VOLUNTARY GUIDES BACKGROUNDER

Number 86 Issue # 1 June 2006

YEARS

GUIDING

AT THE

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

1976 - 2006

GUIDING AT THE AWM IS A PRIVILEGE, A REWARDING AND SOMETIMES A

HUMBLING EXPERIENCE

PJH

The Spirit of Guiding

The Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial (VGAWM) occupy a unique position. They

are not employed by the Memorial but exist at the invitation of the Director and Council. They are,

however, a key element of the Memorial’s “front of house”. So while the VGAWM have their own

Committee they must observe the Memorial’s policies and procedures. They are also expected to

work harmoniously and co-operatively with all Memorial staff.

The aim of guiding is to help visitors understand the Australian experience of war and its impact on

Australian society. Visitors are our raison d’!etre. Guides must therefore treat them with respect and

assist them by explaining events, describing items on display, and telling stories. The Guide’s role

is to enhance the visitors’ understanding, not highlight lack of knowledge.

The varying backgrounds of visitors must be considered to ensure that Guides do not cause offence.

This in no way prevents Guides from being factual in their explanation of events.

Guides are to remember to be courteous at all times. This includes ensuring clear access through

walkways and entrances, and paying special attention to the needs of other tour groups and less

mobile visitors. Guides also assist in politely ushering visitors upon closing time.

The occupational health and safety of visitors is a responsibility of all Guides taking tours. In this

regard, Guides are to ensure visitors’ safety and must not enter any area where this safety may be

compromised. The barriers around displays are to be respected and visitors should be dissuaded

from touching the Memorial’s exhibits.

(Adapted from the VGAWM Manual 2005)

FOREWORD

The purpose of this Backgrounder is to record the establishment of the Voluntary

Guides of the Australian War Memorial (VGAWM) in February 1976 and its

development over 30 years. The document does not purport to be an “official history”.

Approximately 350 volunteers have undertaken training as guides since 1976 and, of

these, about 300 have made it onto the Memorial floor for various periods of service.

Eight Guides have been awarded Life Membership of the VGAWM for 20 years of

dedicated service.

VGAWM like any voluntary organisation has experienced significant changes over

the years. Its members have always remained flexible and striven to assist visitors to

remember, interpret, and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring

impact on society.

A deliberate attempt has been made in the document to include photographs and the

names of as many Guides as possible who have contributed to the organisation.

Unfortunately, there was not a great deal of source material to call upon. My

apologies to those who do not get a specific mention.

The opinions or assertions expressed in this document are my own and not necessarily

of the VGAWM Committee or the Memorial.

I am thankful to the following Guides, Memorial staff, and friends for their support in

generating this Backgrounder : Nan Whitelaw, Alison Aitken, Norma Wrigley, Clare

Palmer, Margaret Beadman, Margaret Kaye, Carole Middleton, Dianne Mitchell, Neil

Fotheringham, John Mansill, Gwen McNeill, Jeffrey Benson, Sandy Moore,

Jenny Harris, Gina Drummond, Andrew Jack, Sarah Finklaire, Glenda Ellis, and

Alastair Paton.

Peter Hugonnet AM

Voluntary Guide

June 2006

CONTENTS

SECTION 1 THE GUIDED TOUR BEGINS

SECTION 2 RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

SECTION 3 TRAINING

SECTION 4 HIGHLIGHT TOURS

SECTION 5 PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

SECTION 6 RECOGNITION OF SERVICE

SECTION 7 GUIDES AND THE ART COLLECTION

SECTION 8 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

SECTION 9 THE GUIDED TOUR CONTINUES

ANNEXES

1. NOMINAL LIST OF ACTIVE GUIDES AS AT 1 JULY 2006

2. ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION FOR THE VOLUNTARY GUIDES OF THE AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL (1977)

3. CHRONOLOGY OF IMPORTANT VGAWM EVENTS

4. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

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SECTION 1

THE GUIDED TOUR BEGINS

We are now organised as an autonomous group with Articles of Association and a Committee. This accords with

wishes expressed to me by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Director when we first formed the

Voluntary Guides. (VGAWM Annual Report to the Memorial Board of Trustees, Nan Whitelaw, July 1977)

Early in 1975 Noel Flanagan was appointed Director of the Australian War Memorial.

Flanagan had recently returned from a posting in America where he had become acquainted

with a system of voluntary guiding in museums and art galleries. It occurred to him this

system could work well at the Memorial. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (now the

Council), Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Daly, agreed with him.

Sir Thomas, as a former Chief of the General Staff, was familiar with the Army Wives

Association and their President, Nan Whitelaw. He suggested the Director contact the

organisation and ask army wives to form a guiding service. Nan Whitelaw put the suggestion

to her committee who received the idea with enthusiasm. She subsequently suggested to the

Director that it would be better to extend the membership to other service wives and later to

all women interested in joining such an organisation.

The foundation guides 10th anniversary celebration, 27 February 1986

Left to right: Penny Fisher, Nan Whitelaw, and Dulcie Jeffery

In March 1975 Flanagan approached Dulcie Jeffery of the RAAF Women's Association and

asked her to join forces with Nan Whitelaw. Dulcie Jeffery and Nan Whitelaw duly met at a

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Memorial function with a large group of voluntary guides from the National Gallery of

Victoria (NGV), who the Director had brought into town to share their experience in

establishing a guiding organisation within a national institution.

Later that year Nan Whitelaw informed Flanagan she had volunteers anxious to begin. The

RAAF Women's Association also called a meeting with the new President of the Army Wives

Association, Nan Whitelaw, and representatives of the Navy Wives Association. Penny Fisher

of the Navy Wives Association offerred additional support for the proposed Memorial guiding

organisation.

The interim committee comprising Nan Whitelaw as Chairman, Dulcie Jeffery as Roster

Secretary, and Penny Fisher as Secretary began a series of meetings with Flanagan, John

Reid, the Memorial’s art curator, and Peter Burness, the Memorial’s relics curator. A plan

gradually emerged as to how guides would be recruited and trained. Reid was delegated to

advise and cooperate with the Committee.

“It was decided the Guides must have a thorough knowledge of the Collection and be

instructed in the rudiments of museology, public relations, and principles and techniques of

guiding.” (Nan Whitelaw, 1984) In view of this a program was drawn up of speakers

consisting mainly of curators, other members of staff, and a number of people outside the

Memorial. The guides were expected to attend weekly lectures at the Memorial and do a good

deal of background reading.

Thirty five women responded to a recruiting drive through the media and the service wives

associations and began their training on 10 Ferbruary 1976 under Reid’s guidance. Twenty-

nine of these women completed the course and began guiding on 26 April 1976 (see Section

2).

Australian Public Service Association concerns

The establishment of the VGAWM in February 1976 was a cause of concern for the

Australian Public Service Association (4th Division Officers) whose Canberra secretary

threatened strike action on behalf of the Memorial's attendants, some of whom believed the

Guides would take work from paid employees. The attendants were responsible for security

and cleanliness of the Memorial and on occasions conducted groups of visitors through the

galleries. The Director argued guide duties could not be performed by attendants.

Nonetheless, the union official strenuously opposed what he termed “scab labour”. Eventually

Brian McMullan, later a member of the Memorial's Council, but then Federal Secretary of the

Australian Public Service Association, agreed the guides could stay if they did not impinge on

the duties of the attendants or lead to a reduction in their numbers.

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Articles of association

In July 1977 at the first annual general meeting of the guides the VGAWM became an

autonomous association with Articles of Association and a committee of eight members, later

nine. The committee consisted of the Chairman (later President), Secretary, Roster Secretary,

Treasurer, Booked Tours Convenor, Training Convenor, and two members who later became

Lecture Convenor and Audio Convenor. According to the Articles of Association, a former

President would remain a committee member for the duration of the new President's term of

office.

Articles of Association specified VGAWM members “… shall be women who have been

accepted for training by the Committee of the VGAWM …” (see Annex B and Section 2).

For many years Articles of Association served the VGAWM well. In June 1991, with

impending organisational changes in the Memorial, a special meeting of the guides failed to

accept any amendments to Articles of Association. A small but effective lobby blocked all

changes and created great divisions within the guiding body that would permeate to the

annual elections and subsequent resignations. The guides were reluctant to accept the new

proposal for the Memorial’s Education Section to become involved in managing the training

of the guides.

In August 1992 it was agreed VGAWM would be integrated with the Memorial’s visitor

management structure under the Public Programs Branch. The decision of Council was

reflected in the promulgation of the Australian War Memorial voluntary guides policy

guidelines.

In July 1993 Australian War Memorial voluntary guides rules and procedures was issued.

The document generally reflected the content of the 1977 Articles of Association and also

defined the semi-automonous status of the guides within the Memorial. The 1992 and 1993

documents were combined into the Australian War Memorial voluntary guides manual in

1996.

Association of Australian Gallery Guides

The VGAWM interim committee received an invitation in August 1976 to attend a meeting at

the NGV to discuss the formation of a nation-wide association of gallery guides that later

became the Association of Australian Gallery Guiding Organisations. (see Section 7).

Representation on the Gallery Committee

Early in 1979 the President of VGAWM requested the Memorial’s Director to consider

including a VGAWM representative on the Memorial’s Gallery Committee. The outcome of

this request is discussed in Michael McKernan’s book, Here is their spirit:

Although autonomous, the guides believed that they had an excellent insight into

the needs of the Memorial's visitors and in June 1979 Whitelaw suggested to

Flanagan that a guide become an ex-officio member of the Board's Gallery

Committee. Whitelaw argued that the guides, “with their intimate knowledge of

the items in the Galleries and their very close association with the visiting

public”, could make a useful contribution to the Committee's discussions. It was

an ill-considered suggestion which would have placed the guides in a stronger

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position than members of staff, who merely advised the Board, but Flanagan

appeared to support Whitelaw's proposal; the Board's Executive Committee,

however, refused the request. Board members may have felt that the guides would

intrude into the Board's or the staffs' areas of responsibility and in supporting

their request, Flanagan, ever distrustful of the “expert”, as he would label some

people, showed considerable confidence in his guides. The women remained

autonomous and somewhat removed from the Memorial's decision-making

processes but were satisfied that they were making a valuable contribution to an

organisation that had become absorbing to so many of them. (pp. 302–3)

Later in 1979 the President was invited to attend a Gallery Committee meeting of the

Memorial’s Board. The invitation was “one-off”; not even members of staff regularly

attended Board meetings. VGAWM continues to make formal representations to the Director

on any concerns it has with gallery displays. The organisation has occasionally invited to

contribute to the ongoing gallery redevelopment process.

Annual reports

In 1979 VGAWM Committee was invited to provide a brief on the guides’ activities for the

Memorial’s annual report. The practice continued for a number of years. It is interesting to

note the annual reports from 1989 to 1993 listed all Memorial volunteers.

The President also submitted a VGAWM annual report to the Memorial’s Board and later

Council from 1977 to 1992. This practice discontinued when VGAWM ceased to be an

autonomous organistation and was incorporated into the Memorial’s Public Programs Branch.

Since 1998 the President continues to submit an annual report to the guides at the Annual

General Meeting (AGM). The reports are comprehensive, incorporating input from all

Committee members, and provide a good record of the guides contribution to the Memorial.

Until 1993 the AGM was held in July. The meeting was subsequently scheduled to November

to facilitate the management of the trainee guides program by the Committee and avoid a

changeover of “trainers” mid-year.

Patrons

In 1980 Nan Whitelaw proposed VGAWM have a patron and the Committee agreed. Her

Excellency Lady Cowan C. St J., wife of the Governor-General, graciously accepted the role.

VGAWM has continued the tradition of appointing a patron who is acceptable to the majority

of guides and approved by the Memorial’s Director.

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VGAWM PATRONS

Her Excellency Lady Cowan C. St J. 1980–82

Her Excellency Lady Stephen C. St J. 1982–89

Her Excellency Mrs Dallas Hayden 1989–96

Her Excellency Lady Deane 1996–2001

Her Excellency Mrs Ann Hollingworth 2001–3

Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery 2003–

Guides Christmas luncheon, 1987

Left to right: Dorothy Wood, Her Excellency Lady Stephen, Helen Cameron, and Kath Skimin

Each patron has attended at least one of the Guides Christmas luncheons during their

respective terms of office. The guides also hosted afternoon tea for Lady Deane in 2001 and

Mrs Marlena Jeffery in 2003.

Afternoon tea at the Memorial, 2003

Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery,

with VGAWM President John Mansill

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In July 2005 Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery invited the guides to a reception at

Government House; 64 guides and their partners attended. Mrs. Jeffery praised their standard

of work in supporting the Memorial. The guides were privileged that His Excellency Major

General Michael Jeffery also attended the occasion.

In 2001 and again in 2003 there was brief discussion within the VGAWM if someone other

than the spouse of the Governor-General should be the patron. This was intended to stimulate

debate rather than to propose a list of candidates.The guides met on 2 July 2003 and

unamiously agreed the status quo should be maintained.

Tenth anniversary – February 1986

On 27 February 1986 the Memorial honoured the guides at a reception to mark VGAWM’s

tenth anniversary. Immediately following the reception over 50 former and current guides

attended dinner at Rhiannons Resturant in Lyneham.

Tenth anniversary reception at the Memorial, 27 February 1986

Left to right: Valerie Howse, Nan Whitelaw, Alison Aitken, Noel Flanagan, Lilian Duncan, Dulcie Jeffery,

Penny Fisher, and Lorelle Moore

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Guiding regimes

The guiding regimes adopted by VGAWM have varied considerably over the years and

mainly been dictated by:

• the number of available guides;

• the number and nature of the services offered to visitors by the Memorial; and

• the ongoing gallery redevelopment process.

Guiding regimes undertaken by the VGAWM have recognised major developments in the

Memorial, including the opening of or renovation to:

1979 Treloar Centre, Mitchell

1981 Hall of Valour

1984 Gallipoli 1915

1986 Vietnam War gallery; Soldiers of the Queen; Korean War gallery; Naval

gallery

1987 Japanese Midget Submarine returned to Treloar;

new Administration Building

1989 Pacific War gallery; Women in War; Prisioners of War

1990 Boer War gallery

1991 Discovery Room; Telstra Theatre

1993 Entombment of the unknown soldier in the Hall of Memory;

Echoes of the Guns

1999 Second World War galleries

2000 Aircraft Hall

2001 ANZAC Hall

The guides have adapted to the Memorial’s changing environment. In 1997 VGAWM

President stated in her initial annual report to the Memorial’s Council:

The Guides have watched with interest the advent of audio visual equipment in the

South-West Pacific Gallery. While it is a little early to judge the consequences of

audio visual techniques vis-á-vis the activities of the Guides, it does seem that we

cannot compete and as a consequence I think most Guides are finding that they

have to delete that gallery from their tour.

Tours

When VGAWM commenced guiding at the Memorial on 26 April 1976 guides were rostered

on duty one half-day per week. There was an annual holiday break from the week before

Christmas to the beginning of February, although some guides worked on “a voluntary basis”

during the period. The approach followed the model being used by the NGV.

