it’s not the first time he has worked at the Memorial.
“I worked here twice before that in 1992-1993, I was sent down from Navy office to caption some photos and then again in 1997-2002 I was a curator of Official Records.”
“I'm fully retired now and I just thought I could do something a little more amusing in life, a little bit of interest and something I think is useful.”
"I saw it as a way of giving back to the people I’d served or who had trained me and the people I had served with [in the Army] over the years. I found I love it. It’s a great way to spend your time.”
Mark Fairleigh, Voluntary Guide