Canowindra’s Age of Fishes Museum has come up with an innovative way to attract interstate volunteers to the museum.

The museum’s board has filed a request with Cabonne Council asking that volunteers from outside of the region be given free access to a powered site at Canowindra Caravan Park for the duration of their stay.

Board member Monica Yeung said the museum had also been in touch with private accommodation vendors who might be willing to offer discounted rates for interstate volunteers.

Ms Yeung said it was hoped the initiative would provide a boost for the museum, which often struggles to source volunteers with experience in science and geology.

“We are always looking for volunteers with an interest in geology,” she said.

“This would be a nice gesture to attract and thank volunteers willing to travel from interstate to help a museum like ours and Cabonne Council.

“This is also an innovative idea that has the potential to start a trend for other organisations in the area.”

Museum volunteer Don Spalding, from Parramatta, said he would take up the offer of a free caravan park site and saw it as an added incentive for working at the museum.

“It’s an added selling point,” Mr Spalding said.

“I love the country and the museum and this would be another reason to come out here.”

Cabonne Council has indicated its support for the motion on the basis that it will benefit the museum as well as having flow through advantages for other Canowindra businesses.

Volunteers, however, would need to commit to a minimum number of working hours to have access to the caravan park for free.

The Age of Fishes Museum currently relies on volunteers to operate and will need to attract 10,000 visitors annually before it can employ casual staff. Current visitation is 8500 people annually.

Source: canowindra.yourguide.com.au