JOHN CURTIN WEEKEND 2009 - Unilife

JOHN CURTIN
WEEKEND 2009
“Look ever forward”
1

From the
Coordinator
John Curtin Weekend is Curtin Volunteers!’
largest community project and again it has been a
pleasure to coordinate such an amazing project.
Through John Curtin Weekend you will have
discovered volunteering is a great way too meet
new people, challenge and develop your personal
skills and engage with our diverse communities. You
have all worked together on community projects to
achieve a common goal. I have received wonderful
feedback from the regional and metropolitan sites
who are very grateful for your contribution during
the JCW month.
The greatest pleasure that I have had has been
working directly alongside one hundred and twenty
five people to plan and implement this project. The
commitment and dedication from everyone has been
inspirational and I thank everyone for their time, skills
and friendship.
Maureen (Mo) Meredith
Coordinator of John Curtin Weekend
From the
President
So, where did you go for John Curtin
Weekend? It’s exciting to imagine the 480+
stories that will answer that question this year.
Pub-painting in Coorow? Fence-building in
Broomehill? Unicycling in Tambellup?
Being a frequent inhabitant of building 599
and the Curtin Volunteers! office has even more
perks than usual in October as the stories start
flowing in. It is truly a joy to be connected to a
project that provides so many with unique and
enjoyable weekends!
Still, this project is about much more than
weekend trips into the country. Established
in 1999 to recognise and honour John Curtin’s
values of vision, leadership and community
service, it has become a chance to connect
communities and individuals that might not
otherwise interact. It’s about teamwork, and
mutual sharing and learning.
On John Curtin Weekends we complete tasks
that are small enough that teams of enthusiastic,
skilled (or not-so-skilled) volunteers can
achieve in one weekend, but are still big
enough that they make a noticeable positive
difference for people in the town. It is my firm
belief that in most cases the benefits for the
volunteer are bigger still, though we might not
realise it until years down the track.
Organising John Curtin Weekend
– or weekends – is no small feat. Curtin
Volunteers! is incredibly lucky to have Maureen
‘Mo’ Meredith at the helm of a project which, under
her dedicated leadership over the past four years,
has flourished and grown from 20 towns to 38,
and 3 international sites. She works from the day
the previous John Curtin Weekend is over to see
everything come together for October.
Mo’s endless enthusiasm is contagious,
as demonstrated by the fantastic John Curtin
Weekend team that she quickly gathers up to
help maintain and form the crucial partnerships
with country towns. This group, consisting mainly
of students, should be congratulated for their
efforts, as should each of the 38 site leaders.
Without this leadership at every level, there is
no way so many people could participate in, and
benefit so much from, John Curtin Weekend.
So, I hope this yearbook provides ample
opportunity for you to reflect on your own
personal story that was John Curtin Weekend
2009, and to get a window on the many other
stories that make up this incredible project.
Congratulations and thanks,
Tash Moore
CV! President
3

History of John
Curtin Weekend
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 hired buses to take the volunteers to the
in the Southwest, and additional funds sites. Feedback from the towns and the
became available to repeat the exercise Curtin volunteers was extremely positive
the following year.
about the whole experience -- we had
In 2002, Australia celebrated the stumbled onto a really great concept!
Year of the Outback, and it was decided The format continued but the project
to change the format of the service jumped in size to over 20 sites. Leith
weekend, which became known as Rankine coordinated John Curtin
John Curtin Weekend for the first time. Weekend in 2003 and 2004, handing
Various wheatbelt communities were over to Adrian Murdock in 2005. In
contacted to see if there was a project 2006, Maureen Meredith was asked to
their town would like to do but needed coach the JC Weekend team, and she
some extra help to get it done. We has continued through to this year. John
volunteered Curtin students and staff in Curtin Weekend is now active in 38 sites
return for accommodations and meals. and is an amazing community project
There were eight sites that year and we that benefits everyone involved.
Prime Minister John Curtin
From its inception a decade ago, experiences of achieving a common
John Curtin Weekend has developed goal. JCW has the opportunity
into a major multi-community project, to expand further in the next
This year John Curtin Weekend decade, regionally, nationally and
provided the opportunity for 500 internationally. With your interest
volunteers to travel to 38 regional and commitment we can make it even
towns and metropolitan sites to work bigger and better into the future, with
on community projects, in regions as benefits for everyone.
diverse and far apart as Kunnunurra, Congratulations to Curtin
Wyalkatchem, Coorow and Leonora. Volunteers! and to everyone involved
Curtin Sarawak is also included in for their commitment and dedication.
JCW. John Curtin Weekend provides We look forward to many more
the opportunity for students, staff and successful years to come.
JCW in the future
community members to participate
in projects that have widespread
benefits for all. Regional towns get
those ‘extra pairs of hands’ to start
or complete projects that would
otherwise not even have been
considered; and the volunteers get
to experience community service,
bringing benefits both to the regions
and to themselves.
John Curtin Weekend brings
together people who are diverse
in age, nationality, religion, life
experience and political persuasions
to work on community projects, and
it is wonderful to see and hear of the
Gary Hepworth
Associate Director, Community Life
5

John Curtin Weekend continues to grow each year.
The framework that has been established has provided the
opportunity to further expand the number of towns, projects and
volunteers. John Curtin Weekend is such an exciting and rewarding
community program where everyone benefits. Curtin is staying
true to the writings of John Curtin, to
“Look ever forward.”
JCW 2009 Team
Previous Page: Natasha Moore, Terri Traub, Marc Phillips, Jeff Hood,
Lauren McNamara, Maureen ‘Mo’ Meredith, Aaron Mohann, Boz Yates,
Royce Townsend, Ellie Beurteaux
This Page: Karen Motta, Ketesse Hansen, Scott Morgan, Sarah Connor,
Gary Hepworth, Fudz Qazi, Katrina Warwicker, Hannah Berglund,
John Gillis, Brooke Jones
Not Shown: Jennie Walsh, Emma McCormack, Jo Oliver, Joey Chan, Kaidee Arnold,
Matt Kelly, Rusty Hammond, Sheron Tang
7

