Maintaining a Viable Volunteer Organisation:
The Sydney Heritage Fleet
Hugh Lander, former General Manager, Sydney Heritage Fleet
Paper delivered to the 2nd International Heritage Engineering Conference, Sydney 2005.
SUMMARY: The Sydney Heritage Fleet is primarily a volunteer organisation backed by a small core of paid staff. It receives no direct government assistance, depending on donations, an Art Union and income from using its assets. In its 40 years the fleet has amassed a variety of craft with respect to both age and type, and has undertaken substantial restoration projects.
This paper describes the management of the Fleet’s over 600 volunteers, including recruitment, induction, training, recognition, reward and insurance. Of prime importance is a philosophy that recognises the rights and needs of volunteers and a requirement that they all enter into an Agreement with the Fleet, that enunciates the rights and obligations of both.
Sound business and strategic planning aimed at financial viability as well as organisation maintenance and renewal, are paramount in the successful operation of this enterprise, that has as its goal: To build and maintain an internationally recognised centre of excellence in maritime heritage…
1. GENERAL
This paper is about the passionate volunteers of the Sydney Maritime Museum Limited, which trades as the Sydney Heritage Fleet. We are a totally separate organisation to the much younger, but larger and more securely funded, Australian National Maritime Museum with whom we share premises and indeed, volunteers, many of whom give of their time to both organisations. We gratefully acknowledge indirect support from both the ANMM & the NSW Maritime Authority.
Figure 1. Even volunteers must eat!
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Sydney Heritage Fleet; without them we could not exist. The Sydney Heritage Fleet has been in existence for 40 years, being founded in December 1965, under another name, with the acquisition and restoration, entirely by volunteers, of the VIP steam launch Lady Hopetoun, built in Sydney in 1902. Since then the Museum has authentically restored the steam tug Waratah, also built in 1902, the gentleman’s schooner Boomerang, built in 1903, the tall ship James Craig, built in 1874 and several other smaller boats including the 1908 innerharbour
ferry Protex and the 1956 built Manly
speedboat Kookaburra. All operate to take the public
out on excursions on Sydney Harbour and, for the
James Craig, outside Sydney Heads for day sailing and
to Newcastle, Eden and, earlier this year, as far south as
Tasmania and return.
In addition to the vessels already mentioned we are
restoring a number of other ships and boats of
significant maritime heritage value, including the 1927
steam driven buoy tender and relief pilot vessel John
Oxley and the 1912 Sydney Harbour ferry Kanangra.
We also have a large collection of static display boats,
either fully restored or under restoration.
The Fleet is primarily a volunteer organisation backed
up by a small core of paid staff. We depend heavily on
donations and generate other income from the use of our
assets, principally through the operation of our vessels,
and the running of an Art Union. The Fleet receives no
direct government funding, either State or Federal, but it
is an organisation registered as a tax-deductible gift
recipient.
The group is diverse but cohesive. It encompasses the
officers and crew of our ships, the trained guides who
share our treasures with visitors, and the shore-based
volunteer workers in our office and library, our boat
restoration workshops and in our Heritage Shipyard at
Rozelle Bay. This magnificent band, volunteers all,
make our Museum “happen”.
2. GOALS OF THE ORGANISATION
The goals of the Fleet are best expressed by its Mission
Statement which reads:
‘To build and maintain an internationally recognised
centre of excellence in maritime heritage for the benefit
of all Australians by presenting through research,
acquisition, conservation, restoration and operation,
our continuing maritime history’.
