John Curtin Weekend 2011 Yearbook - Unilife - Curtin University

JOHN CURTIN
WEEKEND 2011

3 MAUREEN MEREDITH
Coordinator of John Curtin Weekend
4 ADAM GOOR
President
5 GARY HEPWORTH
JCW in the Future
7 History of John Curtin Week
CONTENTS
8-9 JCW 2011
Names & Roles
10- 11 Australian National University (ANU) & Bakers Hill
12- 13 Broomehill & Bunbury
14- 15 Busselton & Collie
16- 17 Corrigin & Curtin Sarawak
18- 19 Dardanup & Dowerin
20-21 Fremantle Police/ Community Youth Centre & Gillingarra
22-23 Gingin & Harvey
24-25 Kalgoorlie & Kulin
26-27 Kuunoppin & Lake Grace
28-29 Laverton & Leonora
30-31 Margaret River & Moora
32-33 Narembeen & Northam
34-35 Nungarin & Quairading
36-37 Parkville & Riding for Disabled
38-39 Rockingham & Rottnest
40-41 SwanCare & Tambellup
42-43 Toodyay Site One & Toodyay Site Two
45-46 Volunteer Task Force & Wiluna
47-48 Special Thanks
49-50 Acknowledgements

JCW / 3
MAUREEN MEREDITH
COORDINATOR
Now in its twelth year, John Curtin Weekend
(JCW) is Curtin Volunteers!’ largest community
project. The annual ‘backyard blitz’ took place
on the weekends of September and October.
500+ volunteers worked tirelessly for the 37
regional and metropolitan communities and it
has been a pleasure to work with such amazing
people throughout the planning and
implementation stages. One of the pleasures of
this project is reading the feedback both from
the sites and the volunteers. Both appreciate
the opportunity to work together to achieve
incredible outcomes in the projects. The
regional and metropolitan sites are grateful
for the ‘extra hands’ and the volunteers get to
experience life in the country, including country
hospitality Congratulations to everyone who
has been involved in JCW. I thank you for your
time, skills, support and friendship and look
forward to your involvement next year.

ADAM GOOR
PRESIDENT
Another year,
another John
Curtin Weekend
project,another
bunch of happy
volunteers and
communities
The 2011 JCW project was a raging
success, which does not come as a surprise
to any of those ‘in the know’. With it’s
incredible combination of community
service, travelling, cross-cultural learning
and love – all supported by an
incredible team of organisers under the
amazing leadership of the one and only
Mo – JCW shows just how fun it can be to
make a difference in somebody else’s life.
During this year’s JCW activities I have
managed to get myself on 3 trips to 3
totally different places with 3 totally
different groups of people. I first visited
Busselton on the opening weekend of JCW,
followed by a trip to the remote community
of Laverton and topped off with a trip to
Kulin for the races weekend. Even though
the trips were all very different in nature,
JCW / 4

JCW / 5
each one reflected the values we today
attribute to John Curtin. Whether we were
balloon sculpting and face painting, cooking a
BBQ, or re-organising a cupboard full of
camping equipment, we always managed
to have a good time, and finish the day with
a great feeling of fulfilment, because we’d
achieved something and made someone else’s
job easier.
It has been said many times before, and I’m sure
this won’t be the last; the beautiful spirit of JCW
begins with the amazing team of organisers who
make it a reality. Their tireless efforts in the weeks
and months leading up to the trips makes the
whole project possible and without them JCW
would not happen. Under the leadership of
Mo, who never fails to impress with her ability to
bring awesome people together to do
incredible things, the team has yet again
outdone themselves and should be very
proud of what they achieved. It has been
an absolute pleasure to be involved with
John Curtin Weekend and to work with
many of the volunteers and organisers who
make it possible. Thank you to all of the
people who made JCW possible and I’m
sure I speak on behalf of all the volunteers
and communities when I say that I’m looking
forward to many more years of JCW in the
future!

GARY HEPWORTH
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
COMMUNITY LIFE
This year over 500
volunteers travelled to 37
sites to complete projects
chosen by the regional and
metropolitan communities.
Curtin Sarawak and the
Australian National University
(ANU) Canberra were again
included in the program. John
Curtin Weekend (JCW) has
sustained its reputation as a
major multi-community project.
Volunteers travelled to
regions as diverse as
Coorow, Narembeen, Lake,
Grace, Kununoppin and
Wiluna. New or unfinished
projects have been
completed for the
communities. Town folk feel rejuvenated.
They can also display their way of life to
otherwise unlikely visitors and they develop
unique friendships and good
relationships with volunteers.
JCW volunteers enjoy a ‘once in a lifetime’
adventure, for most volunteers this is their
only experience of country life. With your
continued dedication we can continue to
grow into the future based on the
knowledge that we are working together on
a project that benefits everyone.
Congratulations to all who have been
involved in the planning and execution of
JCW, a magnificent achievement. We look
forward to many more successful years to
come.
JCW / 6

JCW / 7
John Curtin Weekend commemorates the
anniversary of John Curtin’s accession to the
position of Australian Prime Minister on 7
October 1941. It was suggested that students,
staff and community would emulate his
community service by undertaking activities in
the community on this day. In 1999, six groups
of students, coordinated by Curtin Volunteers!,
undertook a variety of tasks on John Curtin Day
which included painting a drop in centre for
young drug addicts in Northbridge and
erecting horse yards at Riding for the Disabled
in Mt Claremont. In 2000, an anonymous
benefactor provided funds for a major tree
planting project which was undertaken the
weekend following John Curtin Day in the
Southwest, and additional funds became
available to repeat the exercise the following
year.
In 2002, Australia celebrated the Year of the
Outback, and it was decided to change the
format of the service weekend, which became
known as John Curtin Weekend for the first time.
Various wheatbelt communities were contacted
to see if there was a project their town would
like to do but needed some extra help to get it
done. We volunteered Curtin students and staff
in return for accommodations and meals. There
were eight sites that year and we hired buses
to take the volunteers to the sites. Feedback
from the towns and the Curtin volunteers was
extremely positive about the whole experience
- we had stumbled onto a really great concept!
HISTORY OF JCW
The format continued but the project jumped in
size to over 20 sites. Leith Rankine coordinated
John Curtin Weekend in 2003 and 2004,
handing over to Adrian Murdock in 2005. In
2006, Maureen Meredith was asked to coach
the JC Weekend team, and she has continued
through to this year. John Curtin Weekend is now
active in 37 sites and is an amazing community
project that benefits everyone involved.

