Goulburn Agricultural Show 2027

CODE: AU-IVP 12.1

Address: Goulburn Recreation Area, 47 Braidwood Road, Goulburn NSW 2580
Host: Goulburn Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Society began in 1880. They organise the Goulburn Show each year, showcasing the very best of agricultural produce, local creative talents, school artwork and related activities. Goulburn Show is one of the largest community events in the region. www.goulburnshow.com.au

Volunteer work: For the volunteers it will be fun and rewarding to work with local community-minded people. You will work behind the scenes and help put the Goulburn Show together, set up infrastructure for the show and pack away afterwards. The work will be approximately 7 hours per day with tasks as required, mostly physical with some moderate lifting. Tasks include lifting and moving equipment, setting up tables, chairs and displays, cleaning items, setting up enclosures and fencing, secretary and office work, odd jobs and general clean-up. Training will be given before any work starts.

Study theme: Learning about Australian rural culture, agricultural heritage, and community volunteering. There will be visits to local areas of interest, local farms and possibly local high school.

Cultural activities: You will have free tickets to the Show (The Goulburn Show will take place on 6th and 7th March) . There will be a welcoming party at the beginning and a farewell party at the end with the host community. A bus trip to Canberra may also be organised.

Accommodation: The team will live together in a small building at the showground. Stretchers, mattresses, sheets, pillows and blankets will be supplied. There will be a roster for shopping, cooking and cleaning. Morning and afternoon tea and lunch will be provided each day. Toilets, showers and a washing machine are in the building. The town centre is a 20-minute walk away and there you can find supermarkets, post office, cinema, nature walks and a swimming pool.

Arrival and departure: Goulburn is 200km south of Sydney and 100 km north of Canberra. Nearest international airports are Sydney and Canberra. From either you can take a train or bus to Goulburn Railway Station which is located in the centre of town. The train from Sydney can take approximately 3 hours, or from Canberra one and a half hours. Detailed information about train times will be given closer to the start of the workcamp (in case of change of timetable).
Please aim to arrive in the afternoon of Saturday 28th February. The camp leader and/or local volunteer will meet you at the train station and assist with luggage. It is an easy walk.

On Sunday the 1st March there will be a welcome and orientation to get to know Goulburn, the project, and your hosts as well as a walk around the showground to familiarise you with the surroundings. Work will start from Monday 2nd March and will finish on Tuesday 10th March. On 11th March there will be an evaluation, excursion and farewell barbeque with the local volunteers. Thursday 12th March is the final day, time to wind down and pack up and clean the living area. You can plan to leave any time on this day that suits you and we can assist with getting you to the railway or bus station.

What to bring: Wide brimmed sun hat, closed work shoes/boots and appropriate work clothes. The weather can be very changeable, one moment very hot and the next, a cold snap, so bring clothes for all climates, including possible rain. We will have some emergency clothes in case you can’t carry clothes for all possibilities. We will also have sunscreen and you must wear it as the sun in Australia is ferocious and you can develop preconditions for skin cancer with 10 mins exposure in the middle of the day.

During the Show, IVP will have an information display. Volunteers will be rostered on for a few hours each day. This is a chance to meet locals, be interviewed on local radio, and display cultural items of national costume.