Bakers
17th & 18th October
Hill
Bakers Hill is a town situated 75kms from
Perth, with a population of 1700 people. Four
volunteers were invited to Bakers Hill to
assist with painting the shelters in Hooper
Park & also maintenance work on sign posts in the information bays. The
volunteers were billeted out with families & enjoyed country hospitality.
Feedback from the site: We had such a lovely group of volunteers Ashleigh,
Addy, Tyler & John & they worked so hard & did a terrific job we got all the
items finished that were in our project. It was a warm weekend but they were
determined to finish the job. The local people have commented on the new
look at the park.
I don’t think I could have had a better time! – Ashleigh Seymour (Volunteer)
My favourite part of the weekend was working in the park as well as the night
BBQ – Tyler Johnson (Volunteer)
Twelve lucky volunteers headed three & a half hours out of Perth to
Broomehill. The volunteers worked with the Broomehill Community
Liaison Group finishing the Holland Track Walk Trail, erecting signs & doing
maintenance work on the trail.
Feedback from the site: The John Curtin Weekend at Broomehill went well
again this year, despite unseasonally hot weather. The volunteers did maintenance
work & erected signs on the Holland Track Heritage & Walk Trail & also helped
erect a boundary fence on the sports oval at the Recreation Complex. We really
appreciated the extra pairs of hands & look forward to next year.
Meeting the local people & sharing their town though their eyes & sleeping outside
under the stars - Rachel Lee (Volunteer)
Community atmosphere, satisfying, enjoyable work, sleeping under the stars
- Jeremy Cheang (Volunteer)
Broomehill
17th & 18th October
9

Eleven volunteers travelled 220kms
to the south west holiday town of Busselton. Volunteers
worked with the Cape Naturalist Scout Group to clear & trim the bush around
the scout hall so that it conforms to Shire fire regulations, they also worked on
general maintenance on the hall.
Feedback from the site: This was our second year hosting the volunteers. We
are very grateful for their hard work assisting to maintain our scout property.
The volunteers are great fun & after working hard they get to see some of our
awesome beaches, experience a camp fire with camp cooking & for the really
brave there was crabbing. Thank you to an amazing group of people.
The weekend was sweet. It was really fun meeting new people & enjoying
their hospitality - John Gillis (Volunteer)
Campfire awesome. Everyone sitting in circle singing, eating Aussie
traditional dessert - Kit Ying Cheng (Spendas) - (Volunteer)
Loved all of the tea breaks, there were so many. Crab hunting was
awesome - Ben Gietzen (Volunteer)
Busselton
30th Oct. - 1st Nov.
11

The Boyup Brook town & the St Mary’s school community welcomed an
energetic group of 13 John Curtin Weekend volunteers to undertake a garden
project which was conceived many years ago by the students who are now in
years 6/7. JCW volunteers worked with individual students & parent helpers
to complete tasks including: Years 6/7 personalised stepping pavers, removal
of the old vegie garden, repositioning the tunnel, building new vegie garden
planter boxes, planting vegie garden, completing mosaic art wall hangings,
potting citrus trees. On Sunday volunteers were taken on a tour visiting a local
artist, to Roo Gully to meet the kangaroo’s & to Harvey Dickson’s Country
Music Centre to look at the shed, the rodeo arena & the tall men.
Feedback from the site: The St Mary school students had an opportunity to
talk, work & relate to the JCW volunteers & some great friendships were forged.
The overall weekend was a fantastic success & I am confident that this is the
beginning of a great relationship between Curtin & the Boyup Brook community.
Loved working in the playground with all the children & volunteers, I also really
enjoyed helping make lunch - Matt Gormly (Volunteer)
Boyup Brook
23rd – 25th October
My favourite part of the weekend was painting with the children
& seeing them so happy - Ali Shaiban (Volunteer)
I loved meeting & working with the locals - Jeff Hood (Volunteer)
13

Ten volunteers travelled to Cohunu Koala Park on two separate weekends
for a day’s work. Keeping animals requires a great deal of work so the
volunteers took on such tasks as: sanding down & painting picnic tables, tree
planting in the koala habitat. The volunteers were treated to handling the
animals which was very special.
Feedback from the site: The volunteers worked well on two separate
weekends, we really appreciate their enthusiasm & assistance with all the work
that they completed. They really looked like they were enjoying themselves.
Cohunu
Koala Park
3rd & 17th Oct
Great doing the weeding alongside the donkey, Dino, who was doing his part too!
- Tessa Swain (Volunteer)
Painting the chairs & feeding the animal were my favouritess!
- Cheng Kit Ying (Volunteer)
15