NAMES & ROLES
Names
Maureen Meredith
Gary Hepworth
Adam Goor
Matt Kelly
Casey Blackburn
Christina Stamm
Kaidee Arnold
Ben Regnarde
Sarah Power
Ang Van Es
Rusty Hammond
Hayden Hutcheson
Emma McCormack
Jordan Cutts
Philip Podgorski
Amir Nourani
Jun Song
Helene Regnarde
Loretta Collins
Drennan Goodall
Aaran Mohann
Karen Motta
Kate Frusher
Roles
Coordinator and Regional Coordinator
Advisor
CV! President/ Advisor
Senior Advisor
Graphic Designer Slideshow
Graphic Designer JCW Year Book
Administration
Administration/Transport
Photo/Video/ Competitions
Sundowner
T Shirt Design
Registrations/Sponsorship
Registrations
Registrations
IT
IT
JCW Slideshow
JCW Slideshow
Friends of JCW Facebook/Twitter
Photo Competition/Sundowner
Advisor
Advisor
JCW Intern
Regional
Coordinators
Maureen Meredith
Sarah Henn
Kate Frusher
Chris Polain
Calvin Wong
Regional Coordinator
Regional Coordinator
Regional Coordinator
Regional Coordinator
Regional Coordinator
JCW / 8

JCW / 9
Aaron
Mohann
Adam
Goor
Helene
Regnard
casey
Blackburn
kate
Frusher
Karen
Motta
Angela
Vurens Van Es
Jordan
Cutts
Emma
McCormack
maureen
Meredith
christina
Stamm
philip
Podgorski
Gary
Hepworth

AUSTRALIAN
NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY
(ANU)
OCT 15
ANU Volunteers (ANU V)
members took part in a
grasslands restoration project
at Yarramundi Reach to
celebrate John Curtin
Weekend. ANU V members
and other volunteers who
came along enjoyed being
out on a gorgeous Canberra
spring day. Under the shadow
of the iconic Black Mountain
Tower, we planted, watered,
and mulched some native
grasses, as well as removed
weeds which threaten the
survival of these native
species.
SITE
Thanks to a big turn-out of volunteers we
were able to make great progress in
replacing invasive, exotic grasses at one of
the most biologically important native
grassland sites in central Canberra.
Richie Southerton
Sharaf Khan
(Volunteer)
I had both a
valuable
learning
experience and a
fun day out It felt
good giving native
plants the best
possible chance
to thrive
“It was a fantastic afternoon in the sun
doing our part to preserve the local
environment.”
Harriet Mercer
(Volunteer)
JCW / 10
“I enjoyed working in the sun with other local
volunteers to protect our native grasslands.”

JCW / 11
BAKERS HILL
SEPT 17 & 18
Ten volunteers enjoyed working with the locals
and liaising with parents and teachers in Bakers
Hill to help revamp the school. The volunteers
assisted with a number of tasks that included
turf laying at the school (a first for all the
volunteers) and creating two gardens of native
shrubs, one for the front garden of the library
and one beside the craft/music room.
SITE
It was an absolute pleasure to have this
team volunteer their time. The group
leaders organised the visit with perfect
timing and the entire group were polite,
willing and fitted in with our community.
Liam Thompson
(Volunteer)
“It was all very enjoyable and something
a bit different we were treated verywell by
all staff and families.”
Emma McCormack
(Volunteer)
“The best part was the very friendly locals
and their delicious food.”
Matthew Linton
(Volunteer)
“Getting down and dirty in the mud was
challenging but it was great meeting new
people, eating delicious food and
playing archery.”

BROOMEHILL
SEPT 17 & 18
Ten Volunteers worked with
Broomehill locals to help set
up for Broomehill’s Spring
Swing. The volunteers
decorated the town hall,
helped during the night and
also with the pack up the
next morning. The crew were
given a swing dancing lesson
before helping to serve food
to more than 100 people
who danced the night away
to the delightful Darling Buds
of May, a swing band from
Perth.
SITE
The volunteers were enthusiastic and willing
to do anything that was asked of them. They
also showed initiative to get the work done.
Being a very small community group, we
couldn’t have held our event without their
assistance and we are very grateful that they
came down to lend a hand.
Kar kiat tan
(Volunteer)
“It was great having the opportunity to
participate in dancing lessons and set up
the venue.”
William oorjitham
(Volunteer)
“All the people, both volunteers and
townspeople, were really accommodating.”
JCW / 12