Initially the rostered Guides would position themselves in the Introductory Gallery and take

tours as requested by incoming visitors. There were no advertised tours until 1982.

During the International Year of the Disabled in 1981 the Guides conducted a number of tours

for blind and handicapped people. A memorable tour for disabled children found the guides

and Memorial Education Officers combining to provide a most successful experience for the

visitors.

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In August 1982 VGAWM Committee decided there would be a regular tour at 10:30 am and

1:30 pm on weekdays on a rotated roster. Additional tours were sometimes held on an ad hoc

basis and guides were often called upon to perform extra duty for a booked tour.

From the early 1980s until 1992,

when VGAWM was integrated

into the Memorial’s Public

Programs Branch, the guides

provided tours for visiting

royalty and heads of state. These

tours are now are now

undertaken by Memorial’s

Chairman or Director.

Her Majesty Queen Margrethe of

Denmark with Alison Aitken,

3 February 1987

The 1987 Australian War Memorial performance review

noted: “No rostered tours are available on weekends, when

the Memorial is busiest, although "important" weekend tours

may be booked in advance.” The Review also

recommended: “… in order to maximise the service,

consideration should be given also to recruiting guides who

would be willing to work on weekends.”

Guiding in the Commemorative Area, 2004

Barrie Virtue and visitors

After the integration of VGAWM into the Public Programs

Branch in 1992 guides provided tours seven days a week,

with one tour per day on the weekend. Trainees were

advised they would have to guide on weekends. By

November 1993 advertised weekend tours were held at

10:00 am, 10:30 am, and 1:30 pm.

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School groups

In the early years of guiding at the Memorial guides accepted and administered school

bookings. In 1978 Memorial staff were directed to share the responsibility but the guides were

reluctant to relinquish their role. Indeed they actively promoted their service to schools and in

associated state education service publications.

After numerous meetings between the Memorial’s Director, Education Section officers and

VGAWM Committee it was mutually agreed in 1980 that Education Section staff did not

benefit from working with the guides. For a while the guides continued to provide tours for

schools that specifically requested their services. However, the present practice is for all

school visits to be managed by Memorial staff.

In 1982 the guides conducted the first foreign language tour of the Memorial in French, with a

group of school children from Noumea. This was an enjoyable and stimulating experience.

Roster management

Until 1998, when the Memorial appointed a staff member as the full-time volunteer roster

coordinator, all tours undertaken by VGAWM were managed by assigned committee

members of the. This was a very demanding task.

Guiding regimes in 2006

In May 2006 the following tours were provided by VGAWM:

• Standard tours: 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, and 2:00 pm (90

Minutes);

• Short tours: 10:15 am (60 minutes), and 11:30 am and 4:15 pm (30 minutes, covering

the Commemorative Area);

• VIP tours: as required by the Memorial’s Ceremonial Section;

• Conducted visits: coordinated by the Memorial’s Public Events Section and booked in

advance. The visits often include cadets from the Australian Defence Force Academy

and new recruits from Kapooka. They also include paid and after-hours tours arranged

by the Hyatt Hotel. Usually a standard tour;

• Tours for Friends of the Memorial: arranged by the Friends program and coordinated

by the Ceremonial Officer. Usually a standard tour;

• Art tours: frequency is decided and advertised by the Memorial. The tours focus on the

Memorial’s extensive art collection and are conducted by specially trained guides.

Other factors affecting VGAWM guiding regimes, such as recruitment and retention are

discussed at Section 2.

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Public Programs Branch

On 20 August 1992 the Memorial’s Council agreed VGAWM would be integrated with

visitor management structure under the Public Programs Branch.

To formalise this decision the Australian War Memorial voluntary guides policy guidelines

August 1992 was issued, with a foreward by Memorial Chairman, Dame Beryl Beaurepaire:

The Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial (AWM) have a long

established tradition of service. Since the first guided tours offered in 1976 the

guides have given generously of their time and effort to assist visitors to better

understand the commemorative heritage that is our responsibility to maintain and

pass on to each generation. Because this service is so highly valued, we wish to

ensure that it is integrated and supported within the overall visitor services as

articulated in the Memorial's Corporate Plan.

In addition to outlining the manner in which the Memorial will carry out its

functions, the 1991-94 Corporate Plan documents what each area of activity is

aiming to achieve, the means to be used and how success can be assessed. The

Corporate Plan has been formulated to ensure that every area of activity is

planned and executed for the most effective use of available resources to achieve

our Mission and Purpose.

Within the context of the Corporate Plan, the focus on visitor service is a most

important perspective of Public Programs activities. This means simply that all

our planning and program implementation energy in Public Programs should be

focussed on the visitor - the needs of the visitor and how we can best satisfy those

needs in the fulfilment of our Mission.

We need to regard every one of our 800,000 visitors as our guest, as someone who

has come to the Memorial with interest and feeling to share this commemorative

heritage that we are entrusted to preserve. By focussing on our 'guests' in this

light we will offer them the highest quality of service to enable them better to

understand and commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in

war.

In this endeavour, the Voluntary Guides provide an invaluable and highly

esteemed service. Through a range of guided tours, provided by well trained and

informed guides, guides who are highly aware and appreciative of the great

sacrifice of so many Australians, visitors may gain access to insights and

understandings not available to the unguided visitor.

There are many different ways of satisfying the range of visitor needs, therefore a

range of activities is offered through Public Programs. In order that this rich and

diverse mix of visitor services be as effective as possible, they must be planned in

an integrated fashion to avoid duplication, overlap or confusion between the

different elements. This integration in planning and implementation has been

achieved by gathering all the visitor services within Public Programs. It is our

hope that developments over the next five years will see the Memorial offering a

model for visitor services of the highest standards of excellence, in keeping with

the experience and sacrifice that we commemorate.

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I welcome and support the contribution of the Voluntary Guides in this most noble

Mission.

So began a new era for the guides.

Guide Post

In January 1993 the first guides newsletter was produced by Betty Jaffray and distributed at

the first meeting of the year. This was repeated in January 1994 with another one-off edition.

In May 1995 the third newsletter “No.1” was issued with the following editorial:

As the Voluntary Guides number a total of 76 guides, some active others not, it

was decided that a newsletter would keep everyone in touch with what was

happening at the Memorial. This newsletter will be published once a month and

sent to all guides, whether active or not to keep you up with the AWM happenings.

You may wish to contribute articles or notices so keep posted for the guides who

will be handling this.

The editor sought suggestions for a title and some proposals at that time were: Guides

Gabber, Guides Gabble, Voluntary Vibrations, Volunteers Battle Cry, Volunteers Vibes, and

Voluntary Vibes.

Guide Post was selected as the title during a VGAWM at a meeting on 28 June 1995. It was

first published in August 1995 “Vol. 1, No.2” and comprised two black-and-white pages of

text. In contrast the multi-page edition for November 2003 has many photographs, was

distributed by mail and available in full-colour via email. The improvement is due to advances

in computer hardware and software and the dedication and increasing experience of editors

who operate the system.

Guide Post is written, edited, printed, and distributed monthly entirely by guides. It is mailed

to all active and associate guides before the beginning of each month. This informs guides of

Memorial activities before arriving for duty. Guide Post is VGAWM’s foremost means of

communication and keeping in touch with associate guides. The distribution list includes the

patron and Memorial senior management staff.

There is a certain amount of duplication of effort in the production of the monthly Guide Post

and the Volunteers Voice distributed by the Memorial Education and Visitor Services (EVS)

every two months. However, there are many issues relevant only to the Guides and it is

therefore considered imperative that VGAWM continue to produce Guide Post on a monthly

basis to maintain its unique identity within the Memorial.

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20th anniversary, 1996

20th anniversary celebrations at the Memorial, 24 July 1996

Left to right: Beryl Baker, Margaret Mierisch, Nancy Stokes, Carole Middleton, Alison Aitken,

Noel Flanagan, Clare Palmer, Phyl Thewlis, and Joan Whitaker

The 20th Anniversary of the formation of the VGAWM was celebrated on 24 July 1996. The

Chairman of Council General Peter Gration unveiled a beautifully crafted timber seat donated

by the Memorial to commemorate the event. It now resides just inside the Memorial’s

entrance near the Menin Gate Lions.

This presentation was followed by a a luncheon in what was then the Schools’ Orientation

Area and attended by the atron and a large number of past and present Guides (see Section 6

Recognition of Service).

Guides activity survey 1997–98

At the beginning of December 1997 VGAWM Committee was acutely conscious of the

challenges the redevelopment of the Second World War galleries might have on the guides.

The Committee recognised a responsibility to ensure the guides were involved in the process

in order to fulfil their mission.

Accordingly the Voluntary guides of the Australian War Memorial activity survey was

conducted by the Committee based on the output of focus groups conducted by the

Memorial's Education and Visitor Services (E&VS) that examined The role of volunteers at

the Australian War Memorial. The focus groups included guides and volunteers and looked at

five main topics:

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• what volunteers enjoy about working at the Memorial;

• who visits the Memorial and why;

• how volunteers can contribute to meeting the different needs of visitors;

• what the Memorial can provide to assist volunteers; and

• how volunteering should be conducted during the whole rebuilding process.

The purpose of the survey was to identify issues the guides felt should be pursued by their

Committee within the Volunteers' Advisory Group.

The Voluntary guides of the Australian War Memorial activity survey final report was issued

on 3 April 1998 and highlighted a number of positive and negative issues. The most

significant of these issues were:

• primary circuit tours of the Memorial were preferred to specific gallery tours;

• the Guide Post should contain more details of events at the Memorial; and

• guides needed more background notes on topical issues.

The last issue prompted the generation of the Backgrounders, produced solely by guides.

The preference towards primary circuit and standard tour will likely remain since the overall

profile of the guiding body has not changed significantly since 1998, although the Memorial’s

galleries have changed significantly over the period.

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SECTION 2

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

Over half of those who first became involved in voluntary work in the last ten years were either asked to

volunteer by someone (32%) or they knew someone involved (29%). Volunteers were rarely recruited through

the media; only 4% became involved in volunteering in response to a media report or an advertisement …

(Australian Bureau of Statistics 4441.0 – Voluntary Work, Australia, 2000)

Recruitment

In the initial years there was a relatively high turnover of guides. This was probably due to the

majority of the guides being drawn from the Service Wives Community and the ongoing

postings this particular group experienced.

As a result of this turbulence, and what appears to have been a deliberate VGAWM policy,

the guides numbers remained almost static in the early years at about 35 to 40.

Until 1988 the guides were all female but in the 1987 AWM Performance Review changes

were flagged:

RECRUITMENT AND TENURE

The Voluntary guides are treated differently from other volunteer staff working in

the Memorial in terms of recruitment and conditions.

New guides are recruited each year to replace those who retired from the guiding

service. It is occasionally difficult for the guides to attract enough new recruits,

although the 1987 intake was satisfactory. Some concern has been expressed

about the recruitment process because:

• advertisements call for "ladies"; and

• guides are considered to be too similar in terms of age, sex, background,

and outlook; although their ages are now more varied than previously and

women from a non-service background are now in the majority.

All female applicants seem to be accepted for training. While it was reported that

unsuitable candidates tend to realise their inadequacies and withdraw before or

during the training process, apparently no one is ever asked to leave. Tenure is

limited only by an individual's personal circumstances.

BROADENING THE RECRUITMENT BASE

The guides advised that they have never had male guides and still do not want to

admit men to their ranks. This is in spite of occasional applications from men who

it is considered would be assets to the guiding service. Most of these men have

been directed to other voluntary activities, for example in the Research Centre.

The historical reason given for this was that it was feared that the guides would

have to deal with ex-servicemen who might be uninterested in aspects of military

history outside their own experience and consequently less than amenable to

training.

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In terms of anti-discrimination legislation, the guides' stance does not attract

attention because of their voluntary status. Nevertheless, modern trends indicate

that the question of whether male guides should be accepted has the potential to

develop into an issue which could cause embarrassment for the Memorial. This is

acknowledged by guides, management and staff. The Review Team would argue

that the Memorial and the Voluntary guides should choose to deal with this matter

now, on their own terms, before it is forced upon them by external pressure.

The Review Team sees no reason why males should not be invited to apply for

training as voluntary guides, and considers that they could help to enhance the

service in terms of both depth and numbers.

As VGAWM members were originally drawn from the Service Wives Associations, it is not

surprising that its initial composition was entirely female. It could be argued that if the

Memorial’s Council had considered ex-service organisations to provide the original source of

guides, then it could have been predominantly male in the formative years. It is understood

that when the VGAWM was established the Memorial’s Director did not want male guides

because he was concerned that male ex-servicemen would probably concentrate on their own

experiences of war and not provide visitors to the Memorial with a balanced tour.

In 1988 the recruiting base was expanded from an all-female organisation to include males.

After the integration of VGAWM into the Public Programs Branch in 1992, concerted

recruiting efforts have seen the guide numbers continue to rise to the point that in 2006 there

are just over 100 active guides. Absentee figures, maintained by the Memorial’s Volunteers’

Coordinator over an eight-month period in 2005, indicate that approximately 4 to 6 per cent of

active guides are not available for guiding in any one month due to other commitments. While

this absentee rate is not at present significant, it indicates that there needs to be more guides in

the pool to meet the guiding roster commitment and furthermore represents an administrative

overhead in respect of roster management.

Figure 2-1: Growth in guide numbers 1976–2006

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The graph illustrates the growth in guide numbers over the years. It is interesting to note that

the female numbers have remained almost constant at 40 but are now in decline, whereas the

male guiding numbers are increasing. It is considered VGAWM Committee needs to address

the gender imbalance and the social benefits of guiding to men and women.

Recruitment management

Since 1977 Memorial volunteers have been recruited through advertising in The Canberra

Times, contacting relevant departments in Canberra universities, the Canberra Institute of

Technology (CIT) and colleges, and by word-of-mouth.

This approach has not generated a consistently high interest level from the targeted areas and

the recruiting base remains relatively small. This is probably an indication of the increasing

competition in Canberra between the various cultural institutions seeking volunteers from the

same pool as the Memorial.

It is considered the guides need to train at least ten new guides each year to maintain its ranks

at about 90. Perhaps the recruiting base can be increased by VGAWM adopting a similar

approach to that undertaken by VGAWM in 1979, when it wrote to Canberra-based

associations, clubs, businesses, and embassies, advising of the Memorial’s guiding services.

Even the prime minister was on the mailing list.

Word-of-mouth seems to be the most effective recruitment strategy and needs to be more

actively pursued by all guides.

Persons interested in becoming guides are expected to complete an application form and

lodge it with the Volunteers’ Coordinator. Applicants are interviewed by the Selection Panel,

usually in February, and accepted for training on its recommendation. The Selection Panel

comprises the Volunteers’ Coordinator, VGAWM President (or nominee) and Basic Training

Convenor.