Coorow
2nd - 4th October
Ten volunteers travelled to Coorow to continue to restore
the community hotel into its original 1930’s condition. Locals
worked alongside our volunteers & they spent the weekend
scaping & painting.
Feedback from the site: Thanks to the volunteers who travelled
to Coorow to continue working on restoring our community
hotel. We are grateful for the program & the volunteers that are
sent to us each year. Their enthusiasm & vitality & sheer hard
work are a bonus to our community. Thanks again, we look
forward to next year.
Spending an amazing weekend with awesome people in a great town!
& getting to paint everything! - Hayley Rakich (Volunteer)
Lunches with the residents…So many different conversations!
- Mia Fukuyama (Volunteer)
Seeing the final product of our work! - Sarah Ireland (Volunteer)
Volunteers travelled to Collie to assist
the Rotary Club to run its 10’th annual
Mainpeak Collie Marathon. Volunteers
helped by manning water points,
timing events, erecting & pulling down
temporary fencing & generally helping
out wherever they can. Volunteers were
accommodated by the local Rotarians
in their homes.
Feedback from the site: The twelve
volunteers were a godsend to us as the
race organisers. We really appreciated
their hard work & sense of enthusiasm
for our event. We enjoyed meeting the
volunteers who were from all parts of
the world. Look forward to seeing you
next year.
Being involved with a fun thing with students
from all over the world & sharing their
experiences of WA country life! The great
country people we met!
- Linda Deutsch (Volunteer)
Interacting with local families in home stays
& at the marathon event! Beautiful place &
people! - Connie Hernandez (Volunteer)
Helping out in the event & seeing the
determination of the adventure race
participants & the loving country community!
- Doreen Devadason (Volunteer)
Collie9th - 11th October
17

Cuballing9th - 11th October
Ten volunteers were lucky enough
to help out at the biannual Cuballing Country Festival held at
the Cuballing Oval. The volunteers enjoyed coordinating the
children’s activities & helping set up & take down the festival.
Accommodation & catering was provided by the Cuballing
Tavern for the weekend. An awesome weekend of fun!
Feedback from the site: Once again the students helped us
run a successful event & their help is much appreciated by the
whole of community.
Getting to know the community & the knowledge that they
appreciate our work! -Terri Traub (Volunteer)
Meeting the locals & becoming part of the community! Engaging in
the activities! - Bonnie Forbes (Volunteer)
Meeting new people – volunteers, locals, & dogs! - Felicity Higgs (Volunteer)
19

Curtin
Sarawak
2009
A total of 128 volunteers including
students & staff registered for the John
Curtin Weekend with a total of six areas.
For the first weekend, the volunteers
went to the village of Kampung Keluru
Jaya. As soon as they arrived, they were
welcomed by the Head of the Village. After
which, the volunteers started in helping
the community prepare for their ‘Majlis
Ramah Mesra Aidilfitri’. It’s a gathering in
conjunction with the Muslim’s celebration,
Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
For the second weekend, the volunteers
went to five longhouses, Rumah Gingdan,
Rumah Bundan 1, Rumah Bundan 2, Rumah
Johnson & Rumah Jamesbiri. These areas
are the Iban community. Each longhouse
greeted the volunteers in the Iban traditional
welcoming ceremony. The groups helped
in the form of ‘gotong-royong’ (community
clean up of village/longhouse), foster family
house chores, farming & painting of
rooms/facilities.
21

Dardanup
9th - 11th October
The 7th annual Dardanup Bull & Barrel Festival was back again in full force.
Eight volunteers were involved in tasks such as supervising children at the
animal nursery, selling tickets for the children’s rides, working with the chef
at the cooking demos & collecting runner’s bibs at the sprint track. Volunteers
were entertained by a band with opportunity for dancing & the lighting of the
fire sculpture for the traditional finale of the Festival.
Feedback from the site: The Dardanup Bull & Barrell Festival Committee
finds the students help invaluable & our community members all enjoy
meeting such friendly & enthusiastic young people. We look forward to their
annual visit & hope they all equally enjoy visiting Dardanup.
Being able to experience the country way of life & meeting the locals. Taking part
in the festivities & sharing experiences with your friends! - Shereen Ruban (Volunteer)
Getting to know more people in the site, enjoying the festival, & watching the bull
burned! - Yasnessya Hardjono (Volunteer)
Great helping out with the kids at the running tracks! -Annabel Cheong (Volunteer)
Ten volunteers travelled to Dowerin to work at Amery Acres which is a 23
hectare property leased from the Dowerin Shire by the Men of the Trees Farm
Project. The volunteers handweeded around 700 eucalyptus seedlings,. The
area is planned as a future seed orchard showcasing the wheatbelt mallees.
The volunteers worked hard all Saturday afternoon with picks, hoes & spades
in hard baked clay soil & on Sunday they got rid of Paterson’s curse before
going on a tour of Amery Acres & the adjoining flora reserve.
Dowerin
10th - 11th October
Feedback from site: This group of ten volunteers, led by Jim Elliott, was of a
high calibre. It was a pleasure to have them share the Lodge facilities as they
were all happy & friendly. An added bonus
was that of one of the young boys, Josh, who
stepped forward to repair an airlock in our
water supply to the house. This enabled
everyone to have a hot shower & we did
away with the buckets of water in the toilets!
Another boy, Regan, entertained us in the
evening with an impressive dissertation
about Gallipoli. Two remarkable families, the
Elliotts & the Hockleys, contributed to this
productive weekend.
My favourite part of the weekend was the
tour of Men of the Trees property, Amery Acre
- Sue Elliott (Volunteer)
The thing that challenged me was fixing the
pressure pump at our lodge so that we could
all have a shower after a hard day in the
paddock - Joshua Hockley (Volunteer)
23

