Kind-hearted grey nomads have been praised for volunteering their time to help Winton’s Waltzing Matilda Centre recover from the fire that caused so much damage to it in June.
Caravan and motorhome travellers have been standing shoulder to shoulder with local volunteers in salvaging items damaged in the blaze.
“It was a little surprising but it’s also very humbling to know that there are people out there, who you’ve not known in the past and have had nothing to do with the project, who are willing to roll up their sleeves and give you a hand,” Winton District Historical Society and Museum president Bruce Collins told the ABC. “We had one lady from South Australia who came along day after day for almost three weeks … we even sent her a little thank you certificate for her efforts.”
Volunteers have been carrying out ‘tedious cleaning work’ on objects and documents exposed to smoke and water damage.
While some particularly valuable items have been sent away to be professionally restored and others were too badly burned to be salvaged, it has been amazing how much of a difference the army of helpers have been able to make.
“It’s been a long road. We’re well down the road, but we’re not quite at the end of it,” Mr Collins told the ABC. “We’re certainly past the halfway mark.”
The clean-up is expected to be finished by about March 2016. * Have you volunteered in Winton or elsewhere? What have your experiences of volunteering been like? Comment below.
do you anticipate a demand for volunteers after march 2016? as we plan to visit between march and june, would be only too pleased to assist. kindest regards walter