Applicants are selected against the following criteria:

• Sound oral communication skills with the potential to conduct interesting

guided tours within the philosophies and frameworks of the Memorial;

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to issues, such as nationality and cultural diversity, inherent in the wide range of people who visit the Memorial;

• Willingness and ability to undertake the training and research required by the

Memorial to develop and maintain the necessary background and skills to guide effectively.

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Retention

The following graph would indicate that the average lenth of time that a guide provides a

guiding sevice at the Memorial is approximately six to seven years. Some guides only provide

a return of service of two to three years and this exacerbates the recruiting, selection, and

training process each year.

There have been suggestions in past years that trainee intakes of up to 12 have demonstrated a

higher retention rate than larger groups where the drop-out rate has been of the order of 50 per

cent during the initial years at the Memorial.

Figure 2-2: Average length of service for guide intakes

Perhaps VGAWM needs to institute an Exit Survey to see if the retention rate can be

improved and if indeed this is desirable in the long term.

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SECTION 3

TRAINING

It was decided the guides must have a thorough knowledge of the Collection and be instructed in the rudiments

of museology, public relations and principals and techniques of guiding. (Nan Whitelaw, 1984)

Thirty-five women who had responded to a recruiting drive through the media and the Service

Wives Associations began their training on 10 February 1976 under the guidance of John

Reid, the Memorial’s art curator. Twenty-nine of these women completed the course and

began guiding on 26 April 1976.

The initial training consisted of weekly lectures provided by Memorial curators and staff, and

a number of people from outside the Memorial. This program was supported by considerable

background reading by individual guides.

Individual Training

In 1977 the Training Convener, Jane D’Arcy, inaugurated a new training system. Instead of

formal lectures every week with an intake of up to 30 people, guides were trained

individually. This approach enabled a continuous intake with guides getting onto the floor

much quicker and being assimilated continually throughout the year.

As a new guide joined, she was assigned on rotation to several senior guides for periods of

three or four weeks each, in different galleries, and as a result completed about 12 weeks

intensive basic training before going solo on the floor. This regime was supported by the

fortnightly formal lectures by the guest speakers.

Guest speaker at the Memorial, June 1983

Left to right: Ruth Bradbury and

Vivian Statham (nee Bullwinkel)

Guest Speakers

In 1977 the Committee on its own

initiative and with some much

appreciated guidance from Bill

Sweeting, the Memorial’s Assistant

Director, began contacting guest

speakers to lecture the guides to

enhance their understanding of the

Australian experience of war.

Over the years guest speakers, in addition to Memorial Council members, the Director,

resident historians and staff, and many serving and retired members of the Armed Services,

have included: Sidney Nolan, William Dargie, Barbara Tribe, Sali Herman, Dennis Adams,

Weary Dunlop, Murray Griffin, Betty Jeffery, Nancy Wake, Nancy Bird-Walton, Vivian

Bullwinkel, Reg Saunders, Charles Anderson, Adrian Curlewis, Charles Bingham, and Jack

Tarrant.

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In 1977 it was decided to record guest presentations and VGAWM now has an impressive

tape library for posterity. Memorial curators and other members of staff continue to lecture to

the guides each year.

Committee as trainers

By 1978 the Committee felt the time had come when the more experienced guides were now

capable of mentoring new guides and a system was devised whereby Committee members,

each taking a specific section of the Memorial, taught trainee guides the rudiments of guiding

techniques, the background behind the relics and paintings, and the history of the Memorial.

This combined with background reading by trainee guides and lectures was considered to be

very effective at the time.

Later, it was felt by the President that aspiring trainees should be interviewed prior to

recruitment. It was also decided to discontinue training large groups of people approximately

twice a year and instead take small groups as they applied.

2005 guide intake with Principal Historian, Peter Stanley, in the Second World War galleries

Left to right: Peter Stanley, Principal Historian, Lucas Rutherford, Ian Noble, Geoffrey Williams, Fran

Buscombe, Gerry Cullen, Bob Stenhouse, Rob Mackay-Sim, and Richard Moss

1981 International Year of Disabled Persons

In recognition of 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons the guides introduced in

February a special service providing tours of the Memorial for blind and visually-impaired

adults. The guides were greatly helped by the Royal Blind Society of NSW, the Blind Society

of the ACT, and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. It was believed to be the first such

service on a regular basis in Australia.

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The first tour was inaugurated in March. Four partially-sighted adults, after feeling a Braille

floor plan, were taken on separate tours in which they were able to touch the tiles in the Hall

of Memory, names on the Roll of Honour, and some of the relics and sculptures in the

galleries. Guides have received ongoing training to assist visually-impaired visitors in

subsequent years.

Braille map of the Memorial, 1981

(A later version of this map presently resides

at the front desk in the Orientation Gallery)

Left to right: Barbara Waterman and Ruth

Bradbury

Proposed development of guides training package 1986

In April 1986 the Memorial’s Assistant Director, Research and Publications wrote to Military

Historian, Alex Hill, as follows:

.

… a project has emerged which I believe is of considerable importance to the

Memorial and I would like to explore with you the possibility of your contributing

to it.

I think I mentioned to you that the material given to our voluntary guides for their

training courses is drawn from a variety of sources, some reliable, some not so

reliable. The guides are, of course, our front line with the public and it is essential

that they provide accurate, correct information just as we would insist that the

captions and text in the galleries is correct and attractive.

The Memorial would like to prepare a professional training kit which could be

given to the guides as they commence their training and would enable them to

survey Australian military history and also to explore in depth the various periods

of our history over time.

It is clear that the Memorial needs to devote considerable resources to this

project and will require the services of a military historian. Our current staffing

3 - 4

position and the considerable attention being given to the gallery refurbishment

programme does not enable me to second a member of my staff full time to this

important project.

I would be interested to discuss with you whether you feel you could contribute

and I would like to assure you that I would expect the path to be smoother than

the one you have recently traversed.

It would appear that this initiative did not achieve the desired outcome. However, the

Backgrounders go a long way to fulfilling the requirement.

AWM Performance Review 1987

The 1987 external AWM Performance Review noted that:

The Voluntary Guides conduct their own training, using a system they have

developed and refined over the last ten years. The eight-week training program

involves gallery-familiarisation sessions with a member of the guides' committee,

private study, lectures, and practice and supervised guiding sessions. Training is

followed by a period of three months probation. Guides whose performance is still

considered unsatisfactory are not rejected but are encouraged to improve.

On-going training takes a variety of forms. A different guest speaker addresses

the guides every fortnight and the Memorial

provides funds for a small number of guides to

attend the annual Military History

Conference. Presentations by guest speakers

are tape-recorded for further study. Special

training for guiding visually-impaired visitors

is also undertaken.

The foregoing training regime remained in place until 1991 when VGAWM was on the verge of

being integrated into the Memorial’s Public

Programs Branch, in which EVS initially played

the lead managing role.

1991 training regime

The 1991 Training Course was scheduled to run one

day each week from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm over a 20-

week period. The schedule included the course

requirements of attendance and on-the-floor training

and evaluation. Lectures were provided by

Memorial curators and other members of staff.

Guides assisted with the gallery aspects of the

program.

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The evaluation program required trainees to deliver a one-hour “highlight” tour to an

evaluation team comprising an experienced guide and a member of Memorial staff – either

the Volunteers’ Coordinator or the Manager, EVS.

The 1991 training regime was generally followed until 2003 when the Statement of attainment

in guiding was introduced, albeit again managed by the guides with the assistance of EVS.

Over the years there has been a continual enhancement of the quality of the guides training

process.

Cross-cultural training

In 1994 guides undertook cross-cultural training at CIT to obtain a better understanding of the

cultural requirements of international visitors to the Memorial.

“Statement of attainment in guiding”

From 2003 trainee guides who were accredited as active guides qualified for a “Statement of

attainment in guiding” awarded by the CIT. Over 50 guides have qualified: 40 from the 2003,

004, and 2005 intakes; and 13 from previous intakes who voluntarily sought accreditation.

The “Statement of attainment in guiding” has generally followed the normal training pattern

of history and other specialised lectures, interspersed with practical guiding sessions in the

Memorial’s galleries. Written papers are prepared on each of the main galleries. As usual

guides provide tuition in the galleries. A recall session is held to discuss issues and problems

with trainees’ self-assessed tours.

The CIT has had no input into the course, per se. Its contribution is principally to provide

independent evaluation of the process. Several members of the assessment team are now

trained workplace assessors accredited by the CIT.

“Statement of attainment in guiding” recipients, 16 May 2005

Back, from left: Gwen McNeill, Alex Reynolds, Jacqui Wilkinson, Jeffrey Benson, Terry

O’Keefe, Patrick O'Hara, Barry Virtue, Peter Scotland, Chris Hunter, Murray Hanson, Michael

Sage, Peter Daniell, and Rob Bochman. Second row, from left: Michael Davies, Joan Rabey, Aine

Broda, Wally Blumenfeld, Helen Phillips, Trish Downes, Alan Murray, and Geoffrey Potts .

Front row from left: Brenda Kilgore, Di Mitchell, Halla Wookey, Terry Ballantyne, and Julie

Darvill .

3 - 6

2006 training regime

The 2006 training regime comprises the following components:

Basic training

Basic training provides trainee guides with knowledge of Australia’s involvement in war and

war-like operations, and the Memorial’s galleries and interpretation of the events. It also

develops the skills to allow appropriate interaction with visitors and achieve the standard of

presentation expected of VGAWM. The course combines lectures, presentations, discussions,

and practical exercises, designed by a team of experienced guides approved by the Committee

and headed by the Basic Training Convenor.

Trainee guides are to complete all elements of the basic training course, and demonstrate

essential skills and knowledge to experienced guides before taking public tours.

Trainee guides are accredited as active guides on completion of:

• basic training, including assessment of essential guiding skills and knowledge;

• a probationary period during which 12 standard tours must be completed; and

• an assessment tour in which they demonstrate ability to take visitors through the

Memorial.

They must also agree to meet the commitment of an active guide for at least 12 months.

A panel consisting of an experienced guide and a Memorial representative undertakes

accreditation of trainees. One is a qualified workplace assessor.

Continuing training

Since 1976 VGAWM has conducted a Continuing Training Program (CTP). Today the CTP

normally consists of sessions once per month (February to October) encompassing a 20-

minute brief on some aspect of Memorial operation or display, and a one-hour talk given by a

guest lecturer of relevance to Australia’s military history. A peer group session presented by a

guide will also be scheduled once per quarter. The overall program assists guides to maintain

their knowledge of the Australian experience of war and activities at the Memorial, and

awareness of changes in Memorial policy, which may affect their guiding activity.

Active guides are required to make every endeavour to attend at least two-thirds of the CTP

sessions. Guides who cannot meet this commitment may be required by the Committee to

undergo more frequent performance review.

Training in specialist areas

Active and associate guides may be offered the opportunity to undertake specialist training in

areas such as art, family, and VIP tours.

3 - 7

Military History Conferences

From the beginning of VGAWM the Memorial has supported the guides’ participation in its

Military History Conferences and others staged by the individual services. Attendance at

these conferences is eagerly sought by VGAWM and has assisted in increasing corporate

knowledge.

Army History Conference, Canberra, July 2003

Left to right: Peter Hugonnet, Mary James, John McCaffrey, Barry West, Patrica Downes, and Ken Sheard

Family of the Memorial

The integration of VGAWM into the Public Programs Branch of the Memorial in 1992 was a

measure designed to bring “… the guides even closer into the family of the Memorial”

(Brendon Kelson, Director, to Alison Aitken, March 1991). Not only did this change bring

about significant organisational reporting responsibilities for VGAWM but introduced a more

structured and accountable training regime. The integration was successful but a painful

process for some who subsequently resigned.

Despite the earlier concerns of many guides with respect to the integration, the training

process is still being effectively managed by VGAWM. Over the years the guides have

demonstrated flexibility in responding to the changing circumstances within the Memorial,

including gallery redevelopment, varied opening hours and programs, and the need for

different types of tours.

The ongoing redevelopment of the Korean, Vietnam and Post–1945 Conflicts galleries will

present the guides with new training challenges to meet, as they have always done in the past.

In concluding this brief discussion on training it is for consideration that the introduction of

the “Certificate of attainment in guiding” should not be seen as the end point of guide training

but part of the continuing improvement process.

4-1

SECTION 4

HIGHLIGHT TOURS

Here is their spirit,in the heart of the land they loved;and here we guard the record which they themselves made.

(C.E.W. Bean)

In the late 1900s, the “Highlights” Tour of the Memorial was what is known today as the

Standard Tour – a tour of the Galleries on the upper level of the main exhibition building.

Each of these tours had the potential to be a rewarding experience for individual Guides, but

there were some occasions that were “ a priviledge and rewarding and sometines a humbling

experience”, and some of these are addressed below.

Opening of the Gallipoli Gallery 1984

The opening of the refurbished Gallipoli Gallery by His Excellency, Governor General Sir

Ninian Stephen, on 20 August 1984 marked the culmination of a significant period for the

Memorial and the Guides. Over three days–19, 20, and 21 August 1984–life at the Memorial

revolved around approximately 240 surviving Gallipoli veterans who were brought to

Canberra from all over Australia for the occasion. Many of thse veterans had earlier been

actively involved in the development of the Gallery with the Memorial curators.

The staff and VGAWM were involved at every stage of the veterans’ visit. Staff and

Voluntary Guides were on hand to welcome the veterans upon their arrival in Canberra at the

airport, bus terminals, and railway station on Sunday 20 August and to transfer them to their

hotels. Staff and Guides were in attendance all day the following Monday. Some travelled

with the buses and others helped with wheelchairs, both at the Memorial and at the

Government House Reception in the afternoon. When the veterans departed Canberra, the

staff and Guides again assisted with the logistics.

This was a very rewarding experience for all those Guides who were involved in assisting the

veterans and as the VGAWM President noted in her Annual Report that year: Joy and sadness

mingled with memories of their youth and it was a great privilege to be sharing their

innermost thoughts. . . .

Gallipoli veterans in the new Gallery,

1984

Left to right:Harry Newhouse (4th

Battalion 2nd Reinforcements),

Norma Wrigley, Jack Ryan(Headquarters

4th Battalion)

4-2

Dedication of Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial, 3 October 1992

The VGAWM were asked by the Vietnam Veterans’ Association, who were organising the

dedication of the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial, to assist the next of kin

(NOK) who were attending the ceremony.

On Friday 2 October 1992 Guides met many of the NOK at Canberra Airport and took them

to their motels or billets. Later, they took the NOK to the Memorial, where refreshments were

provided by the Guides all day and a private service for the NOK was held at 5 pm in the

Commemorative Area. This was the first time that many of the NOK of the veterans had met.

The Guides were available to help the NOK all weekend. This was a very rewarding and

emotional time for all.

“..The support offered by voluntary guides to the next of kin attending the opening was

nothing short of magnificent and I congratulate all who unselfishly contributed their time. ..”

Liam Hanna, Assistant Director, 17 March 1993.

Entombment of the Unknown Australian Soldier, November 1993

The Entombment of the Unknown Australian Soldier on Thursday11 November 1993 was a

significant event for the Nation and the Memorial.