JCW / 13
BUNBURY
SEPT 24 & 25
Eighteen volunteers travelled south to Bunbury
to work with community members in the clean-up
and improvement of the South West Refuge and
Dolphin Discovery Centre. Volunteers worked
at gardening, washing care, pressure hosing
and removal of dead trees; other tasks at the
Dolphin Discovery Centre included weeding
and the removal of green waste.
Felicia Koesoema
(Volunteer)
“It was a good opportunity to get to know
other people and volunteer at places we
wouldn’t normally be albe to.”
SITE
The volunteers were great because they
were friendly, enthusiastic, they cleaned up
after themselves, cooked their own meals
and were generally super helpful.
Frank Kazantzis
Jia Ru Ooi
(Volunteer)
“There were two great parts –
the volunteering when
everyone works together, and
the hanging out part when
we get to talk and go to the
beach.”
it was great to
volunteer at the
dolphin discov,
ery centre and
then kick back and
enjoy dinner and
drinks

BUSSELTON
SEPT 9 -11
SITE
A very enthusiastic group travelled to
Busselton to assist us with the maintenance of
the Scout site. The group did a lot of hard
work and were very friendly as well and we
really appreciated their efforts.
Twenty two volunteers
travelled to Busselton to help
the 1st Cape
Naturaliste Scout Group
meet their local shire fire
regulations by trimming the
scrub and bush around scout
hall and the bunk house. The
group worked tirelessly and
after the day’s work, there
was a campfire on Saturday
night with camp cooking and
everyone got to sing their
national anthem.
Amy Li
Christine Slowiak
(Volunteer)
i enjoyed
the homefood the
friendly family the
beautiful beaches
and gathering to,
gether around the
fireplace
“The best part of the weekend was getting
to know everyone – Australians, international
students and our hosts.”
Rodrigo Barrera
(Volunteer)
“The hospitality was great. The weekend was
a very rewarding experience.”
JCW / 14

JCW / 15
SITE
The volunteers adapted to unfamiliar
surroundings, greeted Rotarians and hosts
pleasantly and maintained a pleasant
manner throughout the day.
COLLIE
OCT 7 - 9
Ten volunteers travelled to Collie to assist
with the running of the Collie Adventure Race
which is an annual multisport event. The
volunteers helped by timing events, erecting
and pulling down temporary fencing and
generally assisting wherever they could.
Jarrad Brown
(Volunteer)
“We had a lovely host family
and a great race day.”
Dhiren Tejani
(Volunteer)
“I enjoyed interacting with
interesting people. Living with
a host family was fantastic.”
Gerain Chan
(Volunteer)
“It was great to be a part of
the Collie Adventure Race
and help the organisers to run
the event.”

CURTIN
SARAWAK
SEPT 16 - 18
&
SEPT 23 - 25
The enthusiastic volunteers
carried out a variety of
activities such as ‘gotong
royong’ with the villagers,
painting and restoring
buildings, holding cultural
and sporting events with them,
as well as conducting
educational workshops for
their youth. As a part of the
JCW 2011 initiative, the team
carried out a ‘used items
campaign’ a month prior to
the project to collect used
items such as books, toys and
clothing for donation to the
communities.
SITE
Curtin’s presence is much appreciated. It’s a
good thing to have them around to liven up
the community with their good works and
presence.
Jude Lim
(Voluntter)
“My unforgettable experience with the local
people is being involved in upgrading their
home, clearing muddy vines and mixing
cement. Forging bonds between these unique
people is definitely a privilege.”
Joleonus
(Volunteer)
“Learning and teaching the local native
language was a highlight. Iban was a great
learning experience for me as it would be a
very interesting for the non-locals to learn a
new language and to communicate better
with the local longhouse people.”
JCW / 16

JCW / 17
SITE
The group of JCW volunteers were a much
welcomed addition to the show. Without
the Curtin volunteers input on the Sunday
morning, the busy bee would have been
delayed. Our grateful thanks go to this
group of amazing students.
CORRIGIN
SEPT 10 - 11
A group of eleven volunteers travelled to
Corrigin to help contribute to the success of
the 89th Annual Corrigin Agricultural Show.
The beautiful spring weather attracted over
1,100 people through the gates and the
volunteers, sporting their green Curtin T-Shirts
were seen on the gate, in the pavilion, in the
shearing shed, at the flour bomb
competitions, selling show bags, face
painting and helping with the clean up. They
enjoyed themselves too and managed to win
the open flour bomb competition.
Lara Antoniolli
Robert Thomas
(Volunteer)
“The best part was meeting
and interacting with the local
community while helping out
at the show. It would be good
to stay even longer!”
helping out with
the flour bomb
competition was
fun it was really
well organised and
lots of fun.”

DARDANUP
OCT 14 - 16
SITE
The Curtin volunteers were very friendly to all
they came across and the Festival Committee
really appreciated the extra helping hands.
The Festival Committee looks forward to
seeing their smiling faces again next year at
our 10th Festival, good luck with your studies.
The JCW volunteers arrived in
town to help with the running
of the Dardanup Bull and
Barrel Festival. They helped
inflate helium balloons in the
kids activity marquee, sold
raffle tickets, assisted on the
sprint track and helped the
chef prepare food for tasting.
They also worked very hard
on Sunday cleaning the
Festival site. This year the JCW
volunteers won the
Tug-O-War competition with
a little help from some of the
local Committee.
Christopher Wan
(Volunteer)
“My highlights were the festival, meeting up
with my welcoming host family, the hillside view
from the house, blowing up balloons for the
kids and winning the tug-o-war!”
Lauren Taylor
(Volunteer)
“I learnt a lot from chatting to the locals
about living in Dardanup.”
Jenny Taylor
(Volunteer)
“We felt like we had won a weekend away!”
JCW / 18

JCW / 19
SITE
The JCW volunteers were a good group of
diverse interests and all made up a good
team.
DOWERIN
SEPT 17 & 18
Ten volunteers travelled to Dowerin where
they assisted at the Dowerin Recycling
Centre by putting cardboard into the
compactor. The group also went to the
Nambling Salt Lake where the volunteers
mulched the trees. The group were treated
to attending the National Supreme
Sheepdog Trials whilst in Dowerin.
Piri Altraide
(Volunteer)
“We learnt a lot about how we can improve
energy efficiency in Australia and it was
fantastic to know that we made an impact in
the recycling plant.”
Leanne Quach
Melanie Chapman
(Volunteer)
“Being given a task and
completing it with the group
was very satisfying.”
my favourite
parts of the week,
end were assisting
at the recycling
plant and learning
about the towns
history,progress
and culture.”