Fifteen volunteers travelled 140km
north east of Perth to have a fun
filled weekend working with the
Gillingarra community. The project
aimed to revitalise the Old Gillingarra School Site & Hall. The volunteers
helped with tasks such as painting the inside of the buildings, washing walls,
& landscaping. The volunteers enjoyed the local hospitality with a social BBQ,
drinks & badminton!
Feedback from the site: The community of Gillingarra always
Gillingarra
love working with the volunteers & especially the organisers of
the weekend. The co-coordinators in Perth, the bus drivers &
the site leaders work so hard to make it a fantastic year for us
every year. They are a great group, were enthusiastic & required
little supervision to work with the community on the projects.
23th - 25th October
It is amazing how such a program & such positive people can inject energy
into a community when members begin to get tired - & JC Weekend does
this for us every year. We look forward to this event every year & could not
imagine a year without the project running in Gillingarra - Thank you.
I enjoyed meeting the local people, working as a team, joking with community members
& playing badminton - Baraka Cassian (Volunteer)
My favourite part of the weekend was brushing down the cobwebs at the school
- Radha Ramachandran (Volunteer)
Interacting with the community people was great - Gitonga Geteria (Volunteer)
25

Gingin 2nd - 4th October
One hour north of Perth lies the country town of Gingin, home to the
“Gravity Discovery Centre” & the infamous “Leaning Tower of Gingin”.
Twenty lucky volunteers were involved in a diverse range of activities,
including working reconstructing galleries, painting walls, cleaning the walk
trails which surround the centre & cleared & revitalised the Western Power
pendulum site. The volunteers enjoyed two fun-filled nights at the centre,
watching movies on the big screen & had a chance to stargaze.
Feedback from the site: The Gravity Discovery Centre would sincerely like
to thank the 20 volunteers who travelled to Gingin to complete tasks over the
weekend. The volunteers were enthusiastic, diligent & a credit to Curtin.
I enjoyed working with an awesome team, achieving all out objectives & painting a
lime green wall - Sydel Michielsen (Volunteer)
It was great seeing all the Ambassadors having a great time together & really
making a difference at the Gravity Discovery Centre - Sue Whitelaw (Volunteer)
Awesome challenge – building a really good high quality fence with absolutely no
fence-building knowledge - Trent Jones (Volunteer)
27

Harvey
Twelve volunteers travelled 140kms to Harvey
10th - 11th October
to be involved in the
restoration & cleaning up of the Harvey River. Volunteers removed water
reeds, tree guards, bamboo cuttings, rubbish surrounding the river & rubbish
clean up on the nature reserve. Dinner was served on a long table with the
local families. It was a great opportunity for the environmental enthusiasts &
to experience the great hospitality by the locals.
Feedback from the site: The group did a fantastic job on the Harvey River
Restoration Project. They enthusiastically planted trees & weeded throughout
the weekend. The volunteers joined us for good country meals & everyone
seemed to enjoy themselves. Look forward to next year.
The families we were living with were amazing. They were entertaining & very
welcoming which made working & staying there the best ever! - Mikesh Modi (Volunteer)
Working with the locals, meeting new people & members of the group!
-Tina Pham (Volunteer)
My favourite part was the experience I
had while planting trees & weeding!
-Heeral Dhenak (Volunteer)
Kulin
2nd - 4th October
Kulin is a small wheatbelt town located 283km southeast of
Perth & it was the time of year for the annual & famous Kulin
Bush Races! Thirty Curtin volunteers participated in a variety
of activities including serving at food & wine outlets, face painting, story
reading in the Kids Activity Area, manning of the gate on Saturday & cleaning
up on Sunday morning. An amazing weekend was topped off with good food,
good people, & great racing!
Feedback from the site: I hope my John Curtin Weekend volunteers have
recovered …they were awesome. Somehow they seem to get better & better
every year. We could not do without the help of the volunteers each year.
Mary Lucchesi - member of JCW fan club.
Being welcomed by the locals as part of their team… Oh & the awesome site
leaders! - Sarah Connor (Volunteer)
Helping out at the bush races in the main kitchen, it allowed me to meet & have
short chats with the locals! - Lionel Louis (Volunteer)
Painting kids faces during the Bush Race Event. They said the most random stuff
& it’s really awesome to look at the world through them! - Sophia Law Shu Fen (Volunteer)
29

Kununoppin
2nd - 4th October
Great making new friends with the volunteers & meeting the people at
our host site! - Alicja Maltby (Volunteer)
The great food & hospitality from the locals! Getting a chance to
know & bond with other students was fun too! - Alison Lim (Volunteer)
The Mangowine Festival & reminiscence group with hospital residents!
- Anneleise Safe (Volunteer)
Twelve lucky volunteers travelled to
Kununoppin to help with the planting of a new garden
for hospital residents, cleaning up of hospital grounds, building
new roofing to the gazebo pool area, & the painting of hospital
verandas. The Occupational Therapy student volunteers
interacted with some of the patients at the hospital.
Feedback from the site: Once again, the weekend was
very successful. The students were amazing in their ability
to complete the set projects, spend time cheering up our
residents & having some fun at Mangowine & the Nungarin
Markets. The community volunteers enjoyed working with
them. We really appreciate
their contribution. We
hope that next year they
will return to brighten up
our lives & surroundings at
the Kununoppin Hospital.
Kununurra
27th – 21st September
For four days, five lucky volunteers headed
up to Kununurra to participate in the Great
Toad Muster, 2009. This is our furthest travelling
JCW, with the volunteers actually spending their
time in a camp on the station in the Northern Territory. The days included
spraying “metamorphs” (juvenile toads), catching tadpoles & exploring the
NT, while the nights were for toad catching. In total, nearly 4,000 Cane Toad
were caught in the three nights we helped. It was an incredible experience
for everyone involved.
Thanks to the Curtin Volunteers; they really brought a lot of energy into
this camp, & we’ll miss them for the next few weeks - Kim Hands, (Strategic
Campaign Manager, Stop the Toad Foundation)
It was an excellent opportunity, I wish all environmental students had this chance
- Patricia Dumitro (Volunteer)
31