The VGAWM were again actively involved with the staff in assisting the public pay their

respects to the Unknown Soldier on the day of the entombment and the following three days.

During this period, Alick Roberts, a Voluntary Guide, while directing the hundreds of visitors,

was approached by a frail, elderly couple who wanted to place a poppy next to their son's

name on the Roll of Honour. Alick is reputed to have said that the elderly lady held a bunch

of poppies like a bridal bouquet. Alick made the quick decision to allow them to place a

single poppy in the Roll of Honour and then went back to his duties. Later, he returned to

find dozens, if not hundreds, of poppies planted in the panels on the Roll of Honour. So began

another tradition at the Memorial.

5 Year Badge Recipents , 3 June 1998

Left to right: Ralph Niemann, Rhoda Nobbs-Mohr, Marj Lamey, Neil Fotheringham, and Alick Roberts

4-3

Subsequent to the Entombment of the Unknown Soldier, Guides were required by the

Director to,

. . . brief their visitors prior to entering the Hall of Memory. Our aim is to provide an area of

reflection so visitors can respond in a way which is most appropriate and meaningful to them.

Quiet talk among individuals would seem reasonable ; addressing a large group can be very

disruptive . . .

This directive led to various intrepretations by Memorial staff and a number of Guides were

taken to task over the next few years for not being “duly respectful” in the Hall of Memory.

Fortunately, but not without a long drawn-out discussion, this issue has now faded into the

background. Guides can now provide visitors with an intrepretation of the significance and

beauty of the Hall of Memory within the Hall itself.

Guiding in the Western Front Gallery, 2004

Ian Stagoll and visitors

5 - 1

SECTION 5

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

Assessment is the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on progress towards satisfying the

performance criteria set out in a standard or learning outcome. At the appropriate point, judgement is made as

to whether competency has been achieved. (Competency Standards for Assessment, Australian National Training

Authority, 1996)

From the establishment of VGAWM in 1976 until about 1998 the Performance Review

Process was limited to an assessment of trainee guides by the Committee at the conclusion of

the initial course of training, with further assessment after three months.

In 1992, after the integration of VGAWM into the Public Programs Branch, Memorial staff

also became involved in the trainee assessment process for the five art guides and 24 general

guides inducted that year.

Prior to 1998 there was no internal or external review of the quality of service offered by the

accredited active guides within VGAWM.

Guiding in the Commemorative Area – 2005

Left to right: Judy Inveen, Patrick O’Hara, Margaret Kaye, and Ruth Pillans

5 - 2

Memorial Program Management and Performance Review

The Memorial Program Management and Performance Review (PMPR) undertaken by

external consultants in 1987 stated at Section 23 of its report:

The Voluntary Guides are unsupervised and their activities and training methods

are not subject to any formal scrutiny. Apart from the fact that their founders

were invited to establish an autonomous group, the Memorial's management

seems to have adopted a policy of benign neglect of the guides, probably because

of the pressures of other priorities.

Certainly no clear demarcation of roles nor delineation of appropriate relations

with other areas of the Memorial has been resolved and adhered to.

While some guides discharge their duties with impressive skill and historical

accuracy, others may be identified for which any or all of the following may be

true:

• inadequate presentation skills;

• a tendency to depart from history;

• a tendency to inject personal views into presentations;

• inadequate group management techniques; and

• a lack of appreciation of what message the exhibits are trying to convey.

Responsibility for correction of the above inadequacies lies as much with the

Memorial proper as with the Voluntary Guides. It was noted, however, that

training needs to be carefully designed in order to avoid the risk of discouraging

volunteers. The Memorial offers a great deal of expertise which the guides could

make use of in designing training courses, without negating the spontaneity and

flexibility of their current presentations.

PMPR recommendation 146 was: “That new recruits be evaluated during their period of

probation by an historian and an Education officer as well as by the Guides’ Committee; and

that appropriate action be taken if performance is unsatisfactory.” All PMPR

recommendations were accepted at the Memorial Council meetings of 18 and 23 May 1987.

A review process for guides

There does not appear to have been much action in progressing the performance review

process by VGAWM until late 1992, when a discussion paper, A review process for voluntary

guides, was generated by a member of the Committee.

The document noted the Memorial intended to introduce an evaluation or review process for

current guides. The paper established a framework for a system of review and discussed

possible options for the review process. No doubt the integration of VGAWM into the Public

Programs Branch in August 1992 was the driving force in this instance.

5 - 3

The paper presented three options. These are briefly addressed here for the record in order to

demonstrate how the PMPR has developed over the years:

Option 1

This option provided a balance between self, peer, and staff-assessment.

Evaluation groups to consist of six guides. Each group will be representative of

the cross-section of the guide organisation, with more senior and experienced

guides through to less experienced/recent members. Rather than attempting to

review entire tours, different aspects of each tour would be assessed. A two year

cycle is proposed, with three groups being involved each year. It is proposed that

guides would work in both familiar galleries, to assist them to identify the guiding

strategies and skills they use, and less familiar galleries, so that this knowledge

can be combined with a research and preparation phase to extend their range of

tour options. Review team to comprise two or three people as required: Voluntary

Guide/ Education Historian/Curator/Personnel representative as required. Prior

to final assessment each group of six guides would undertake peer assessment to

assist one another.

Option 2

The major focus of this option was peer assessment, with assistance and guidance

provided by nominated Education and Committee representatives.

Use roster groups. Seven groups staged over two years. In a range of galleries,

particularly those not normally used so that a research phase can be incorporated

into the review cycle. A review panel to be chosen, one member from each of the

seven roster groups, with assistance and guidance provided by nominated

Education and Committee representatives. This panel to work with Committee to

develop specific evaluation strategies. Obviously one of the main differences

between this option and Option 1 is the degree of guide involvement.

Option 3

With this option the emphasis is largely on peer assessment. Initial review groups

to be formed from guides with at least five years experience. This group is to act

as a pilot group for the rest of the guide body. Rather than attempting to review

entire tours, different aspects would be assessed (as per options 1 and 2). Guides,

with assistance from Education staff, would implement a peer review structure

Guides would rotate around a circuit of selected galleries and share their

knowledge/expertise amongst the group. As with other options at least some

galleries with which guides were unfamiliar should be chosen to allow for a

research and preparation phase. This would be a three year program: Year 1: 1–

15+ Guides; Year 2: 6–12 Guides; Year 3: 3–6 Guides. It is not considered viable

to include guides in the program until they have at least two years experience.

This would also be a suitable interval after initial training to begin a revision

process.

5 - 4

The paper envisaged endorsement from the Memorial’s Corporate Management Group of an

approved option by July 1993. This itself tended to indicate that VGAWM had not yet

accepted the fact that it had been integrated into the Public Programs Branch and was no

longer an autonomous organisation within the Memorial.

The first guides’ newsletter of January 1993 stated the Committee had been tasked with

implementing a system of review of guides so that high standards could be maintained and

limited resources could be better targeted.

Liam Hanna, the Assistant Director, when addressing the guides in March 1993 noted he was

aware of their concern about the introduction of a review and went on to say, “I can assure

you that its is not as frightening as its sounds nor is it something into which you will be

rushed”.

It certainly wasn’t rushed. Indeed the decision that active guides would be reviewed during

rostered tours after their first year of service and every three years thereafter was not made

until November 1998 and November 2002 respectively. An example of this drawn-out

development process is recorded in the initial issue of the Guide Post in May 1995:

A recall was held for the 1994 intake of guides. This group will begin a process

of peer evaluation where small groups will evaluate one another tours. This is a

pilot scheme where guides will share and enrich each others tours as well as offer

constructive criticism. They will meet again on 26 July 1995 to report on the

success or otherwise of the process. After an evaluation of this process all guides

will be involved.

AWM annual report 1994–95

The Memorial’s volunteer guides play a special role in explaining the purpose of

the Memorial. As well as conducting general tours they conduct children’s tours

during school holiday periods, and art and theme tours. In the 1994 visitor

survey, nine percent of visitors surveyed went on conducted tours. Of these

visitors, 69 per cent reported they were “very satisfied” with the tour provided,

and 28 per cent “satisfied” with the tour provided, In 1994-95 some 34,482

people participated in guided tours at the Memorial, Voluntary Guides now offer

60 per cent more tours that in the previous year. Tour duration has been adjusted

to relate closely to the average length of visitor stay at the memorial.

Public Programs evaluation – 2003

The Public Programs Branch function is to engage all Australians and visitors in

commemoration through exhibitions, education, interpretive, and marketing services.

In 2003 a Public Programs Evaluation focused on who attended public programs and why;

how people found out about public programs; how people respond to public programs; how

effective different types of public programs are; other types of public programs that visitors

want; when and where public programs should be scheduled to maximise audience numbers

and enhance visitor experience; and issues relating to the spaces in which public programs are

delivered. Guided tours were included as a type of public program, but they were not the key

focus of the evaluation.

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In all, 206 completed surveys were received from people who had undertaken a guided tour.

Outcomes from the evaluation relevant to the Guides at that time were:

• Between July 2001 and June 2003, 68,313 people attended an estimated 5,408 guided

tours, with an average attendance of 12.6 people per tour;

• Guided tours received an average rating of 4.8 on a scale of 1 to 5 – this was one of

the highest ratings;

• People widely praised guides as being very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and friendly,

and brought the visit to life by sharing otherwise unavailable stories.

Performance Review 2006

Since early 2005 guides have been assessed against the standard tour. Specific assessment

criteria are determined by the Committee, approved by the guiding community and compliant

with Memorial policy. The criteria checklist is forwarded to the individual with the notice of

review. The main areas covered in the checklist are tour group leadership, guiding techniques,

knowledge of the Australian experience of war, and relevance and coverage in the galleries

visited during the standard our.

The standard tour takes 90 minutes. It commences in the Orientation Gallery and includes

visits to the Commemorative Area, including the Hall of Memory, the Gallipoli gallery,

Western Front, Sinai and Palestine galleries, Second World War galleries, the Hall of Valour,

and Aircraft Hall, and ends with an introduction to the exhibitions in ANZAC Hall. The

decision of Committee to limit the standard tour to 90 minutes was made in December 2000,

considered the optimum period of time to provide visitors with a balanced tour of the

Memorial.

The performance review process is managed by a member of the Committee, normally the

Vice President, appointed by the President. Assessors are required to integrate with the tour

group and refrain from taking notes. After the tour assessors brief the guides on their

performance and advise if they have been accredited for a further period. Guides may ask

questions about the assessment and how to improve their performance. They are required to

sign the review sheet to acknowledge that they have read the written assessment comments

and had the opportunity to discuss their assessment with the assessors.

Assessments of active guides are made by a two-person team selected from a panel of

experienced guides, determined by the President and Vice President, and suitably experienced

members of the Memorial staff, selected by EVS Manager. One assessor will always be a

guide; the second member may be a Memorial staff member or another guide. Assessors for

the initial assessment of trainees are drawn from the Basic Training Team. Where trainee

guides are seeking to qualify for the “Statement of attainment in guiding” at the end of their

probation period, one member of the review team will be a qualified Workplace Assessor.

The performance review process for guides has taken a long time to develop. Through a

periodic review of each guide’s skills and knowledge the Memorial can be assured that the

quality of service provided by VGAWM is consistent with its high standards.

6- 1

SECTION 6

RECOGNITION OF SERVICE

In many cases volunteers that are motivated by helping the community will see their work as a reward in itself

and will only require support from their volunteer organization. (Volunteering Australia, July 2005)

Recognition of service

The Voluntary Guides organisation plays an important part in providing high quality visitor

services at the Memorial. (AWM Annual Report 1998)

The Memorial recognises the commitment of guides through service badges for five, ten, 15

and 20 years of effective service. Service does not need to be continuous.

In February 1986 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the formation of VGAWM the

then Chairman of the Memorial Council, Dame Beryl Beaurepaire, presented commemorative

brooches for ten years of service to Nan Whitelaw, Dulcie Jeffery, Alison Aitken, Lorelle

Moore, Valerie Howse, and Lillian Duncan.

On 24 July 1996 on the 20th anniversary of the formation of VGAWM the patron Lady Deane

presented 20-year badges to Lillian Duncan and Gwen Keys. Ten-year badges were presented

by Noel Flanagan to Pat Jones, Margaret Moriarty, and Ma’di Miller. Five-year badges were

presented by Nan Whitelaw to Mary Boland, Julienne Clunies-Ross, and Colin Norris.

20th anniversary celebrations, July 1996

Left to right: General Peter Gration, Chairman Council; Nan Whitelaw, Foundation President VGAWM, Lady

Deane, Patron VGAWM; Noel Flanagan, Julienne Cluines-Ross, President VGAWM; Major General Steve

Gower, Director, and the seat presented by Council to VGAWM in recognition of 20 years of service.

6- 2

There was a proposal to introduce a 25-year badge in 1999 but this was not accepted by

VGAWM Committee. Notwithstanding, the Memorial’s Director formally acknowledged 25

years of service by Joan Whitaker, Norma Wrigley, and Clare Palmer at the guides’ Annual

Badge Day in July 2002.

Life membership

Life membership may be awarded to guides who have 20 or more years of active service.

All nominations for life membership must be approved by a general meeting of the guiding

community. Agreed nominations will then be passed by the Committee to the Memorial’s

Director for approval. Life members will have their name inscribed on the VGAWM Honour

Roll.

Lillian Duncan and Gwen Keys became the first Honorary Life Members of the VGAWM ,

presented with certificates by the Director on 5 February 1997. Later that year on 30 April

Joan Whitaker and Phyl Thewlis were presented with 20-year badges by the Director and also

became VGAWM life members.

Recognition of life members, Guides Badge Day,

July 2003

Left to right: Carole Middleton, Director Steve

Gower, and Nell Honeysett

Life Membership Honour Roll, November 1997

Left to right: Marj Lamey, President (holding the

honour roll), and life members Norma Wrigley and

Clare Palmer

6- 3

Recognition of Service by External Organisations

Guides may be eligible for recognition of their service by other organisations and institutions.

The Committee will consider the following criteria before nominating a guide for external

recognition:

• The nominee must have served at least five years;

• have made an outstanding contribution over and above the normal commitment to

VGAWM in the preceding three years; and

• provided substantial evidence of commitment to increasing his/her knowledge of the

Memorial, its collections, and the meaning of its charter.

In addition, the nominee must have demonstrated a dynamic contribution to voluntary work at

the Memorial, and an understanding of the nature and scope of the Memorial’s role and the

part guides play in supporting its charter. Guides must also have demonstrated leadership, a

capacity for passing on guiding skills, and a commitment to others.

Some examples of external recognition are detailed below.

Medal of the Order of Australia

• Nancy Lochart Whitelaw, 26 January 1982, for community service with the Memorial;

• Ailisa Joyce Crooke, 14 June 2004, for service to the community as a volunteer guide

and researcher with the Memorial; and

• Margaret Beadman, 26 January 2006, for Service to the community through support of

the Memorial as a volunteer and guide, and for services to the Jewish Community.