FREMANTLE
POLICE &
COMMUNITY
CENTRE
SEPT 17 - 18
Ten volunteers helped
revitalise the Fremantle PCYC.
The volunteers did an
amazing effort in painting a
large, drab, dirty wall and
turning it into a bright and
cheery feature. Already there
have comments on how great
the place looks. They also
helped to shift equipment that
previously took three weeks
to store, in just one day, a
sensational effort of “many
hands making light work”.
SITE
Everyone was cheerful and happy andn
appeared to have a good time. No task was
too hard for them and it was a pleasure to
be involved. It was a super effort by the crew
and we achieved all we had hoped for.
Eddie Tikoft
Carina Dufty
(Volunteer)
it was a pleasure
to contribute to
the life of such a
vibrant community
centre
“It was great fun painting and there was
always good conversation. It was nice to be
thanked and to know our work was
appreciated.”
JCW / 20

JCW / 21
SITE
The community really enjoy the positive
attitudes by the students and the results
and outcomes that can be achieved in
one weekend with a little bit of planning
and some good communication. We also
enjoy repeat contact with the regulars
including bus drivers and JCW staff. We
love the program.
GILLINGARRA
SEPT 23 - 25
Fifteen volunteers travelled to the town of
Gillingarra. The volunteers were enthusiastic
in their work which included reworking garden
beds, raking, mowing overgrown grass areas,
spring cleaning the badminton area,
plastering and painting walls, washing and
cleaning tables, chairs, walls, windows, and
toilets. The benefits of country living were
showcased with each local host family taking
their volunteers on a farm tour.
Win Thi Ha
(Volunteer)
“Working co-operatively with
others was very rewarding.”
Laura Lyons
(Volunteer)
“I enjoyed seeing the results of
our work in the town and
meeting the friendly locals.”
Koh Qian Fen Joy
(Volunteer)
“Touring the farms and
learning about how they work
was one of my highlights.”

GINGIN
OCT 7 - 9
Twenty volunteers travelled to
Gingin to assist with some
projects at the Gravity
Discovery Centre. The
volunteers securing the non
slip cladding on the tower
steps, checked and tightened
all door handles, staked out
large wooden posts along
the 2.5kms nature walk,
repairing some of the exhibits
and generally tidying around
the complex. The volunteers
finished off the day
watching the sunset from top
of the tower. Gingin is always
interesting and the hospitality
is amazing.
SITE
The volunteers were absolutely 1st class, and
of course most welcome to return next year.
Whilst here, as well as breaking the record
for fastest time up the tower and backup the
students were very productive. The volunteers
were a tremendous help at the Gravity
Discovery Centre.
Sherlyn Lee
(Volunteer)
“It was educational and team-building at the
same time.”
Nabeela Sluliub
(Volunteer)
“Every single minute was worthwhile.”
Mark Padernilla
(Volunteer)
“Stargazing was an amazing experience!”
JCW / 22

JCW / 23
SITE
Every year the JCW volunteers are
fantastic. The enthusiasm shown by the
group this year was outstanding. We
enjoyed working alongside the volunteers
and showing them country hospitality.
HARVEY
SEPT 24 & 25
Twelve volunteers journeyed to Harvey to
assist the restoration of the Harvey river.
The group removed rubbish surrounding the
river and on the reserve and removed water
reeds. A lot of effort to protect the river and
its surroundings.
Nic Dyer
(Volunteer)
“The weekend could only be improved by
making it longer!”
Alyson Chin
Sophie Tudor-Roberts
(Volunteer)
“I had a great time meeting
with the towns people and
other volunteers.”
everything
was amazing the
work was fun the
people were great

KALGOORLIE
SEPT 23 -25
SITE
What a wonderful event to be involved in!
We will definitely have our hand up for next
year.
Thirteen volunteers travelled
via train to Kalgoorlie to
work with Kalgoorie Rotary
and other community groups
to revitalise the community
day-care and playgroup
centre. The volunteers did
large amounts of weeding
and removal of rubbish to
ensure the playgroup was a
safe, clean and fun place to
be. This was the first time that
Kalgoorlie has been in the
JCW program and all went
well.
Sarah Connor
Glenn Syme
(Volunteer)
“It was really rewarding to work alongside
volunteers of the community.”
Rachel Murray
(Volunteer)
i loved
being able to see
the difference we
were making to the
community in physi,
cal terms the day
care looked fab
after our work
JCW / 24
“The best part was cleaning the yard and
seeing the huge difference it made.”

JCW / 25
SITE
Again it has to be stressed that the Kulin
community could not run the Kulin races
without the enthusiastic support of the John
Curtin Weekend volunteers. Their
enthusiasm and commitment was
appreciated and admired. Look forward
to next year.
KULIN
OCT 7 -9
Twenty five volunteers travelled to Kulin for
the annual Kulin bush races. This is an event
not to be missed and is much loved by our
JCW volunteers. The volunteers assisted at
the races by doing face painting, balloon
sculpturing, serving food, assisting at the
stalls and cleaning up.
Nguyen Duc Duy Thuong
(Volunteer)
Adeline Cheong
(Volunteer)
“The atmosphere was
fantastic!”
Jessica Obradovic
(Volunteer)
“It’s hard to pick just one
highlight – helping the kids,
face painting, making
balloons, meeting new friends
and dancing near the bonfire
were all amazing
experiences.”
“I liked working in the kitchen with the locals
and the fireworks were great!