Lake Grace
Lake Grace is always a popular destination for Curtin volunteers.
Travelling 3 hours southeast, 15 volunteers worked at the local hospital
museum painting a picket fence & general maintenance. Volunteers stayed in
private billet & enjoyed a scrumptious BBQ to cap off a great weekend.
Feedback from the site: Painting 100 mtrs of picket fence was no big
challenge to the engineering students, they finished it in record time. The
heritage listed Australian Inland Mission Hospital now looks cleaner &
brighter - thanks to John Curtin Weekend volunteers. The Lions families
of Lake Grace enjoyed their presence & their company, they portrayed
maturity, intelligence & true friendliness.
Great hospitality of the town & the amount of fun we had while doing our work.
Everyone got on great! - Callum Leomans (Volunteer)
Everything! The food, the people, the talk assigned…learned a lot. Environment &
group rocked! - Reema Gudhka (Volunteer)
Meeting the people from Lake Grace & spending the weekend with them!
- Jacinta Kingdon (Volunteer)
33

Laverton
Leonora
16th – 19th October
It was an amazing experience to see the
similarities between many cultures come
forward in the course of the theatre games &
filming the town. Curtin Volunteers provided a
wonderful cross-cultural opportunity & a lot of
fun for all of us! - Carolyn O’Connor, (Volunteer)
There were a total of six Curtin volunteers on this trip to Laverton & we
had the best interaction ever with the elderly of the town. Our town BBQ saw
an overwhelming attendance by the town folk & we were once again very
delighted to have fed & put broad smiles
on the many faces that showed up.
Five volunteers from Curtin travelled to Leonora. Volunteers worked with
local police to host a Halloween Blue Light Disco with the police on Friday. On
Saturday, we repaired several of the establishments in Gwalia before putting
on a drama workshop & movie night for the local kids. On Sunday, those same
children from the drama workshop & CV filmed a short documentary around
the town & at the local animal farm before flying home on Monday.
I think this trip has been an eye opener
for me. I feel as if my stereotypes have
been removed - Matt (Volunteer)
It was total harmony & I will never, ever
forget it. I think moments like those are
exactly what this world needs more of
- Olivia (Volunteer)
35

Margaret
River
24th - 25th October
Twenty volunteers joined the Rotary
Club of Margaret River on four projects
over the weekend. Activities included
helping out at the Margaret River
Rotary Fun Run, working alongside
Rotarians doing some gardening along
the edge of the river, helping out with
LEMC (Local Emergency Management
Committee) to practice a mock disaster
by playing “victims” in a simulated bus accident. Accommodation, food, &
entertainment was provided by the extremely helpful Rotary Club.
Every single bit of the weekend was awesome! - Ali Tayeb Nema (Volunteer)
The mock disaster was my favourite part of the weekend: it was very important
for the local Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department & St John Ambulance. I had
lots of fun & met some great people. Will be back next year! - Rachel Browning (Volunteer)
Taking part in the mock
disaster for the St John
Ambulance men & firemen, they
were hot! Would recommend it
to all of my friends!
- Megan Conlan (Volunteer)
Margaret River
Dune Restoration
A bus load of volunteers travelled to Margaret River
to help with the local environment. While there, they
preserved the coastal dune system at Grunters Beach - an
awesome sight to behold & a fun time for all!
Feedback from the site: The volunteers worked hard
throughout the day – they made a great impact on the
environment & had fun at the same time. We really
appreciate their efforts.
Happy to have made a contribution to the local community, it
was all new to me - Menglu Wang (Volunteer)
Going on the Margaret River trip was a memorable
experience. I got to make new friends, see some wonderful
beaches & help preserve WA’s pristene coastline
- Simon Lunn (Volunteer)
37

Moora
9th - 11th October
Fifteen volunteers worked with the locals to assist with the Moora Race
Day at the race track & at Watheroo Primary School. The volunteers were
busy with different tasks & enjoyed the interaction with the locals. On
Saturday evening the group was invited to dance to the DJ at the racetrack.
The volunteers & the town both benefited over the weekend.
Feedback from the site: This is the third year in a row that JCW volunteers
have helped at the Moora Races. They were an excellent group & mingled
well with the community. Their dedication to getting the job done & being
at site when required was appreciated. This year we also hosted some
volunteers in Watheroo & they did a fantastic job in helping prepare for the
Watheroo Races. The community members in Watheroo had their first taste
of a JC weekend. We really appreciate the time & energy that everyone
spends in making this program so successful for rural communities all
over WA. Moora Shire thanks you for making a difference.
I loved working at Watheroo Primary School with the teachers making posters &
the sundowner at the Moora Races - Hana McDonald (Volunteer)
It was enjoyable mixing with the locals of Moora, preparing for & working at the
races & attending the raceday sundowner - Bec Curtin (Volunteer)
My favourite part was helping the Watheroo Primary School organise & clean their
arts & science store room. Also making poster & eating home madecakes, scones,
cookies, muffins & sandwiches - Cindy Le (Volunteer)
39