Memorial volunteers commended in the Senate 1998

… Senator HOGG (Queensland) (6.45 pm ) – I concur with the comments of

Senator Bartlett and Senator O’Chee on the Australian War Memorial. It is

unfortunate that so many reports tabled in this place fly through without being

given much care or attention. Since I have been here, I have tried to speak on this

particular report on each occasion. The War Memorial is a significant place for

Australians, and it is a significant place in this capital. There is no doubt that the

War Memorial is not given by many people the recognition it deserves. I hope this

shrine does not lose its significance as time goes by.

To pick up at a point made by Senator O’Chee, flicking through the report I noted

on page 30 a photograph of a group of voluntary guides celebrating Volunteers

Week at the memorial. The picture alone says a lot about the dedication, time,

effort and energy which is put in by the number of volunteers who take their work

at the memorial very seriously and who are very well received by the public … (Extract of Senate debate taken from the AWM Annual Report 12 November 1998)

6- 4

A group of guides celebrating Volunteers Week at the Memorial, 1998

Left to right: Carole Middleton, Julienne Clunies-Ross, Maxine Sheldrick, Clare Palmer (President) and Angela

Ginnane. Carole Middleton is the recipient of the 1998 ACT Volunteer of the Year award in the “Arts and

heritage category”

ACT Volunteer of the Year

The ACT Volunteer of the Year awards are a joint project of NRMA Insurance and

Volunteering ACT. These awards are presented to individual volunteers for their outstanding

contribution to the community in the Canberra region.

Awards recognise excellence in voluntary service and enhance public awareness and

appreciation of the quality and depth of voluntary service in the community. The awards do

not seek to identify a “best volunteer”; award recipients are ambassadors for all volunteers

and the worth of volunteer effort.

VGAWM Committee in conjunction with the Memorial has nominated a number of guides

for the ACT Volunteer of the Year award in the “Arts and heritage category”. The following

guides have been duly recognised as the ACT Volunteer of the Year in that category:

1998 Carole Middleton

2000 Clare Palmer

2002 Wally Blumenfield

2003 John MacDairmid

2004 Peter Hugonnet Mary James recieved a

High Commendation from

Volunteering ACT in 2002.

John MacDairmid

(ACT Volunteer of the Year,

“Arts and heritage category” 2003)

7 - 1

SECTION 7

GUIDES AND THE MEMORIAL’S ART COLLECTION

Nations go to war, but it is their citizens who experience it. This experience, social and individual, needs to be

both recorded and interpreted … artists provide a powerful insight into these events through their particular

way of seeing the world. In art, the sensuous and the emotional aspects of the experience of war are most

effectively realised … great war art not only shows it to us, it does so with unmediated appeal and in ways that

can move us profoundly. (Roger Tolson)

Association of Australian Gallery Guiding Organisations

The interim VGAWM Committee received an invitation in August 1976 from the NGV to

attend a meeting in order to discuss the formation of an association of gallery guides. As the

memorial’s Director was keen for VGAWM to belong to such an organisation, the invitation

was accepted. The Association of Australian Gallery Guides (AAGG) was formed, later to

become Association of Australian Gallery Guiding Organisations (AAGGO). Penny Fisher

became the VGAWM representative. It was decided at the association’s inaugural meeting:

• to hold a biennial conference which would move to a different gallery each time;

• the next host gallery to form the Executive Committee for the period preceding and

during their conference; and

• each gallery to circulate two newsletters per year.

The aim of AAGGO is to assist the community in understanding and appreciating the

collections of each member Gallery and facilitate the exchange of information and ideas

between guiding organisations both in Australia and overseas.

Membership is limited to voluntary guiding organisations of Australian art galleries, defined.

in this context as exhibiting permanent collections of works of aesthetic or cultural value.

These organisations must have an initial guides training program with continuing education

for guides. AAGGO has grown to include the following galleries:

Art Gallery of South Australia *

Art Gallery of Western Australia

Art Gallery of New South Wales *

Australian War Memorial *

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery

Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

Carrick Hill, Adelaide

Dubbo Regional Art Gallery

Geelong Gallery

Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

National Gallery of Australia *

National Gallery of Victoria *

Newcastle Regional Gallery *

Orange Regional Gallery

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery,

Launceston

Queensland Art Gallery

Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery

Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery

Wollongong Regional Art Gallery

(* foundation members )

Guides have Memorial-funded membership of AAGGO and financial support is also provided

for a number of guides to attend the biennial AAGGO conferences.

VGAWM Committee has a dedicated AAGGO Representative. Margaret Kaye, a member of

the 1992 art guide intake, occupied this position for a number of years and was responsible

for managing art training for many years.

7 - 2

AAGGO conferences

VGAWM has hosted the following AAGGO conferences:

• The Fourth Biennial AAGGO Conference from 10 to 12 November 1982 was opened

by Lady Stephen, a former NGV Guide and patron of VGAWM. The conference

centred on the needs of gallery and museum visitors and the relationship between

curators and guides in interpreting different collections. About 100 guides from all

states at the conference attended the Remembrance Day ceremony, toured the

Memorial, Lanyon Homestead and the National Library of Australia. James Mollison,

Director of the still to-be-completed Australian National Gallery, gave the guides a

view of the national collection, stored at Fyshwick. A highlight of the conference was

the late-afternoon reception given by the Governor-General His Excellency Sir Ninian

Stephen and Lady Stephen at Yarralumla. Due to a great deal of hard work on the part

of Ruth Bradbury, the President, and Alison Aitken, the Secretary, in addition to

willing support from the Director and staff of the Memorial, this conference was voted

a resounding success.

• The Tenth Biennial AAGGO Conference themed Integrating collections held at the

Memorial from 5 to 7 March 1996. VGAWM patron, Lady Deane, opened the

conference and was introduced by the Memorial Director Major General Steve Gower.

This highly successful conference, chaired by Carole Middleton, was the culmination

of two years work by a committee comprising guides and members of Memorial staff.

The finale was a dinner at Old Parliament House, where the evening began with

guided tours of the chambers, rooms, and Portrait Gallery. The theme was chosen

because the Committee considered the Memorial housed an excellent example of an

integrated collection. Sixteen AAGGO-member galleries representing the major

national and a number of regional galleries sent delegates. Most galleries also had a

representative group of guides who attended.

AAGGO conference, Launceston,

2003

Left to right: Mary James, Margaret

Beadman, and Joyce Crooke

7 - 3

2005 conference

The most recent AAGGO conference, the 15th National Biennial, was held at the National

Gallery of Australia in Canberra between 15 and 18 March 2005.

The conference was attended by representatives of all

18 member galleries, with well over 200 participants.

Six guides from the Memorial attended. ARGGO

representative Catherine Sewell presented a talk on

The Japanese bombing Roebuck Bay, Broome by

Aboriginal artist Jack Dale. Many of the participants

were surprised to learn about the diversity of the

Memorial’s art collection and were particularly

interested in how the guides interpret the Australian

involvement in war through works of art.

The Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane will host the

next Conference in 2007.

VGAWM’s membership of AAGGO has enhanced

the Guides’ professionalism and increased its circle

of friends.

Voluntary Guides of the Memorial’s Art Collection

In August 1989 VGAWM invited applications for guides

with a background or special interest in art to become a

guide to the Memorial’s art collection. These guides were

recruited specifically to “ … conduct tours and provide

for general visitors, school groups, and specialist groups

with information on the art collection and the changing

exhibition in the Art Exhibition Gallery in the context of

the Memorial’s commemorative function”.

Trainee art guides were required to complete a prescribed

initial four-day training course in September to October

1989 and continue training on a fortnightly basis. They

were required to devote at least half a day per week to

rostered gallery duties.

Seven trainees, including Margaret Beadman,

commenced the initial course, but the AWM Annual

Report 1989–90 indicated that guides only included three

for art. Subsequent AWM Annual Reports for 1990–91,

1991–92, and 1992–93 specifically identified three, three

and eight respectively within VGAWM. Subsequent

AWM Reports did not specifically identify volunteers

serving within the Memorial.

AAGGO conference, Canberra, 2005

Left to right: Gwen McNeill, Catherine Sewell, and

Clare Palmer.

7 - 4

The demise of the art guides per se was a consequence of never being accepted or integrated

into the general body of the guides, despite the fact that they undertook the same general

training in addition to their art studies. The original art guides training program was intensive

and with time it was decided to undertake the art component as an additional training module,

as exists today.

By late 1993 a dedicated daily art tour was advertised at 11:00 am. However, as the number

of art guides diminished this regime could not be supported and the tours were only offered

several times a week. Today the 11:00 am advertised tour is no longer an art tour.

Wendy Sharpe workshop at the Memorial, 2004

Left to right: Mary James, David Taylor, Judy Inveen, Wendy Sharpe (official war artist), Di Mitchell, Joyce

Crooke, Margaret Kaye, and Ruth Pillans

Art guides and art tours 2006

Guides who wish to be accredited as art guides must undertake a specialist training course and

be assessed by a panel consisting of an appropriately experienced guide and a member of the

Memorial Art Section. Art guides are required to undertake specialist assessment every three

years. This is additional to the basic training undertaken by all guides.

The frequency of art tours is decided and advertised by the Memorial. They are also aimed at

assisting visitors to remember, interpret, and understand Australia’s experience of war, and its

effect on society, through a focus on the Memorial’s extensive art collection.

8 - 1

SECTION 8

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Social Capital: The fashionable term for the goodwill and trust that people display towards each other in community

life and which underpins their ability to cooperate with each other. (The Canberra Times, 26 January 2001)

Social benefits

The social benefits of being a guide at the Memorial should not be underestimated. Guiding

not only provides a benefit to the Memorial but also provides guides with a number of

significant benefits, such as:

• learning new skills that can give them confidence to face challenges in other areas of

their lives;

• meeting people from a diverse range of backgrounds – people they may never come

across in their daily lives – and forming lasting friendships;

• developing communication skills in public speaking, writing, conducting meetings,

and public relations;

• increasing knowledge about issues such as health, politics, criminal justice, and the

environment;

• improving well-being and self confidence; and

• providing contact with professionals and people from every walk of life that can

enhance career prospects for those still in the workforce or seeking employment.

Guides at Garden Island, Sydney, 1991

Left to right: Norma Wrigley, Helen Cameron, Carole Middleton, Noreen Beaumont, Mary O’Callaghan,

Di Mitchell, Hugh Collis, and Julienne Clunies-Ross

8 - 2

To realise some of the foregoing social benefits, a number of initiatives have been taken by

VGAWM Committee to increase the social interaction between the guides as a corporate

body and other groups in the Memorial. Some of these initiatives are discussed below.

Social functions

Social activities are an important part of VGAWM and, apart from in-house luncheons such

as the annual Badge Day and Christmas, enable guides to interact with members they do not

usually see on their rostered tour day. To this end a series of social activities are organised

each year to provide the glue to bond the guides together. Since 1998 spouses and partners,

often at the other end of the guides involvement at the Memorial, have also been included.

Some of the more significant social functions that have been organised by the guides

include:

1979: Garden Island, Snapper Island, Spectacle Island, and Tresco in Sydney.

Victoria Barracks and the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) two-day visit.

1990: Garden Island Naval Museum and boat trip to various island museums in

Sydney Harbour.

1991: George Lambert exhibition and National Maritime Museum Sydney.

Flying visit to the RAAF Museum Point Cook in Victoria as guests of the RAAF.

1992: Australian Museum of Flight at HMAS Albatross, Nowra.

1993: Victoria Barracks and Middle Head, Sydney as guests of the army.

AGNSW to view the Archibald Prize and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

1994: Jewish Museum, Sydney and Cowra for 50th Anniversary of Breakout.

1996: Historic Berrima and Court House Museum.

1997: Memorials of Canberra

1998: Bundanon, “The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Gift to the Nation”, historic Cooma

and surrounds.

1999: Jewish Museum and Vaucluse House, Sydney. Bayonets & Bandages

Museum, Bungendore.

2000: RMC Duntroon and the Australia Defence Force Academy.

2001: “Christmas in July” luncheon at the Carrington, Bungendore.

2002: Australian Museum of Flight at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. Historic Goulburn

and War Memorial Museum.

2003: AGNSW to view the Archibald Prize and the Australian National Maritime

Museum, Sydney. “Christmas in July” luncheon at the Carrington, Bungendore.

2004: Cowra Peace Park for the 60th Anniversary of the Breakout.

2005: AGNSW to view the Archibald Prize, Sulman and Photographic Exhibitions

and the Brett Whiteley Studio at Surrey Hills. Temora Aviation Museum.

2006: Bundanon, “The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Gift to the Nation”.

8 - 3

Guides and friends at the National Maritime Museum, Sydney, 2003

(M.V. Krait in the background)

In addition to the above, minor visits to other cultural and historical sites in the Canberra area

have been undertaken, generally over the winter months, to view current exhibitions and

observe how other guides do business. These visits have included Old Parliament House,

National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Australia, National Botanic Gardens, Film and

Sound Archive, Memorials of Canberra, and Tuggeranong Homestead.

While a number of Guides have been involved

in organising the social outings, special

recognition should be given to Di Mitchell (and

her husband Greg) for playing a significant role

in managing many of the social activities. The

Point Cook visit organised by Di Mitchell was

perhaps her greatest challenge.

Santa and his helper Tinkerbell, “Christmas in

July” at the Carrington 2003

Left to right: Richard Ireland and Di Mitchell

8 - 4

Service Support

The 1990 visit to the Navy in Sydney was at the invitation of the RAN, arranged through

Noreen Beaumont, wife of the Chief of Naval Staff and a Voluntary Guide. This was

opportune as ships were being loaded to leave the following day for the Gulf War.

The Navy expressed great appreciation for the work that the Guides’ work and recommended

that they visit the RAAF museum in Point Cook,Victoria. In 1991, to Guides’ astonishment

and delight, the RAAF agreed to fly 27 of them down to Laverton on a Hercules and back on

a VIP HS-748. The Guides had an extensive tour of Point Cook and of the RAAF Museum

and luncheon in the Officers’ Mess. Lots had to be drawn to see who would go on this very

popular trip.

In 1993, at the request of the Guides, the Army graciously agreed to provide a tour of their

museum at Victoria Barracks, Sydney and of the tunnels at Middle Head, where the Guides

were entertained to lunch in the Officers’ Mess.

These three visits gave the Guides a close look at what the three services had in their various

museums and were excellent for developing interaction between the Guides and the Services.

Until 2002, the Guides always paid for coaches themselves. In 2002, the Director offered to

pay for one coach a year and in 2004 increased this to two coaches a year.

Since the Director started contributing, other volunteers from all sections of the Memorial and

staff have also been welcomed on the trips. This has had beneficial effects on relationships

between the various volunteer groups within the Memorial and also between individual

volunteers and staff members.

Guest speakers

In the early 1990s the guides took distinguished speakers from out of town to lunch. Two

memorable occasions were entertaining Vivian Statham (neé Bullwinkel) to lunch at The

Lobby and Nancy Bird-Walton at Regatta Point Restaurant.