KUNUNOPPIN
SEPT 23 - 25
Fifteen volunteers spent the
weekend assisting the
community volunteers at the
annual Kununoppin and
Districts Hospital Auxiliary
Fete at Bencubbin.
Volunteers prepared food
and assisted in the kitchen,
did face painting, serving on
stalls and assisting models in
the fashion parade. They also
spent time at the hospital
weeding, raking, cleaning
and running fun activities and
occupational therapy
sessions with hospital
residents.
SITE
This was an extra special group of volunteers.
At the fete, they were able to use their own
initiative to see where their help was needed
and throughout the whole day, they
continued to assist the auxiliary members.
Their efforts at the final clean up at the
conclusion of the fete where very impressive
and greatly appreciated.
Mirna Gudka
(Volunteer)
“The fete was great, helping out to ice
biscuits and then getting to go bowling. It
was an awesome weekend.... can’t complain.”
Kerry Saunders
(Volunteer)
“The whole weekend was great, it was well
organised, we were made very welcome and
our assistance was greatly appreciated.”
Tracey Currie
(Volunteer)
“The whole weekend was just awesome; all of
it was very rewarding. It was great to be able
to give something back to the community.”
JCW / 26

JCW / 27
SITE
The JCW volunteers were really helpful with
all the jobs that we did. They were also
really nice people and we loved having
them in Lake Grace, look forward to next
year.
LAKE GRACE
OCT 8 & 9
Fourteen volunteers worked with the Lake
Grace Lions Club installing synthetic grass
in the children’s playground area, painting
benches and weeding. They also enjoyed
the Lake Grace hospitality and did a tour of
town including the Art Museum.
Isabella Ong
(Volunteer)
“The people in Lake Grace are really nice
and kind as well.”
Ben Hogan
Dave Sherwood
(Volunteer)
“Sharing dinner with the
community was one of the
best parts of the weekend.”
i really enjoyed
the work we were
doing installing
a synthetic grass
playing area

LAVERTON
SETP 23 - 26
SITE
Thank you to the volunteers for giving us a
hand! These activities wouldn’t run without
your help.
The Laverton project is one
of Curtin Volunteers! longest
running programs. Volunteers
assisted local artist Bede
with a mural project, ran a
kindy gym and craft activities
with local children, spent a
day out in Mount Margaret
running sports and craft with
the local children and ran the
traditional CV! town BBQ on
the Sunday evening.
Adam Goor
(Volunteer)
“This weekend was fantastic! It
was awesome to spend time
with the vollies and share with
them.”
Emily O’Keeffe
Ed Fearis
(Volunteer)
spending time
with the kids was
lovely and they
seem to really
look forward to
these trips
“Sunday was the highlight of the trip – we
went to Mt Margaret and did some activities
with the local kids before having a BBQ with
the Laverton community in the evening.
Overall, the experience was extremely
rewarding and informative.”
JCW / 28

JCW / 29
SITE
We love having the volunteers up giving us
a hand. Without their help we wouldn’t get
the job done!
LEONORA
SEPT 23 - 26
The Leonora Races are a day on the
calendar not to be missed. Five volunteers
flew up to Leonora, a Goldfield town 950km
north-east of Perth. The volunteers were kept
busy all weekend providing entertainment
for the kids and lending a hand wherever
needed, whether it be food prep, sports,
balloon sculpting or face painting. They also
got their hands dirty with an ongoing
renovation project at the Gwalia Museum.
Lisa Ip
(Volunteer)
“The Leonora Races were
a lot of fun. The locals were
really friendly and you could
just stop by and say hello to
anyone. Leonora, what a trip!”
Lynne Duthie
(Volunteer)
“I had such a wonderful time
on this trip. We did a tonne of
face painting… which turned
into body painting… which
turned into painting the
CV-ers! I just love spending
time with the kids!”

MARGARET
RIVER
OCT 7 - 9
SITE
The weekend went well. The students were
well behaved and enthusiastic. As always, it is
nice to work with the JCW volunteers.
This year 20 students from
Vickery House travelled to
Margaret River and were
involved in beach cleaning,
emergency fire and rescue
experience and a Rotary Park
bush clearance exercise. All
these activities were
enthusiastically and
effectively tackled by the
volunteers.
Baraka Casson
(Volunteer)
“My favourite part of the weekend was
helping clean up and burn old trees at
Botany Park with the community members.”
Yuntong Sun
(Volunteer)
“I enjoyed contributing by picking up the
rubbish along the beautiful beach.”
Agnes Opoku
(Volunteer)
“The homestay was a unique experience.”
JCW / 30

JCW / 31
SITE
At Watheroo we were amazed at the
volunteers’ keenness to work. The driver,
Lindsay, was an added bonus and proved
to be very important in motivating and
showing the group different skills. The volunteers
at the Moora Races and the disco
were very helpful.
MOORA
OCT 14 - 16
Twenty volunteers travelled to Moora and
Watheroo to assist the local communities.
Volunteers assisted at the Moora Races
where they did car park direction, cleaning
and track preparation. At Watheroo the
group helped make pathways, cleaned
gutters, renovated a bridge and cleaned
play equipment.
Adam Doyle
(Volunteer)
“The disco with the kids was
heaps of fun.”
Anita Diep
(Volunteer)
“I really had a great time with
my group and being able to
help the community in some
way was rewarding.”
Christian Conitsiotis
(Volunteer)
“I enjoyed getting to spend
time at the race-day and
interacting with the locals.”