Narrogin
Ten volunteers travelled 192 kms to Narrogin
23rd - 25th October
to work at the Narrogin Spring Festival. The
Festival provides free, family orientated events
& activities. Some volunteers were involved in
setting up & decorating the tents, face painting
& balloon sculpturing for the children. Others
marshalled the parade entrants for the street
parade. True country hospitality was put on for
the volunteers during their stay in Narrogin.
Feedback from the site: Thanks to the
volunteers who came to the Spring Festival, they
were astounding. Great people, unbelievably
hard working & good fun.
Making balloon animals for the children was my
favourite part of the weekend - Robert Moore (Volunteer)
The hospitality of the locals was great & it was a busy weekend
- Rebecca Ucich (Volunteer)
Great company & the other volunteers are awesome
- Trinity Townsend (Volunteer)
Narembeen
3rd - 4th October
This was an amazing opportunity to help preserve native West Australian
wildlife. 20 volunteers travelled almost 300km to Narembeen to help the
Wadderin Wildlife Sanctuary by repairing fencing & constructing a walk trail
around the Wadderin Reserve. Volunteers got involved in this interesting
project & enjoyed the hospitality provided by the friendly locals.
Feedback from the site: John Curtin Weekend volunteers fixed fencing,
dug drains & generally had a great time! The students worked alongside
local volunteers to add value to the local Sanctuary & in turn the Shire of
Narembeen, Wadderin group & Lions Club hosted the students with a BBQ
on Saturday night. A great weekend.
Meeting the locals & getting an idea of country town life was really good, they
were all so friendly & welcoming - Anne Swarbreck (Volunteer)
Dinner with the locals on Saturday night was great. I also enjoyed the manual
labour - Brenton Tenaglia (Volunteer)
I enjoyed being able to integrate with the community - Daniel Bowtell (Volunteer)
41

New Norcia
23rd - 25th October
Two hours north of Perth lies the small township of
New Norcia, Australia’s only monastic town. Twenty volunteers
worked on maintaining & cleaning two of the Heritage buildings
in the town. Volunteers were treated to a tour of
the town learning about
the history & the monks.
Feedback from the
site: The John Curtin
Weekend volunteers
worked extremely hard
to give St Ildephonsus’
College & St Gertrude’s
College a much needed
spring clean. This project
included cleaning
windows, washing walls, sorting a store room, de-cobwebbing
& dusting. I hope they felt a sense of achievement as well as
enjoying their weekend at New Norcia. Please pass on our
thanks to the whole team, especially Jess, the Site Leader &
Lindsay, the bus driver. Hope to see you again next year!
My favourite parts of the weekend were learning the history of
New Norcia, being able to stay overnight in a cultural heritage
building & seeing the monks pray - Maddie Chee (Volunteer)
I enjoyed being a part of a volunteering
team in a historical place & being able
to experience living outside of Perth
- Jerome Julian (Volunteer)
The accommodation & meals were
good & we had an
enjoyable campfire
- Nicholas Hon (Volunteer)
Northam
17th - 18th October
Ten volunteers travelled to Northam to
help with maintenance projects at the Old
Railway Museum & Morby Cottage – two
heritage listed building in the Shire of
Northam which are popular for tourism in
the town. The tasks included: gardening,
painting & general tidying up of the sites.
The volunteers stayed together at nearby
Muresk Hall. A great time was had by all.
Feedback from the site: The students were all extremely positive &
friendly. They were even more than willing to participate despite the fact
that it was 37 degrees outside! It was an absolute pleasure to host them in the
Avon Valley & promote our destination. I was impressed with the fact that they
volunteered their time & energy. The Shire of Northam & associated groups &
committees would like to thank the John Curtin Weekend volunteers for their
contribution to assisting in regenerating this area as a major tourism precinct.
It was great to see so many old
antiques & books. - Gary Li Hee Cheong (Volunteer)
I really enjoyed the experience of
volunteering at Northam - Di Ge (Volunteer)
43

Nungarin is a small town 275km from Perth with a
population of 300. Ten volunteers spent the weekend doing maintenance
on the Nungarin Heritage Machinery & Army Museum. Volunteers enjoyed
fixing up a museum & learning about history at the same time for this
weekend trip!
Feedback from the site: We liked the willingness - happy way all of the
volunteers went about doing the tasks. They were keen to know the purpose
of our work & the history. This project is giving both sides much satisfaction &
a joy of association. Thanks again.
I loved the great country people & learning more about the history from the locals
- Stephanie Stan-Bishop (Volunteer)
It was great touring around the heritage museum & looking at all the old machinery
- Joette Loh (Volunteer)
The country hospitality was awesome & I enjoyed the harvest festival concert at
Mangowine
Nungarin
- Sherlene Heng (Volunteer)
3rd - 4th October
Quairading
24th - 25th October
Eighteen Curtin volunteers were treated
to a weekend of work & play in Quairading,
160km east of Perth. The volunteers worked
on projects around town before helping
serve meals at the famous ‘Curtain Raisers’
productions
Feedback from the site: The weekend
was very successful. Pass on our thanks to
everyone for their dedicated hard work,
all the places that we went to have not
stopped singing your praises! Everyone
at the Town Hall were very impressed
with the help at the production , the Frail
Aged Lodge & the hospital. The school has a
new chook pen & the Childcare Centre was
amazed at the work done. We had a great time
& hope you all did too.
The hospitality –good accommodation & great
hostess, the play performance was good & well
rehearsed the waiter job that I had made for a
great evening - Kristpas Butners (Volunteer)
It was a true Aussie experience.
- William Hey Tow (Volunteer)
Living with my host family was great
also getting shown around the town &
meeting the Danish exchange student
who was living with my host family.
All the town’s people were really
awesome & so was the countryside
- Cassandra Dobbins (Volunteer)
45