Other luncheons were held in the Memorial Council Room and catered for by the Blind

Society Auxiliary.

From about 1991 onwards the guides have organised a morning tea to follow each CTP

session. These occasions allow them to meet the guest speaker and socialise amongst

themselves.

Christmas luncheons

From the early years, the Chairman and Members of Council of the Memorial hosted a

Christmas luncheon for VGAWM each year in appreciation of the guides commitment “… to

serve in the memory of those who served” (Alison Atken, 1985). Since the mid 1990s the

Guides have arranged the Christmas luncheon with substantial financial support from the

8 - 5

Memorial. On occasions the Patron has attended these functions, along with the Director and

other Memorial staff who have assisted the guides throughout the year.

Guides Christmas luncheon, Canberra Yacht Club, 1983

Left to right: Kay Watson, Wynn Ireland, and Clare Palmer

Guides Christmas luncheon,

Canberra Golf Club, 1991

Left to right:

Ian Young and Ruth Ross

Minor initiatives

Apart from the social

functions, minor initiatives to

enhance social interaction

amongst the guides and

others have included:

• Welfare Coordinator: The VGAWM have a Welfare Coordinator who is an ex-

offico member of the Committee. The Welfare Coordinator has a broad brief to

maintain contact with guides unable to participate in normal activities due to illness or

family commitments and to ensure VGAWM is informed of their progress.

• Memorial Open Day: In 2003 the guides were asked to prepare breakfast for staff at

the Open Day in February. Equipped with a special tent, appropriate head gear, good

food, and willing volunteers, a highly successful and popular catering operation

ensued. With the announcement of the Memorial winning the premier tourist award

for the third consecutive year, and entering the Tourist Hall of Fame, the breakfast was

a fitting start to a great day and did much to enhance the spirit of cooperation between

guides and Memorial staff. The guides have continued to provide this support for

Memorial Open Days.

8 - 6

Memorial Open Day, February 2003

Left to right: Chris Ryan (Director’s Secretary), Di Mitchell, Des Maguire, Gwen Mc Neill, Mary James,

Greg Mitchell, and Frank Duggan

• National institution guides: Since 2000 guides from the Australian National Botanic

Gardens, Old Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia have been

invited to VGAWM Badge Day and the “Christmas in July” luncheon. This approach

has increased the network of friends and resulted in a number of reciprocal visits to

these institutions.

• Guides photo gallery: With the ever changing profile of the guiding body and rosters

it is difficult for guides to recognise each other. This lack of recognition is particularly

noticeable with the trainees who are not generally exposed to the wider guiding

community until after some months in the organisation. This does not assist their

successful integration into VGAWM. To minimise the deficiency, a photo gallery of

guides was established in the Volunteers Lounge in 2000.

• Cameo speakers: With the passage of time and staff changes guides risk losing

visibility to those members of the Memorial staff members with whom they should

have at least a passing acquaintance. Indeed the 1987 AWM Performance Review

noted: “With the exception of the executive group, Education and Ceremonial staff,

and the Security Guards, the majority of guides do not know other Memorial staff,

and vice versa.” Since 2000 the guides monthly CTP has included a cameo

appearance by members of Memorial staff to introduce themselves and say a few

words about what they do and perhaps how the guides can assist them. This has been a

very successful approach.

8 - 7

• Guides telephone directory: The guides’ telephone directory is distributed in hard

copy to all guides every six months to assist the communication process. It incorporates the names of spouses and partners (as appropriate) and email addresses.

• Guide profiles: To identify suitable guides for tours and to meet individual

expectations, a profile pro forma was introduced in 2000. It contains details of a

particular guide’s language skills, availability to undertake more than one tour in any

one week, preferences for specialised tour groups, and so on. The completion of the

profile is voluntary.

Guides Christmas Luncheon, Ainslie Football Club, 2002

Left to right: Gwen Mc Neill, Major General Adrian Clunies–Ross, Chairman Council, and

Her Excellency Mrs Ann Hollingworth, Patron VGAWM

Guides Christmas Luncheon, Ainslie Football Club, 2002

Left to right: Joyce Crooke, Gordon Lloyd, Mary O’Callaghan, Doug Nutt, Colin Norris, and Desley Hughes

9 - 1

SECTION 9

THE GUIDED TOUR CONTINUES

Complex jobs cannot be accomplished effectively with transients. Therefore, a manager must make the

work challenging and rewarding so that is people will remain with the organisation for many years.

This allows it to benefit fully from their knowledge, experience, and corporate memory.

(Hyman George Rickover )

The journey

Approximately 350 volunteers have commenced training as guides since 1976 and of

these about 300 have made it on to the floor of the Memorial for various periods of

service. Eight Guides have been awarded Life Membership of VGAWM for 20 years

of dedicated service.

There are approximately 100 active guides in 2006. The female numbers have

remained almost constant at 40 but are now in decline, whereas the male guiding

numbers are increasing. It is considered that there is probably a need to address the

imbalance between female and male numbers and its potential to impact on the social

benefits which can be derived by individuals serving as guides at the Memorial. The

social benefits of being a guide should not be underestimated.

The existing recruitment strategy for new Guides has not generated a consistently

high interest level from the targeted areas and the recruiting base remains relatively

small. This is probably an indication of the increasing competition in Canberra

between the various cultural institutions seeking volunteers from the same pool as the

Memorial. If the present level of guide numbers needs to be maintained to sustain the

present guiding commitment at the Memorial, then about ten or more new guides need

to be trained each year. It is suggested that consideration be given to adopting a

similar approach adopted by VGAWM in 1979 when it wrote to a considerable

number of Canberra-based associations, clubs, businesses, and embassies, advising of

the guiding services.

From the records available, it would appear that the average length of time that a guide

provides a guiding service at the Memorial is approximately six to seven years, which

exacerbates the recruiting and selection process. There have been suggestions in past

years that trainee intakes of ten to12 demonstrate a higher retention rate than larger

groups where the drop-out rate has been of the order of 50 per cent during initial

years. Perhaps more attention needs to be given to integrating the new arrivals into the

family of the guides.

Despite the earlier concerns of many guides with respect to the integration of

VGAWM into the Memorial’s Public Programs Branch in 1992, the training process

is still being effectively managed by VGAWM. The guides have always demonstrated

flexibility in responding to the ever-changing circumstances within the Memorial

9 - 2

including gallery redevelopment, varied opening hours and programs, and the need

for different types of tours.

The introduction of the “Statement of attainment in guiding” has been a significant

milestone in the training process but should not be seen as the end point of the guides

training but part of the continuing improvement process.

The performance review process for guides has taken a long time to develop. Through

a periodic review of guides’ skills and knowledge the Memorial can be assured that

the quality of service provided by VGAWM is consistent with its high standards.

The future

Like any voluntary organisation VGAWM has experienced significant changes over

the years. Its members have always remained flexible and striven to assist Australians

to remember, interpret, and understand the Australian experience of war, and its

enduring impact on Australian society.

Trainee guides, April 2006

Front row, from left: Kathy Warden, Lara Leahy, Karen Hinder, and Fran Buscombe (Training Team) Second row, from left: Kim Patterson, Ross Godfrey, Phillip Constable, and John Machin

Third row, from left: Al Bridges, Peter Judge, Peter Armitage, and Gilbert Logan Fourth row, from left: David Taylor and Jeff Foot (Training Team)

Absent: Victoria Kitanov, Ailsa Turner, Lynelle Crawford, Myra Rowling and Paul Evans

ANNEX A

NOMINAL ROLL VOLUNTARY GUIDES AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – ACTIVE GUIDES JULY 2006 {This list only contains the names of those Guides for whom the VGAWM records indicate completed the Basic Training Course and commenced guiding at the Memorial}

A1 -1

FIRST NAME SURNAME

(YRS SERVICE)

REMARKS FIRST NAME SURNAME

(YRS SERVICE)

REMARKS FIRST NAME SURNAME

(YRS SERVICE)

REMARKS

1976 -1 st

INTAKE

(10Feb)

ALISON AITKEN (16) PRESIDENT 1983-86 ROSEMARY SHEEDY (2)

KET TAYLOR (1) DULCIE JEFFERY (17) FOUNDATION

GUIDE

GRACE RACHINGER (2)

JUNE SMITH (1) LILLIAN DUNCAN (20) LIFE MEMBER* GRACE STEVENSON (3)

JUNE GREVILLE (1) 1976-2 nd INTAKE

(8 Jun)

BETH FLYNN (3)

PEG GREVILLE (1) HELEN STEEL (1) BARBARA WATERMAN (4) RECOMMENCED IN

1982

JOY GORDON (1) PAULA JUDE (1) ALDYTH HOLMES (5)

ERICA CLARK (1) SHIRLEY GRYLLS (1) KATHLEEN DOUST (8)

NOLA CHURCH (1) MELVA GOODFELLOW (1) PHYLL THEWLIS (28) LIFE MEMBER *

ESTHER MESZAROS (1) PAT COLE (1) JOAN WHITAKER (28) LIFE MEMBER

LORELEI HOOPER (2) ELSE NOWLAND (3)

STAR GORTON (2) JAN HAEUSLER (3) 1977 2 nd

INTAKE 1JUL)

JESS GIBSON (2) ELIZABETH CARMODY (4) DENIE JOHNSON (2)

M FULTON (2) JUDY RULE (7) CLARE PALMER (29) PRESIDENT 1998–99

LIFE MEMBER

JILL DAVIDSON (2) RUTH BRADBURY (9) PRESIDENT 1980-83 NORMA WRIGLEY (29) LIFE MEMBER

LOIS CLARK (2) KATH ZANTUCK (11)

ANNE YONGE (3) GWEN KEYS (28) LIFE MEMBER

PENNY FISHER (3) FOUNDATION

GUIDE

1977 1 st

INTAKE(20Apr)

BARBARA GUTHRIE (4) MAUREEN NEWMAN (1)

NOLA LYNCH (5) CORAL ROBINSON (1)

JANE D’ARCY (8) JUDY NAZER (1)

NAN WHITELAW (10) FOUNDATION

PRESIDENT 1976 -80

ENID BRUMFIELD (1)

LORELLE MOORE (14)

VALERIE HOWSE (16)

ANNEX A

NOMINAL ROLL VOLUNTARY GUIDES AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – ACTIVE GUIDES JULY 2006 {This list only contains the names of those Guides for whom the VGAWM records indicate completed the Basic Training Course and commenced guiding at the Memorial}

A1 -2

1979 INTAKE 1980 INTAKE 1983 INTAKE

FIDELIA LYSEWYCZ (1) WYNN IRELAND (4) FREDA STEPHENSON (1)

DAWN WAHLIN (1) LEILA DUNNETT (4) CECILY HENNESSY (1)

CARMEL SMORTI (1) BETTY OSBORNE (5) BERYL BAKER (5)

JANET SLOCOMBE (1) NORA HAYES (5) JUDITH PEARSON (10)

JEAN ROBERTSON (1) ROSALIND HARDY (5) NELL HONEYSETT (20) LIFE MEMBER

SUE MOSS (1) ANDREA CLARKE (7) 1984 INTAKE

BERRY JAUGIETIS (1) 1981 INTAKE JUDITH PATERSON (1)

EUNICE PARKER (2) BERYL BAKER (1) PHYLLIS NICHOLSON (1)

DOROTHY TAYLOR (3) JOAN SWINBOURNE

(2)

JUDITH MCPHERSON (2)

MARGARET KEW (3) PAM NEWTON (2) KAYE WEATHERALL (3)

MARY BRIEN (3) DOROTHY HART (3) BRIGID COYLE (3)

MAYA TREIMANIS (4) MARGARET WALLS (11) EVELYN AVERY (4)

DOROTHY ENGLEHARDT (4) WENDY SIMSON (12) JUDITH ROSSITER (8) PRESIDENT1992

MARGARET COOK (4) CAROLE MIDDLETON

(23)

LIFE MEMBER 1985 INTAKE

JULIE RUSSELL (6) 1982 INTAKE BARBARA BERRIMAN (1)

KAY WATSON (7) JENNY WHITHEAR (1) NANCY STOKES (3)

KATH SKIMIN (12) PRESIDENT 1986–89 BARBARA WATERMAN (1) SEE 1977 INTAKE JOAN RUSSELL (6)

WINNIFRED RAND (1) CAROLE DENNIS (11) PRESIDENT 1993–

94*

NARELLE KARLING (1) RUTH ROSS (15)

ROBYN MONTGOMERY

(3)

PEGGY BARRELL (16) PRESIDENT 1989–

91*

JUDE MASKEW (3)

MARGARET MIERISCH (9)

MAXINE SHELDRICK

(17)

ANNEX A

NOMINAL ROLL VOLUNTARY GUIDES AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – ACTIVE GUIDES JULY 2006 {This list only contains the names of those Guides for whom the VGAWM records indicate completed the Basic Training Course and commenced guiding at the Memorial}

A1 -3

1986 INTAKE 1988 INTAKE 1992 INTAKE

CHRISTEEN SKINNER (2) JUDITH DUNSTAN (1) MARLENE TRIPLETT (4)

SUE JORDAN (2) HUGH COLLIS (3) CHRISTINE THOMAS (1)

JOAN GRAY (2) EVELYN MURFIN (5) RICHARD TALIAFERRO (1)

JOAN LEVER (5) BETTY ERSKINE (10) PAUL HUARD (1)

EUNICE

(BIDDY)

COCHRANE (5) FRANK MCRAE (15) LOU IVERSON (2)

PATRICA

(PAT)

JONES (7) DIANNE MITCHELL (18) PRESIDENT 2002–03

ONGOING

ALISON WILLIAMS (5)

MARGARET MORIARTY (14) 1989 INTAKE MARY (JOYCE) SANDERS (5)

MA'ADI MILLER (15) LINDA RUDLAND (1) JACK GLEESON (5)

1987 INTAKE ALEC MCGREGOR (1) JEAN ODDIE (5)

CHARMIAN DENNETT-FIGG (1) CORRIE DUNN (1) JOANNE JONES (6)

HELEN LUNNISS (3) JOHN (DES) MARTIN (2) JOSEPH (JOE) HINTON (6)

PAT SAINSBURY (4) NOREEN BEAUMONT (3) WILLIAM (BILL) MILLER(13)

PEG O’BRIEN (4) ZIPPORAH GOWARD (5) BEVERLEY (LEE) MURPHY (6)

DOROTHY WOOD (8) IAN YOUNG (7) JACK BOURKE (7)

MARY O’CALLAGHAN (12) HEYWARD DANIELL (7) DEBORAH BURRIDGE (8)

HELEN CAMERON (14) GORDON WOLFF (8) ELIZABETH

(BETTY)

JAFFRAY (10)

CLIFFORD BURNETT (8) RUDOLF PURIC (11)

MARGARET BEADMAN (17) GORDON LLOYD (12)

1991 INTAKE MARIE PENDER (12)

MARY BOLAND (12) MARGARET KAYE (14) ONGOING

RICHARD

(COLIN)

NORRIS (12) NEIL TRUSCOTT (14) ONGOING

JULIENNE CLUNIES-ROSS

(14)

