Join a team of six international volunteers and spend 13 days helping the Goulburn Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Society put on its annual show, one of the largest community events in the region.
- Dates: Saturday 27 February to Thursday 11 March 2027. The Goulburn Show itself is on 6 and 7 March.
- Camp code: 12.1
- Where: Goulburn Recreation Area, 47 Braidwood Road, Goulburn NSW 2580
- Participation fee: $150, which covers food, accommodation, insurance, sightseeing and network fees.
- Team: 6 volunteers
The host
The Goulburn Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Society began in 1880. Each year it organises the Goulburn Show, showcasing the very best of agricultural produce, local creative talent, school artwork and related activities. Find out more on the Goulburn Show website.
The work
You’ll work behind the scenes with local community-minded people to put the Goulburn Show together: setting up the show’s infrastructure beforehand and packing it away afterwards. Expect about 7 hours a day of mostly physical work with some moderate lifting. Tasks include:
- lifting and moving equipment
- setting up tables, chairs and displays
- setting up enclosures and fencing
- cleaning items, odd jobs and general clean-up
- possibly some office work
Training is given before any work starts.
Learning and leisure
The study theme is Australian rural culture, agricultural heritage and community volunteering, with visits to local places of interest. You’ll get free tickets to the Show, a welcome party at the start and a farewell party at the end with the host community, and a bus trip to Canberra.
During the two days of the Show, IVP runs an information display, and volunteers are rostered on for a few hours each day. It’s a chance to meet locals, be interviewed on local radio, and show cultural items or national costume.
Accommodation and meals
The team lives together; the accommodation site is still to be confirmed. Beds and bedding are supplied, and toilets, showers and a washing machine are available. As a team you’ll organise a roster for shopping, cooking and cleaning, and the host provides morning and afternoon tea and lunch each day. Bicycles are provided, and the town centre, with supermarkets, a post office, a cinema, nature walks and a swimming pool, is close by.
Getting there
Goulburn is 200 km south of Sydney and 100 km north of Canberra. The nearest international airports are Sydney and Canberra; from either, take a train or bus to Goulburn Railway Station in the centre of town. The train takes about 3 hours from Sydney or an hour and a half from Canberra. Detailed train times will be sent closer to the start of the camp.
Please aim to arrive in the afternoon of Saturday 27 February. The camp leader or a local volunteer will meet you at the station and help with your luggage. If you can’t catch the suggested trains, let us know in plenty of time.
The program
- Saturday 27 February: arrival and a meet-and-greet dinner.
- Sunday 28 February: welcome and orientation to Goulburn, the project and your hosts, and a walk around the showground.
- Monday 1 to Tuesday 9 March: work, including the Show on 6 and 7 March.
- Wednesday 10 March: evaluation, an excursion and a farewell barbecue with the local volunteers.
- Thursday 11 March: pack up, clean the living area and leave at any time that suits you. We can help you get to the railway or bus station.
What to bring
A wide-brimmed sun hat, closed work shoes or boots and suitable work clothes. The weather can change quickly, from very hot to a cold snap, so bring clothes for all conditions, including rain. We’ll have some emergency clothes in case you can’t carry everything.
We’ll also have sunscreen, and you must wear it: the Australian sun is fierce, and as little as 10 minutes in the middle of the day can damage your skin.
How to apply
The camp is open to volunteers from Australia and overseas.
Living in Australia? Apply through IVP: you need to be an IVP member. Email placements@ivp.org.au to apply, quoting camp code 12.1.
Living overseas? Apply through the SCI branch or partner organisation in your own country, quoting camp code 12.1. See Volunteer in Australia for how it works.
The project coordinator is Rita Warleigh, IVP’s co-founder.