20 volunteers travelled 50 km from Perth on two separate weekends for a
day’s work to assist bush regeneration programs at Lake Richmond & Point
Peron in the city of Rockingham. The volunteers helped local residents’
groups with hand weeding & tending recently planted seedlings. There was
time to enjoy & tour the Environment Centre’s exhibits of turtles, snakes,
Australian reptiles, marine aquariums, butterfly house & the Aboriginal bush
tucker garden. What interesting & fun-filled days.
Feedback from the site: Saturday the 3rd was a great success. Great bunch
of twelve volunteers from Iran, Malaysia & Singapore- keen, smart, good
communicators, good humoured, hard working & well lead by Albert. Got
some good pictures & the gang had a chance to do some sightseeing.
Saturday 17th Another great day in spite of the heat. David was great & the
team worked well at our Open Day & the weeders, planters & waterers all got
to make a difference to Point Peron. Some fascinating conversations & some
potential networking outcomes too. Let’s do it again next year!
Rockingham Regional
Environment Centre
Visiting the Naragebup Environment Centre was really good
I also enjoyed sightseeing at the end of the day
- Albert Go (Volunteer)
Weeding, planting, touching sea turtle, new friends,
sightseeing - Kee Seng Wong (Volunteer)
I enjoyed working with the turtles & other reptiles in the rehab centre & meeting
awesome locals at the sit - Connie Hernandez (Volunteer)
It was good doing a good deed for mother nature & interacting with all the
friendly people - Jin Siong Tan (Volunteer)
47

SwanCare
24th October
Ten volunteers assisted Curtin’s nearby neighbours SwanCare in a
‘busy bee gardening project’. Volunteers worked with staff on garden areas
pruning, weeding, planting & general tidy up as well as the establishment of a
sensory garden. The project benefited the 1000 residents residing at Bentley
Park & the sensory garden provided therapeutic benefits to the residents
of the Care Centre.
Feedback from the site: Thank
you so much to you & Sheila & the
wonderful team of volunteers that
assisted with the gardening at Kingia
Care Facility. Also a big thank you
for the bag of goodies & the plaque
which is displayed proudly in our
Administration reception area.
I had a great time digging & weeding & was happy to help out – David Humphreys (Volunteer)
Tambellup
10th - 11th October
Tambellup is a small town southeast of
Perth with a population of 675 people. The
annual Tambellup Show was in its 84’th
year & ten Curtin Volunteers were lucky
enough to have been invited to assist in the
entertainment & organisation for the day. The
volunteers were given the opportunity to show off their circus,
face painting & balloon sculpturing skills as well assisting with
the co-ordination of activities.
Feedback from the site: John Curtin Weekend volunteers
were once again an integral part of our community event
with the kids (& some adults) benefiting from their face
painting, along with their balloon sculptures, & unicycling.
It was again a privilege to have the volunteer’s come to
Tambellup for the local show as they bring with them a
vitality & freshness to our event. They have helped draw
people into the town with both their enthusiasm & diverse
range of free entertainment – this helps showcase our
community & town. Thanks to all the volunteers – you were
brilliant, well done.
My favourite part was twisting balloons for children & being
challenged by their crazy request - Kurt Blackwell (Volunteer)
Making children happy was great. The super-niceness of the
town’s people. Great organisation of the trip – Thanks Kurt,
Steve & bus driver Ray - Christine Dos Santos (Volunteer)
My favourite part was the farm tour, drive outback,
bed time stories & companionship - Cat Conner (Volunteer)
49

Volunteer Task Force
3rd October
(North Perth)
Twelve volunteers came together for a day to help
out the elderly & younger people with disabilities by
working on their gardens for them. Volunteers made
a difference in the community by spending the day
outdoors helping out those in need. Volunteers
enjoyed a sausage sizzle & many thanks by grateful
residents for their volunteering efforts.
Feedback from site: Can you please send on
our heartfelt thanks to everyone for all the hardwork, I know that the clients
were absolutely thrilled with how much work got done. It was a pleasure to
host the volunteers!
Weather was excellent & got to do gardening – something I have never done
before. It was good knowing that we helped to keep the old age people in their
homes rather than old age homes - Minal Shah (Volunteer)
Gardening with my team was great - Hetal Gosrani (Volunteer)
Ten volunteers spent the weekend
200km from Perth in Wyalkatchem
working with others from the Wyalkatchem
CBH Agricultural Museum. The Museum
exhibit agriculture equipment was
painted by the girls. Fine metal dust was spread on the pathways to make
walking the shed easier, this was a job done by the boys that ‘Dads Army’ from
the Museum were not able to do. Section of course blue metal were taken out of
the floor of the original display shed to make a pathway through the displays,
the surplus blue metal was spread to other parts of the shed floor.
Feedback from the site: The Volunteers were a great bunch & we enjoyed
their visit very much not to mention that great hard work they all put in, it is
much appreciated. We only hope the Volunteers enjoyed themselves as much
we did them. We look forward to more groups in the future & please do not
hesitate to let us know if we can do anything to make this a more enjoyable
experience for the Curtin Volunteers & leaders.
Really good – the hospitality of the county people & the painting - Erin O’Riley (Volunteer)
I enjoyed painting, the trip to the Fire Brigade & watching the sheep shearing
- Jess Short (Volunteer)
Wyalkatchem
51