PRESIDENT 1994–96 GEORGE WRAIGHT (14) ONGOING

ANNEX A

NOMINAL ROLL VOLUNTARY GUIDES AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – ACTIVE GUIDES JULY 2006 {This list only contains the names of those Guides for whom the VGAWM records indicate completed the Basic Training Course and commenced guiding at the Memorial}

A1 -4

1993 INTAKE GEOFFERY BAKER (12) ONGOING FRANK DUGGAN (9) ONGOING

MAGDALENE KEARNEY (1) ED BELL (12) ONGOING LEN HUME (9) ONGOING

PAULA GLEESON (1) WALLY BLUMENFELD (12) ONGOING GRAHAM GORDON (9) ONGOING

KEITH FINNEY (1) RICHARD IRELAND (12) ONGOING BETTY LAWRENCE (9) ONGOING

PHILLIPA MACLENNAN (1) 1996 INTAKE JOHN MCDIARMID (9) ONGOING

TANJA PORTER (1) CLIFFORD IRVING (4) GWEN MCNEILL (9) PRESIDENT 2006–

ONGOING

RHODA NOBBS-MOHR (5) PATRICK JONES (9) ONGOING JOHN MANSILL (9) PRESIDENT 2004–05

ONGOING

PETER KIRK (5) JOYCE CROOKE (10) ONGOING ROGER MARCHANT (9) ONGOING

ALICK ROBERTS (6) PETER HUGONNET (10) PRESIDENT 2000–01

ONGOING

BARBARA ORCHARD (9)

MAJORIE LAMEY (8) PRESIDENT 1997 MARY JAMES (10 ) ONGOING KEN SHEARD (9) ONGOING

RALPH NEIMANN (10) ROBIN ROBERTS (10) ONGOING BARRY VIRTUE (9) ONGOING

BRIAN CHETTLE (13) ONGOING 1997 INTAKE 1999 INTAKE

NEIL FOTHERINGHAM(13) ONGOING ALISON CRANE (1) CAROLYN NICHOL (1)

ANGELA GINNANE (13) ONGOING BRONYA CRANSWICK (3) PETER CRANE (4)

1994 INTAKE GERALDINE CONN (3) PATRICIA DOWNES (7) ONGOING

MICHAEL MCALOON (1) JAN SMITH (4) MURRAY HANSON (7) ONGOING

PAMELA FRANZ (1) CHRISTINE GAIREY (5) PAUL PUTTIFOOT (7) ONGOING

RONALD CAMPBELL (1) JAN CLARK-WALKER

(6)

CATHERINE SEWELL (7) ONGOING

BABARA DOWDEN (2) KEN COOK (5) ROHAN SHARPLES (7) ONGOING

JOAN WONG (3) TONY TAYLOR (7) IAN STAGOLL (7) ONGOING

IAN DUNN (3) BOB ABERNETHY (7)

KEVIN O’CONNOR (4) TOZ DADSWELL (7)

CARYLON NEWMAN (7) DESLEY HUGHES (8)

LESLIE POWELL (8) CLEVE MAHER (8)

NOEL TANSWELL (9) PETER BRITT (9) ONGOING

RUTH PILLANS (12) ONGOING ROBIN CANDY (9) ONGOING

ANNEX A

NOMINAL ROLL VOLUNTARY GUIDES AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – ACTIVE GUIDES JULY 2006 {This list only contains the names of those Guides for whom the VGAWM records indicate completed the Basic Training Course and commenced guiding at the Memorial}

A1 -5

2000 INTAKE BARRY WEST (4) ONGOING ALEXANDER REYNOLDS (2) ONGOING

FAYE LEE (2) 2003 INTAKE MICHAEL SAGE (2) ONGOING

WILLIAM BROWN (6) ONGOING TERRY BALLANTYNE (3) ONGOING 2005 INTAKE

JOHN MCCAFFREY (6) ONGOING ROB BOCHMAN (3) ONGOING FRAN BUSCOMBE (1) ONGOING

DES MAGUIRE (6) ONGOING PETER DANIELL (3) ONGOING GERRY CULLEN (1) ONGOING

PETER THORP (6) ONGOING JULIE DARVILL (3) ONGOING MARGARET FISHER (1) ONGOING

GARRY TRAYNOR (2) RHYS GRAY (3) ONGOING NICHOLAS FULLER (1) ONGOING

2001 INTAKE CHRIS HUNTER (3) ONGOING DAVID HOLT (1) ONGOING

JOHN FITZPATRICK (1) LAURIE KEATON (3) ONGOING DOROTHY JESNER (1) ONGOING

JOHN MCCAULEY (5) ONGOING ANGELA MURPHY (3) BILL KITTO (1) ONGOING

JEFFREY BENSON (5) ONGOING PATRICK O'HARA (3) ONGOING ROB MACKAY-SIM (1) ONGOING

CLEM DAVIS (5) ONGOING PAMELA PAULL (3) ONGOING RICHARD MOSS (1) ONGOING

TREVOR GARTON (2) HELEN PHILLIPS (2) IAN NOBLE (1) ONGOING

AVRIL HOLDSTOCK (5) ONGOING GEOFFREY POTTS (3) ONGOING BOB STENHOUSE (1) ONGOING

ROSANNA HORN (5) ONGOING JOAN RABEY (3) ONGOING ROSS THOMAS (1) ONGOING

JAN HUTKA (5) ONGOING PETER SCOTLAND (3) ONGOING PAUL WETHERSPOON (1) ONGOING

DOUG NUTT (5) ONGOING HALLA WOOKEY (3) ONGOING GEOFFERY WILLIAMS (1) ONGOING

STEPHEN WILKS (5) ONGOING 2004 INTAKE JONATHAN WALL (1)

2002 INTAKE TING LI (LEE) (1)

SUE PITTMAN (4) ONGOING JACQUELINE WILKINSON (1)

JEFFERY FOOT (4) ONGOING AINE BRODA (2) ONGOING

JUDY INVEEN (4) ONGOING MICHAEL DAVIES (2) ONGOING

PHIL MUTTUKUMARU

(4)

ONGOING BRENDA KILGORE (2) ONGOING

GRAEME ROSSITER (4) ONGOING ALAN MURRAY (2) ONGOING

DAVID TAYLOR (4) ONGOING TERRY O'KEEFFE (2) ONGOING

ANNEX A

NOMINAL ROLL VOLUNTARY GUIDES AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL – ACTIVE GUIDES JULY 2006 {This list only contains the names of those Guides for whom the VGAWM records indicate completed the Basic Training Course and commenced guiding at the Memorial}

A1 -6

AB - 1

ANNEX B

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION FOR THE VOLUNTARY GUIDES

OF THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL (1977)

. . . In 1977 the VGAWM became an autonomous association with Articles of Association and a committee of . . .

(Nan Whitelaw, February 1984)

CLAUSE 1

Name: The name of this organisation is the ''Voluntary Guides of the Australian War

Memorial" (VGAWM).

CLAUSE 2

Purpose: The purpose of the VGAWM is to provide a guiding service in support of the

Australian War Memorial.

CLAUSE 3

Membership:

1. Trainee Members.

a.Trainee members shall be women who have been accepted for training by the Committee of

the VGAWM (Hereinafter called the Committee);

b.Trainee members are required to complete the course of training prescribed by the

Committee, with a further assessment after 3 months.

c.The power to admit Trainee members shall be vested solely in the Committee.

d.Trainee members are not eligible to vote or hold office in the VGAWM.

2. Active Members

a.Active members shall be those members who have completed the course of training

prescribed by the Committee, who have been accepted by that Committee, who fulfil the

requirements assigned to them, and who have been appointed by an officer of the Public

Service of the Commonwealth.

b. Active members are expected to complete such additional training courses as the

Committee shall prescribe from time to time.

c.Active members shall be eligible to vote and hold office in the VGAWM.

d. Active members shall be eligible to hold office after twelve months rostered guiding.

AB - 2

3. Record of Members

An up-to-date record of membership including the names of all "Trainee" and "Active"

members shall be maintained at the Australian War Memorial

4. Resignation and Termination.

a. Any member may resign at any time in good standing.

b.Membership of any member failing to fulfil requirements of the VGAWM may be

terminated at the discretion of the Committee.

c.One month's notice is required before withdrawing from the roster.

CLAUSE 4

Committee

1. Composition

a. That the committee shall comprise of President, Secretary and six committee members, all

of whom shall be active members of the Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial

and be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Voluntary Guides of the War Memorial.

b. That the committee of the VGAWM shall consist of the elected office bearers and members

and the immediate Past President of the VGAWM.

c. The immediate Past President is to serve a maximum period of twelve months.

2. Duties

a. The committee of the VGAWM shall have general charge and control of the affairs,

policies, funds and property of the VGAWM.

b. The committee of the VGAWM shall be responsible to the Council of the Australian War

Memorial.

3. Meetings

a.Regular meetings of the committee shall be held at least quarterly.

b. Special meetings of the committee may be held at the call of the President.

a. Regular meetings of the committee shall be held at least a. Regul

c. Notice of special meetings shall be given to each committee member not less than seven (7)

days prior to the date of a meeting and notice shall state the reason for which the meeting has

been called.

4. Quorum

A majority of the total membership of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

AB - 3

5. Vacancies

a. The President of the committee may, by appointment, fill any casual vacancy on the

committee. Persons so appointed shall serve until the expiration of the term of the original

office.

b. In the event that any member of the committee shall be absent from three consecutive

regular meetings of the committee without leave, the committee shall have the power-to

declare a vacancy and fill such vacancy by appointment from active members of the

VGAWM.

6. Term of Office

a. The President is to be elected for an initial term of two years, and thereafter is eligible for

re-election for a term of one year only.

b. No other office bearer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same capacity.

7 Duties

a. President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the committee; approve all

correspondence sent out in the name of the committee and shall co-ordinate the general

activities of the VGAWM. The President may appoint a Vice-President if required from

among the elected members of the committee.

b. Lecture Convenor: The preparation and policy of continuing training of Guides as required.

c.Roster Convenor: The maintenance of a duty roster.

d. Secretary: The Secretary shall prepare and despatch such official letters and notices as may

be necessary; keep and preserve all records of meetings of the committee and of general

meetings and have custody of archives of the committee.

e.Treasurer:

(i) The Treasurer shall be custodian of the funds of the VGAWM; receive all monies paid to

the VGAWM; make payments in accordance with the decisions of the committee; keep full

and accurate books of accounts; present financial statements at regular meetings of the

committe~ nd at such other times as the President may request; make an annual report to the

Annual Meeting of the general membership and jointly with either the President or Secretary

sign all cheques.

(ii) Be responsible for keeping folders up to date on the galleries, research Art works

(sculptures, paintings etc.) and liase with Art Curators.

f. Trainee Guides Convenor: Care and su~ervision of Trainee Guides and maintain records of

service of "Trainee" and "Active" members.

g. Booked Tours Convenor: To liase with Ceremonial Officer and Guides on organisation of

booked tours.

h. Audio Production Convenor: Maintain care, control and production of Audio material and

be responsible for the Tape Library.

AB - 4

CLAUSE 5

Financial

1.Accounting Year Fund

The accounting year of the VGA~'IM shall be from 1 July of each year to 30 June of the

succeeding year.

2. Funds

Operating funds shall consist of funds that may be allocated to the VGAWM. In the event of

the disbanding of the VGAWM any monies and assets in hand be returned to the Australian

War Memorial.

3. Accounting

Funds shall be accounted for by the Treasurer as required by the AWM or any other authority,

and be subject to annual audit.

CLAUSE 6

Meetings of the VGAWM

1. Annual Meeting and Installation of Officers

a. The Annual meeting of the general membership shall be held in July on such a date as the

committee shall designate for the purpose of receiving the annual reports of the outgoing

committee and installing newly elected officers.

b. Written notice of the date of the Annual General Meeting shall be posted on the Notice

Board in the Guides' room one month prior to the date-of the meeting.

2 Specia1 Meetings

Special meetings of the general membership may be called at any time by the President of the

committee, or in her absence, by her appointed Vice-President, or by twenty five (25) or

more members in good standing by written request to the President of the committee.

Written notice of special meetings of the general membership shall be mailed or delivered to

each member at least seven (7) days prior to the date of the meeting. The purpose or purposes

for which the special meeting has been called shall be stated in the notice.

3. Voting

a. The presence in person of one third of the membership shall constitute a quorum.

b. Decisions of a majority present at any meeting~at which a quorum is present shall be

effective.

CLAUSE 7

Standing Rules

1. The obligations and requirements of Active Members will be included in Standing Rules.

These rules may be amended or repealed by new rules adopted by the vote of the majority of

active membership at a meeting at which a quorum is present.

AB - 5

2. Standing Rules - Membership Responsibilities

a. Communication between a member of the VGAWM and the Australian War Memorial staff

must first be cleared with the President.

b. Trainee Members

i. Each Trainee member shall successfully complete the training course which shall consist of:

(a) a course of instruction under the direction of the committee;

(b) following successful completion of the course, a period of supervised touring on the floor

of the Australian War Memorial;

(c) such other requirements as the committee may prescribe;

ii. Trainee Members must attend all training sessions.

iii. All Trainee Members who have successfully completed the provisional training

requirements and who have been accepted by the committee for active membership shall be

announced to a general meeting of the VGAWM or notified on the notice board in the

Voluntary Guides' room.

v. Any Trainee Member who does not complete the training course in the given time shall be

dropped from membership unless there are particular circumstances which the committee

may take into consideration;

c. Active Members

i. Leave of absence in excess of one month must be applied for in writing;

ii. The following shall constitute instances of nonfulfillment of service duties;

a. failure to appear for a scheduled touring date, except in cases of extreme emergency;

b. unexcused absences at training sessions.

iii. One month's notice to be given by Active Members withdrawing from VGAWM.

CLAUSE 8

Support by Council of the Australian War Memorial

The Council of the Australian War Memorial is responsible for the provision of facilities for

the guides including stationery, telephone and supporting services and a guide room.

CLAUSE 9

Copyright

Copyright is held against reproduction by the VGAWM on all original tapes made by them at

the Australian War Memorial.

CLAUSE 10

Amendments to Articles of Association

The Articles of Association may be amended by a resolution of a General Meeting of the

Guides, passed by a vote of not less than seventy five per cent (75%) of the Active Members

voting on the resolution.