NAREMBEEN
OCT 8 & 9
SITE
We had an absolute blast! The students were
fantastic, enthusiastic and well mannered.
Our volunteers really enjoyed their company
and chats.
Eighteen volunteers assisted
at the Wadderin Wildlife
Sanctuary where they were
involved in weeding, rubbish
collection, drain clearing
and the movement of heavy
concrete fence posts. They
got their hands dirty at the
Hidden Hollow Walk Trail
(85kms from Narembeen)
where the projects were
weeding, marking the track
and clearing the trail.
Gareth Hall
(Volunteer)
Drennan Goodall
Dylan Heath
(Volunteer)
the people
made the trip
everyone was
extremely
friendly and
welcoming
“I found it incredible to get out in the bush,
spend time with the locals and see a different
way of living.”
“The locals really made us
feel like part of the
community.”
JCW / 32

JCW / 33
SITE
The ability of the volunteers to work well
with each other and also the Historical
Society volunteers was commendable.
Everyone got on with the work and the
results were transforming a heap of records
into a data source, which will be a
comprehensive record and formalise the
history of the town and shire.
NORTHAM
SEPT 24 & 25
Ten volunteers travelled to Northam and
assisted in sorting and working through
record books dating from the gazettal of
Northam as a town in 1836. It was a task of
considerable magnitude, involving
commitment to working and recording all the
items entered on a spreadsheet. Sorting the
records enabled the students to learn the
history of Northam and that era of the history
of the State of Western Australia.
Peta Blight
(Volunteer)
“I really enjoyed spending
time with the group.”
Beatrice Kigodi
(Volunteer)
“It was interesting to look at
items that were more than 150
years old and to learn about
the history of Northam.”

NUNGARIN
OCT 1 & 2
SITE
The group were very pleasant and helpful
and were a definite asset to the community
during their stay in Nungarin.
Ten enthusiastic volunteers
travelled to Nungarin and
spent the weekend doing
maintenance on the
Nungarin Heritage
Machinery and Army Museum.
The group stayed together
at the recreation centre and
attended the famous annual
Mangowine Concert!
Katherine Oliver
(Volunteer)
“The best part of the weekend was the
Mangowine festival”
Fiona Walsh
(Volunteer)
“My favourite aspect of the trip was the
opportunity to meet the friendly people in
the community.”
JCW / 34

JCW / 35
SITE
The Curtin Volunteers gave their usual high
standard of performance in Quairading this
year. Their presence was very much
appreciated again by our Community
Groups as many hands in two major events
made for light work.
QUAIRADING
SEPT 17 & 18
The volunteers were treated to a varied work
load assisting at the Quairading Agricultural
Show. The face painting and interaction with
the children made it the most successful year
in the kids tent. The next day, the locals and
the JCW volunteers all put on raincoats and
proceeded in heavy rain to pull down all
remaining marquees and displays to clear
the way for the footy fans.
Lee Jing Yi
(Volunteer)
Chow Heu Zhen
Su Yin Lee
(Volunteer)
“I was glad to see the
involvement of the community
to help in the event.”
working together
as a group and get,
ting to know peo,
ple from a small
town made for
some great times
“Entertaining the children, the fireworks and
the sky full of stars were memorable.”

RIDING FOR
DISABLED
SEPT 9 & 10
Each year RDAWA holds its
annual friendly competition
State Games at Fairbridge for
people with disabilities and
special needs. Horse riding
activities and games such as
English Equitation, Trail
Riding and Fancy Dress
(Horse and Rider) takes
place. With over 100
participants, the event takes
a huge amount of
preparation and managing
before, during and after, to
ensure the riders, horses,
volunteers, families and
friends have a wonderful day.
This is where JCW Volunteers
made a tremendous
contribution.
SITE
JCW volunteers were wonderful. They were
friendly, willing and very able in just about
anything we asked them to do. Well
mannered, understanding of their
surroundings and most of all willing to help
where ever they could, from photography,
judging, constructing and more. They all
took part and happily listened to their team
leader.
Qirong Song
Aaron Panzich
(Volunteer)
getting to work
with horses was a
real highlight
“I enjoyed the time we had to get to know
one another.”
helene regnard
(Volunteer)
“Sitting around the campfire was fun and
meeting Riding for the Disabled volunteers
was great value.”
JCW / 36

JCW / 37
SITE
The Curtin volunteers were eager, hard
working and ready to give anything a go!
Fantastic effort.
PARKERVILLE
SEPT 16
Curtin volunteers visited the Parkerville
Children and Youth Care campus and
assisted in the completion of a number of
outstanding projects. This included putting
the finishing touches on a retaining wall built
from coffee rock and completing paintwork
in a 100 year old building that has been
renovated to provide accommodation for
young people who experience difficult times.
The volunteers were also involved in
gardening work around campus which
included bush fire season preparation work.
Clare James
(Volunteer)
“It was fantastic getting to
know people better while
achieving things.”
Marek Misan
(Volunteer)
“Being involved in meaningful
work was motivating.”
Rebecca Vinken
(Volunteer)
“I found it useful to be
introduced to another
valuable community service
and feeling like I have
contributed.”