Yealering
17th - 18th October
Ten Curtin volunteers travelled to Yealering for the weekend
& stayed at the Yealering Recreation Centre. Activities included light
gardening, soil testing around the lake & tidying up a cemetery. Meals were be
provided as well as a community BBQ to thank the volunteers.
Feedback from site: The volunteers at Yealering were a great group of
people. Very friendly, outgoing & interested in learning about our community.
They admitted on arrival that they had very little experience or knowledge
of rural life but were so enthusiastic to listen & asked heaps of questions
to increase their understanding. The volunteers undertook the tasks with
enthusiasm & participated fully. The volunteers joined community members
for a BBQ at the tennis club & were outgoing, polite & fun. Thanks again.
I enjoyed working with the locals & the other volunteers to improve the environment.
Hanging out with the local farmers & listening to their farm stories was great – a
highlight was gazing at the starry night sky - Janice Lee (Volunteer)
I learnt more about farming & gardening & met up with the community & experience
their awesome community life - Kashinee Veeren (Volunteer)
It was great watching the students experience & participate in a totally different
environment & way of life - John Froyland (bus driver)
• Curtin for supporting Curtin Volunteers!, including JCW – this would not happen
without their ongoing commitment.
• Gary Hepworth and Jennie Walsh for their ongoing support and guidance
• Curtin Volunteers! - I am proud to be associated with such a wonderful
student organisation. The leadership that they display in providing volunteering
opportunities for the Curtin Community is outstanding. Curtin is fortunate to have
their passion and commitment.
• JCW Team - 25 talented, amazing, dedicated people. This team has fulfilled all
their plans and has demonstrated that they are multi-talented, innovative and have
worked hard to implement John Curtin Weekend.
They undertook the following roles:
Recruitment, registration, marketing, media, graphic design – T shirts and notebooks,
flyers, promotional material, event management, competitions, IT, administration,
budget, risk management, public relations, advisors.
• Regional Coordinators - each liaise with 8 sites providing that vital link between
the site and the 38 Site Leaders. Incredible support to me, wonderful leadership,
dedication and follow through.
• 450 + Volunteers - awesome, dedicated, plenty of their own stories to tell…. Again
be proud of what you have done and achieved for other people. The time that you
gave away from you studies and social life is appreciated by all.
• 38 JCW sites - Special thanks to all the sites for hosting our volunteers and for
providing worthwhile projects for them to work on, it is always a rewarding and
memorable experience for our volunteers.
• 38 Site Leaders - amazing people with a huge responsibility. They are taken out
of their comfort zone but from their feedback they have learnt new skills and have
appreciated the opportunity to lead a team of volunteers.
• 23 vehicle drivers - driving 40,000kms over 5 weekends - all awesome …
we cannot do without them, their skills and their amazing support for the Site
Leaders and other volunteers.
Special
Thanks to
53

Acknowledgements
JCW Team
Aaron Mohann
Brooke Jones
Ellie Beurteaux
Emma McCormac
Fudz Qazi
Gary Hepworth
Hannah Berglund
Jeff Hood
Jennie Walsh
Jo Oliver
Joey Chan
John Gillis
Kaidee Arnold
Karen Motta
Katrina Warwicker
Ketesse Hansen
Lauren McNamara
Marc Phillips
Matt Kelly
Natasha Moore
Royce Townsend
Rusty Hammond
Sarah Connor
Scott Morgan
Sheron Tang
Terri Traub
Regional Coordinators
Katrina Warwicker
Brooke Jones
Hannah Berglund
Maureen Meredith
Marc Phillips
Site Leaders
Albert Go
Alicja Maltby
Alison O’Shaughnessy
Amanda Rickman
Ben Hogan
Blair Nicholson
Callum Yeomans
David Staples
Dorcas Chia
Ebonee Lynch
Helene Regnard
Helen Hesselberg
Iwan Labuschangne
Jessica Wong
Jim Elliott
Jo Ahkiau
Jo Oliver
John Rees
Karen Motta
Kashinee Vereen
Katherine Hazlewood
Kaylene Piercy
Ketesse Hansen
Kudakwashe Sekete
Kurt Blackwell
Linda Deutsch
Matt Grant
Matt Kelly
Meredith Sanders
Ollie Judd
Paul Brandis
Radha Ramachandran
Sam Byleveld
Sarah Ireland
Sheila Flanagan
Stacey Gough
Terri Traub
Valerie Guevara
Vehicle Drivers
George White
Ray Palmer
Lindsay Talbot
Jennifer Talbot
Bob Meredith
John Rees
David Lord
John Froyland
Geoff Lever
Bryan Daly
Max Polain
Simon McKenna
Jim Elliott
Robyn Quin
Des Townsend
Marc Phillips
Jo Ahkiau
Tristan Field
Kevin Pestell
Bus Donors
Como Secondary College
Curtin Volunteers!
City of South Perth
Fremantle Police & Community
Youth Centre
Penrhos College
UWA
Final round of applause
Book Content & Administration:
John Gillis and Jeff Hood,
(Interns, US Study Abroad Program)
Year Book Designer: Boz Yates
(Graphic Design Student)
John Curtin Weekend 2009 Site List
Regional Towns,
Metropolitan and
International
site list:
Bakers Hill (01)
Boyup Brook (02)
Broomehill (03)
Busselton (04)
Collie (05)
Cohunu Koala Park (06)
Coorow (07)
Cuballing (08)
Curtin Sarawak (09)
Dardanup (10)
Dowerin (11)
Gillingarra (12)
Gingin (13)
Harvey (14)
Kulin (15)
Kununoppin (16)
Kununurra (17)
Lake Grace (18)
Laverton (19)
Leonora (20)
Margaret River (21)
Moora (22)
Narembeen (23)
Narrogin (24)
New Norcia (25)
Northam (26)
Nungarin (27)
Quairading (28)
Rockingham (29)
SwanCare (30)
Tambellup (31)
Volunteer Task Force (32)
Wyalkatchem (33)
Yealering (34)
Site Map
09
04
21
30
29
13
07
22
12
25
32
06
14
10 05
26
01
02
11
08 24
33
28
34
03
31
16
27
15
23
18
20
17
19
55

Interesting
Factsabout the
John Curtin Weekend
In total nine vans, 22 buses and
three planes transported over
480 volunteers from China, Japan,
Scotland, US and Canada, India,
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Mauritius, Germany,
Sweden, Ireland, Iceland and
Australia a distance of 40,000kms
over five John Curtin Weekends to
38 sites, including eight new sites:
Gingin, Boyup Brook, Volunteer Task
Force, Cohunu Koala Park, Northam,
Yealering, Narrogin, SwanCare,
three metropolitan and one
international site: Curtin Sarawak.