AC-1

ANNEX C

CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF IMPORTANT VGAWM EVENTS

(References: VGAWM Annual Reports , AWM Annual Reports,

AAGGO Newsletters, Guide Post)

1975

• Noel Flanagan, Director, proposed establishment of voluntary guides

• Nan Whitelaw, President of the Army Wives’ Association, invited by the Director to

form an autonomous VGAWM Association responsible to the Board of Trustees

1976

• Interim Guides Committee formed

• April: First Guided Tours commenced

• October: Inaugural Association Australian Gallery Guides Conference at the NGV

• December to February 1997: Guides in recess for the school holidays

1977

• Guides first Annual Report presented to Board of Trustees

• Guides functioning as an autonomous group within Articles of Association

• Trainee Guides being trained individually

• Guest speakers being taped for record

• Schools booking tours with the Guides

• Fortnightly lecture regime in place

• Difficulty in maintaining Guide numbers at 30 due to postings

• Guides concerned with the advent of audio visual equipment in the Galleries

1978

• February: Education Section established at the AWM (Two education officers

appointed)

• October: 2nd AAGGO Biennial Conference Art Gallery of NSW

• Individual training for Guides continues

1979

• Treloar Centre opened at Mitchell

• Social outings: Garden Island, Snapper Island, Spectacle Island and Tresco in Sydney,

Victoria Barracks, and Art Gallery of NSW (two day visit)

• VGAWM sought representation on the Memorial Gallery Committee

1980

• Her Excellency Lady Cowan accepted Patronage of the VGAWM

• June: 3rd AAGGO Conference Art Gallery of South Australia

• Guides and education officers agree to work separately with school groups

1981

• International Year of Disabled Persons

• Guides conducted tours for blind and visually impaired visitors

• February: Military History Conference

• Nan Whitelaw Foundation Chairman of the VGAWM retired as President

• April: HRH Prince of Wales opened the Hall of Valour

• November: Introductory Gallery opened

AC-2

1982

• January: Nan Whitelaw awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for Community

service with the Memorial

• May: Farewell morning tea for Lady Cowan at the Memorial

• August: Guides conducting regular tours each weekday at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm

• September: Her Excellency Lady Stephen accepted Patronage of the VGAWM

• Fortnightly lectures continued throughout the year

• November: VGAWM hosted the 4th Biennial AAGGO Conference, opened by Patron

• Military History Conference

• Assembly Point for Guided Tours established in the Introductory Gallery

1983

• January: Darryl McIntyre appointed as Liaison Officer to the Guides

• ‘Council endorsed a Statement of Objectives for the Guides which included the goals

of increasing annually the number of guides, of implementing an induction program

for new guides, and continually developing a training program’

• February: Military History Conference

• December: First Guides Christmas luncheon at Canberra Yacht Club hosted by the

Council of the Memorial

1984

• Approximately 40 guides rostered for duty

• Lunches provided for interstate guest speakers

• August: Refurbished Gallipoli Gallery opened - 240 Veterans attended

• October: 5th AAGGO Conference at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth

• Constitution adopted for the new named AAGGO

• December: Christmas Luncheon at Embassy Hotel

1985

• February: 5th Military History Conference at Burgman College, Australian National

University

• October: Dianne Keir, Ceremonial Officer appointed as Liaison Officer of the Guides

• October: Committee Members commenced a series of Refresher Courses

• December: Guides moved to new Guide Room in Research Centre

• December: Patron Her Excellency Lady Stephen attended Christmas luncheon at

Resturant 41

1986

• January: Lyn Witheridge, Director’s Secretary, appointed as the Guides Liaison

Officer

• February: 6th AWM Annual History Conference in National Science Centre,

Melbourne

• February: Tenth Anniversary of the VGAWM

• Trainee intakes in April and August due to losses

• Fortnightly lectures continued with refresher lectures on alternate weeks

• May: Soldiers of the Queen gallery opened

• July: Nan Whitelaw Foundation President resigned after ten years service

• September: Vietnam Gallery opened

• October: 120 American and Canadian ex POW’s and wives visited the Memorial

• December: Patron Lady Stephen attended the Christmas luncheon hosted by the

Council of the Memorial

• Renovation of Korean Gallery completed

• New Naval Gallery opened

1987

• June: Introduction of weekend guiding under consideration

AC-3

• July: Guides attended 7th Military History Conference at Australian Defence Force

Academy

• July: Japanese midget submarine returned from Cockatoo Dockyard

• October: 6th AAGGO Conference Australian National Gallery, Canberra

• December: Patron attended Christmas luncheon

1988

• Initial intake of men as Trainee Guides

• Fortnightly lecture program continued

• May: Australian Hellenic Memorial unveiled

• June: Duke and Duchess of Kent visit the Memorial

• June: King and Queen of Spain visit the Memorial

• Annual General Meeting held in July

• November: Patron attended the Christmas luncheon

• New Administration Building opened

1989

• July: Her Excellency Mrs Hayden succeeded Lady Stephen as Patron of the VGAWM

and met formally with the Guides at tea at the Memorial

• October: 7th AAGGO Conference at Queensland Art Gallery

• Women in War and Prisoners of War galleries opened

• Refurbished Pacific War gallery opened

1990

• Boer War gallery opened

• Social outing: Garden Island Naval Museum and boat trip to various island museums

in Sydney Harbour.

• April: Weekend guiding roster introduced

• No trainee intake

1991

• January: Discovery Room opened

• March: Kathy Curkpatrick A/g Manager Education and Visitor Service appointed as

Liaison Officer for VGAWM

• July: Education Section managing 20 week guides training program

• August: Guides advised that the VGAWM are to be integrated with Education Section

• October: 8th AAGGO Conference at NGV

• November: 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Memorial and Telstra Theatre

opened

• First full year of seven-day week guiding – only one tour morning and afternoon on

weekends

• Trainees advised that they will have to guide on weekends

• Social outings: George Lambert Exhibition and National Maritime Museum Sydney.

Flying visit to the RAAF Museum Point Cook, Victoria as guests of the RAAF

1992

• July: Public Programs Branch established within the Memorial

• August: AWM Voluntary Guides Policy Guidelines issued incorporating VGAWM in

the Public Programs Branch

• Largest intake of Trainee Guides completed training

Social outing: Australian Museum of Flight at HMAS Albatross, Nowra

• Advertised Guided Tours scheduled for one hour and increased from two to five daily

including Art tours

• 50th Anniversary of commencement of War in the Pacific

• October: Vietnam Memorial in ANZAC Parade unveiled

AC-4

• November: Trainee final assessments being undertaken by Guides and Education

Section

• December: Patron Mrs Hayden attended Christmas luncheon at the Federal Golf Club

1993

• January: Committee tasked with implementing a program for the review of all Guides

• Year of Indigenous People

• January: Childrens’ tours at 11 am on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday

during the month

• April to September: Too Dark for the Light Horse exhibition

• October: 9th AAGGO Conference Art Gallery of New South Wales

• Social outing: Victoria Barracks and Middle Head, Sydney as guests of the army.

Art Gallery of NSW to view the Archibald Prize and the Australian National Maritime

Museum

• Rostered tours conducted at 10:00 am, 10:30,1:30 pm and Art Tour at midday

• Committee established to manage the 1996 AAGGO Conference at the Memorial

• November: First annual general meeting held in November

• 11 November: Entombment of the Unknown Australian Soldier

• 11 November: Echoes of the Guns exhibition opened

1994

• January: Childrens’ tours rostered at 11am on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and

Sunday

• January: Social outing to Sydney Jewish Museum

• January: Some Wednesday training lectures presented by Memorial staff

• January: Weekend roster still a problem

• February: Children of the Holocaust opened; Guides from the Sydney Jewish

Memorial and Holocaust Museum onsite for the exhibition

• Social outing: Bus trip to Cowra – 50 th Anniversary of Breakout

• August: 9th Biennial AAGGO Conference Art Gallery of NSW

• November: Four Rostered Tours, seven days a week

• December: Christmas luncheon managed by the VGAWM at Yamba Sports Club

1995

• 50th Anniversary end of the Second World War

• May: The Voluntary Guides Newsletter # 1 published

• May: Recall for the 1994 Guide Intake for pilot scheme Peer Evaluation

• May: Inhouse AAGGO Committee under Carole Middleton preparing for the March

1996 Conference to be hosted at the Memorial

• June: VGAWM Committee decides on the Guide Post as the name for the Guides

newsletter

• August: Guides involved in special tours for the 1945 War & Peace Exhibition

1996

• March: 10th Biennial AAGGO Conference themed Integrated Collections hosted by

the Memorial

• April: Information Day for prospective Guides (40 attended)

• May: Hosted tour of the Turner Exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia

• July: 20th Anniversary of VGAWM

• July to August : Continuous training program sessions scheduled second and fourth

Wednesday each month except January and December

• New Guides Manual published

AC-5

• November: Social outing to Southern Highlands including the Berrima Court House

Museum

1997

• All front of house participating in training provided by the ACT Guide Dog

Association and the ACT Deafness Awareness Council

• February: Lillian Duncan and Gwen Keys recognised as the first Life Members of the

VGAWM

• March: Information Day for prospective Guides (50 attended)

• April: Joan Whitaker and Phyl Thewlis awarded Life Membership of the VGAWM

• June: Social outing to memorials of Canberra

• July: Norma Wrigley and Clare Palmer awarded Life Membership of the VGAWM

• October: 11th AAGGO Conference, Art Gallery of South Australia

• Guide Post published bimonthly by Betty Jaffray

• Booked Tours co-ordinated by a nominated VGAWM Booked Tour Convenor

• VGAWM Roster Convenor assigned guides to advertised tours

1998

• Performance Reviews introduced

• March: Volunteers Voice introduced by MEVS

• April: VGAWM Activity Survey Report issued

• CTP Monthly meetings at the Ainslie Football Club due to the remodelling of the

Second World War galleries

• May: Carole Middleton named as the 1998 ACT Volunteer of the Year, Arts and

Heritage Category

• June: First BACKGROUNDER (The Malayan Emergency) published

• Social outings to Bundanon and Cooma

• Full time Roster Co-ordinator appointed by the Memorial

• Guides assisted with the Memorial Up Front exhibition at Old Parliament House and

Too Dark for the Light Horse exhibition at the Clock Tower, Woden

• Social outings: Bundanon, The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Gift to the Nation, historic

Cooma and surrounds

1999

• Social outings to Jewish Museum and Vaucluse House, Sydney and Bayonets &

Bandages Museum, Bungendore

• March: Second World War galleries opened by Prime Minister

• Reception at Government House

• Hosted tours of the Memorial for Old Parliament House and National Gallery of

Australia guides

• October: 12th AAGGO Conference, Orange and Bathurst Regional Galleries

• Guide Post published monthly

• Guides become involved in the Memorial Conducted Visits program

2000

• May: Clare Palmer named as the 2000 ACT Volunteer of the Year, Arts and Heritage

Category

• August: Bradbury Aircraft Hall opened

• October: Patron Her Excellency Lady Deane visited the Memorial

• Social outing to RMC Duntroon and the Defence Academy

• Continuous training program reduced to one lecture per month with Peer group

Training once per quarter

• Cameo appearances by Memorial staff

AC-6

2001

• April: Patron Her Excellency Lady Deane visited the Memorial

• May: ANZAC Hall opened

• Christmas in July at the Carrington, Bungendore

• September: 13th AAGGO Conference, Art Gallery of Western Australia

2002

• Social outings: Australian Museum of Flight at HMAS Albatross, Nowra, historic

Goulburn and War Memorial Museum

• May: Wally Blumenfeld named as the 2002 ACT Volunteer of the Year, Arts and

Heritage Category. Mary James highly commended

• June: Continuous training program meeting at Tuggeranong Homestead

• October: Social outing to Goulburn War Memorial and environs

• November: Patron Her Excellency Mrs Ann Hollingworth attended the Christmas

luncheon

2003

• January: The Canberra bushfires

• February: Guides cooked breakfast on memorial open day

• March: 14th AAGGO Conference, Art Gallery Launceston, Tasmania

• April: Social outing to Art Gallery NSW to view the Archibald Prize and the

Australian National Maritime Museum

• May: John MacDiarmid named as the 2003 ACT Volunteer of the Year, Arts and

Heritage Category

• July: Nell Honeysett and Carole Middleton awarded Life Membership of the

VGAWM

• July: Chief of Army Conference at the National Convention Centre, Canberra

• July: Christmas in July at the Carrington, Bungendore

• September: Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery accepted Patronage of the VGAWM

• November: Air War Europe Conference at the Memorial

2004

• May: Peter Hugonnet named as the 2004 ACT Volunteer of the Year, Arts and

Heritage Category

• June: Patron Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery attended afternoon tea with the

Guides at the Memorial

• June: Joyce Crooke awarded Order of Australia Medal in the Birthday Honours

August: Social outing: Cowra Peace Park for the 60th Anniversary of the Breakout.

• Introduction of Statement of Attainment in Guiding

2005

• May: 33 Voluntary Guides received awarded Statement of Attainment in Guiding

• May: Social outing to Art Gallery of NSW to view the Archibalds and the Brett

Whitely Studio at Surrey Hills

• July: Patron Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery hosted reception at Government

House for the Guides

• August: Social outing: Temora Aviation Museum

• December: Christmas luncheon at the Ainslie Football Club

2006

• January: Margaret Beadman awarded Medal of the Order of Australia for Service to

for voluntary support of the Memorial and services to the Jewish Community

• April: Social outing: Bundanon, The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Gift to the Nation.

ANNEX D

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

1. N.L. Whitelaw. History of the Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial.

February 1984.

2. A short history of the Australian War Memorial Voluntary Guides 1976–1982.

AWM Committee, circa 1982.

3. Articles of Association for the Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial,

1977.

4. Paper presented at the Cultural Heritage Management Seminar held at the

University of Canberra on 18 October 1990 by the President of the Voluntary Guides

of the Australian War Memorial, Peggy Barrell, 1990.

5. Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial Annual Reports to the Board of

Trustees /Council Australian War Memorial 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984,

1985, 1986(2), and 1987.

6. President Voluntary Guides of the Australian War Memorial Annual Reports–1988,

1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994.

7. VGAWM Annual Reports: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

8. VGAWM Representative Association Australian Gallery Guiding Organisations

Newsletters: 1976, 1977(2), 1978(4), 1979, 1980(2), 1981(2), 1982, 1983(2), 1984(2),

1985(2), 1986(2), 1987(2), 1988(2),1989(2),1990(1),1991,1992(2),1993,1994.

10. VGAWM Newsletters: January 1993, January 1994 and May 1995.

11.VGAWM Membership Record Cards: Active Guide Records and Archived

Records.

12. Guide Post: Volumes 1–12, August 1995 to 2006 .

13. Voluntary Guides Australian War Memorial Telephone Directory, February 2006.

14. Australian War Memorial Annual Reports: 1976 to 2005.

15. Australian War Memorial Voluntary Guides Policy Guidelines, August 1992.

16. Australian War Memorial Voluntary Guides Rules and Procedures, 1993.

17. AWM Volunteers Handbook, Volunteers Office, April 2004.

18. http://awm-public/corporate/volunteers.htm.

20. Performance Management Review Australian War Memorial 1987, Section 23

“Voluntary Guides”.

21. Australian War Memorial Voluntary Guides Manual: 1996 and 2005.

22. Australian War Memorial corporate files incorporating “ Voluntary/Volunteer”

in the title: Selected files from 1976 to 1996.

23. AWM Photographic records containing “Voluntary Guide (s)” in the title.

24. Michael Mc Kernan. Here is their spirit: a history of the Australian War

Memorial 1917–1990. 1991.