ROCKINGHAM
OCT 1
SITE
The volunteers were enthusiastic and were
keen to help out during the day. It is a
pleasure for us to be in the JCW program.
Ten volunteers travelled to
the Rockingham Regional
Environment Centre to assist
with bush regeneration. The
volunteers planted trees and
did weeding at different
locations. Rockingham is a
must for all eco-friendly
volunteers.
Weiwei Zhang
(Volunteer)
“I liked being able to make new friends while
spending time in nature.”
Jess Davies
(Volunteer)
“There were lots of ocean views and lots of
laughs!”
Hayley Prout
(Volunteer)
“The best part was the process of planting
new trees.”
JCW / 38

JCW / 39
BEFORE
AFTER
SITE
The volunteers worked hard to keep our
island in good condition.
ROTTNEST
SEPT 16 & 18
Eight volunteers travelled to Rottnest and
joined up with the other volunteers from
Rottnest Society and the Rottnest Island
Authority. All the volunteers then spent time
on the beach looking for and removing
rubbish as well as sea spurge- a extremely
tough pest plant species. A fantastic
volunteering opportunity at a great location.
Chris Wan
it was
fun to work with
the other friendly
volunteers in
helping to pre,
serve this
beautiufl
island

SWAN CARE
SEPT 17
Eighteen students
volunteered for the Swan
Care Group Bentley Park
painting project, transforming
an old building to a vibrant
new one. Drop sheets were
put down, paint stirred,
masking tape applied to
skirting boards, brushes and
rollers distributed and then
the painting at Richard
Cleaver Lodge began. Fresh
coats were applied and
feature walls created to bring
new life to an old, but very
important, building.
SITE
The students worked extremely well together
and because of this the whole project ran
very smoothly. It was an absolute pleasure
working alongside such a fabulous group of
students. They were not only hard working,
keen, enthusiastic, polite, friendly and so
much more but a lot of FUN!
James Boyle
Sarah Power
(Volunteer)
it is
amazing what can
be achieved by
a group of dedi,
cated volunteers
focussed on the
task happy to help
brighten up the
surroundings
“It was fantastic to be able to assist with the
painting at Swan Care, we achieved a lot
and had a great time”
JCW / 40

JCW / 41
SITE
The JCW volunteers once again brought
our annual show to life and continued to
entertain the kids with face painting and
circus skills . As always they bring their
great attitude – thanks to the volunteers
you were awesome, well done and
hopefully see you next year.
TAMBELLUP
OCT 15 & 16
Fourteen volunteers travelled south to
Tambellup to assist at the annual Tambellup
Agricultural Show. The group that volunteer
for Tambellup each year are always unique
as they produce amazing circus skills, face
painting and balloon sculpturing. A great
contribution.
Eric Li
(Volunteer)
Amy Hetherington
(Volunteer)
“I loved spending time with
the locals – especially the
kids – they were so friendly,
kind, open and generous. I
feel I’ve learnt many life skills
from them.”
Paul Brandis
(Volunteer)
“It was a great chance to
make new friends.”
“It was great to see the children’s happy
smiles as they walked off with a balloon
sculpture.”

TOODYAY 1
SEPT 24
SITE
It is hard to explain how grateful the Toodyay
community are to the JCW volunteers. The
work that the volunteers did post fire was
appreciated by us all, what would we do
without you.
Eight volunteers travelled to
Toodyay to help members of
the community with ongoing
repair and restoration
following devastating fires.
Other projects the volunteers
worked tirelessly on included
assisting with the removal of
damaged trees, clean up
of yards and burning off on
properties.
Heather Davis
(Volunteer)
“It was touching to talk to the locals and
hear about their fire experiences.”
Jenna Carrier
(Volunteer)
“It was great to meet new people and enjoy
the amazing weather.”
James Boyle
(Volunteer)
“It was great to enjoy lunch, sit around and
chat with the locals that came down to help
out. It should be overnight, it’s such a
beautiful place and the folks are lovely.”
JCW / 42

JCW / 43
SITE
The volunteers are always fun to have
around, they uplift both the young and not
so young. Volunteers were happy and
willing to assist with anything we asked.
They worked tirelessly on Sunday to help
clean the racecourse.
TOODYAY 2
OCT 8 & 9
Two weeks later, the Toodyay Picnic
Raceday was held on at the Toodyay
Racecourse. It was the first race meeting
since the devastating fires in December
2009 caused considerable damage to
buildings and the racetrack itself. The event
was attended by approx 1800 people and
the volunteers were involved in the smooth
operation of the day.
Melissa Werrett
Bishaka Tangchangya
(Volunteer)
“Enjoyed helping and meeting
with different people from a
different culture”
meeting the
local volunteers
at the toodyay
races and helping
them was a high,
light for me

VOLUNTEER
TASK FORCE
SEPT 17
SITE
We were delighted to host JCW volunteers
again. The feedback we receive from our
Gardening coordinators is always positive
and they always have fun with the group.
The volunteers assisted the
Volunteer Task Force by
working in the gardens of
the frail elderly and younger
people with disabilities. The
volunteers make a significant
difference to the gardens.
Mo Xuefei
MY FAVOURITE
ASPECT OF THE TRIP
WAS OUR GROUPS
ABILITY TO WORK
AS A TEAM
Chen Wenjun
(Volunteer)
“Gardening with my fellow volunteers was
great fun.”
JCW / 44

JCW / 45
SITE
Our wonderful volunteers painted faces,
assisted with events and even ended up
making lunches. We highly value this
partnership and encourage anyone to
consider this program to experience a bit
of the outback.
WILUNA
SEPT 26 - 27
The Wiluna program is the newest edition to
Curtin Volunteers! Remote & Indigenous
portfolio. Having begun in late 2009, monthly
trips now see volunteers getting involved in a
variety of projects. This trip saw three
volunteers head up to assist at the Wiluna
Remote Community School sports carnival.
The day was a huge success, with the whole
community there on the day and our
volunteers as always did a fantastic job
assisting in the running of the day.
Jana van Voorthuizen
(Volunteer)
“It was nice to see such
support from the elders,
parents, aunties and cousins.
Everyone was there!”
Josephine van
Voorthuizen
(Volunteer)
“My highlights were seeing so
many people from the
community supporting the
carnival and giving out
ribbons.”

Curtin
For supporting John Curtin Weekend and
providing an environment where our
volunteers can engage with the broader
community. Gary Hepworth for his ongoing
support and guidance. Special thanks also
to Kate Frusher, JCW Intern, for her
persistence and dedication.
SPECIAL
THANKS
Curtin
Volunteers!
A student run organisation that provides
volunteer opportunities for students. An
amazing group of leaders, Curtin is
fortunate to have their passion and
commitment.
JCW sites
Thanks to the sites for their hospitality and
care of our volunteers and for providing
worthwhile projects for them to work on. The
volunteers love working and socialising with
you.
JCW Team
An amazing team of skilled, passionate
people. They are amazing, multi-talented,
innovative and have worked hard to
implement JCW. The JCW Team undertook
the following roles: Recruitment, registration,
marketing, media, graphic design – T shirts
and notebooks, flyers, promotional material,
event management, competitions,
administration, budget, risk management,
public relations and advising.
Regional
Coordinators
The Regional Coordinators provided the
vital link between the 37 sites and the site
leaders. JCW could not do without their
dedication. The leadership they show is
admirable and appreciated.
JCW / 46

JCW / 47
ALL Volunteers
Your hard work, time and energy is
appreciated by the regional and
metropolitan sites. Be proud of what you
have done and achieved for the
communities.
Site Leaders
The Site Leaders have displayed
amazing leadership and are to be admired
and thanked for taking on the role. The
feedback indicates that they excelled in their
role and their efforts were appreciated by
everyone.
Vehicle drivers
JCW could not happen without our vehicle
drivers. They clocked up a total of 45,000
kms over 6 weekends. Their skills and
attention to detail ensured that all our
volunteers returned safely to Curtin. They
also provided amazing support to the Site
Leaders.
Curtin is staying true to the
writing of John Curtin, to:
Look ever
forward

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
jcw sites
ANU
Bakers Hill
Broomehill
Bunbury
Busselton
Collie
Corrigin
Curtin Sarawak
Dardanup
Dowerin
Fremantle PCYC
Gillingarra
Gingin
Harvey
Kalgoorlie
Kulin
Kununoppin
Lake Grace
Laverton
Leonora
Margaret River
Moora
Narembeen
Northam
Nungarin
Quairading
Parkerville
Riding for Disabled
Rockingham
Rottnest
SwanCare
Tambellup
Toodyay
Volunteer Task Force
Wiluna
JCW Team
Maureen Meredith
Kate Frusher
Matt Kelly
Casey Blackburn
Kaidee Arnold
Ben Regnarde
Sarah Power
Ang van Es
Rusty Hammond
Hayden Hutcheson
Emma McCormack
Jordan Cutts
Philip Podgorski
Amir Nourani
Jun Song
Helene Regnarde
Loretta Collins
Drennan Goodall
Adam Goor
Aaran Mohann
Karen Motta
Gary Hepworth
Regional Coordinators
Maureen Meredith
Sarah Henn
Kate Frusher
Chris Polain
Calvin Wong
Site Leaders
Sheree Walters
Bohdi Williamson
Ang Van Es
Nicolas Tse Tat Hiung
Kym Sher
Sarah Connor
Cornelius Hattingh
Hayley Davis
JCW / 48

JCW / 49
Yeemon Aung
Radhika Kayarat
Peta Blight
Jessica Davies
Michael Bailey
Baraka Cassian
Abeena Mohann
Drennan Goodall
Bansi Kathrotiya
Reece Russell
Lauren Taylor
Loretta Collins
Casey Blackburn
Sarah Power
Alison O’Shaughnessy
Carly Thompson
Sarah Henn
James Boyle
Aaran Mohann
Eddie Tikoft
Kate Frusher
Shane Durlik
Stephanie Banks
Joshua Scaffardi
Karen Motta
Vehicle Drivers
Adam Goor
Ang Van Es
Bob Meredith
Brendan Ennis
Bruce Hancock
Bryan Daly
Candice Woodham
David Lord
Des Townsend
Geoff Lever
Halit Eren
Jennifer Talbot
John Rees
Karen Motta
Kevin Pestell
Lindsay Talbot
Max Polain
Nic Leigh
Paul Yates
Peter Frusher
Peter Taylor
Ray Palmer
Richard MacGowan
Sarah Henn
Stacey Gough
Bus Donors
Como Secondary College
Curtin Volunteers!
Fremantle Police & Community Youth Centre
Penrhos College
Final round
of applause
Year Book Designer:
Christina Stamm (Graphic Design Student)
Book Content:
Kaidee Arnold, Edward Tikoft &
Melissa Gilbert
Sponsorship:
GEON Print and Communications Solutions
Prize Donors:
Techniq Computer Solutions
Curtin Student Guild

DID YOU
KNOW ?
37 Sites including three metropolitan
1 International site: Curtin Sarawak
1 National: Australian National University
600: Number of volunteers
31 Transport vehicles
45,000kms travelled over six John Curtin
Weekends.
Volunteers come from: China, Japan,
Scotland, US and Canada, India, Singapore,
Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Mauritius,
Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Iceland and
Australia.
New Sites: Corrigin, Parkerville, Kalgoorlie,
Fremantle Police and Citizens Youth Centre,
Riding for the Disabled, Rottnest, Bakers Hill
and Toodyay (2nd site)
Curtin University is a trademark of
Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J (WA)
Printed by: GEON Print &
Communications Solutions
Designed by: Christina Stamm