Wrap-up of the regional volunteer symposium

The inaugural Volunteer Symposium was held at The Mint in partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW on 28–29 July 2025.

The two-day symposium was developed for volunteers who work in small to medium-sized museums in regional NSW, as well as the workers who support them. The symposium featured keynote sessions on strategies for volunteer-run museums, succession planning, First Nations engagement and school learning programs in museums.

Guests were welcomed to Country by Auntie Lola Ryan and enjoyed an opening address by MHNSW Chair, Professor the Hon Bob Carr, and welcoming remarks by Brett Adlington, CEO of Museums & Galleries of NSW, and Martyn Killion, MHNSW’s acting CEO.

There were many breakout sessions tailored to the volunteer museum sector, with some involving demonstrations. Presented by experts from MHNSW and Museums & Galleries of NSW, they included introductions to the State Archives Collection and the Caroline Simpson Library, as well as presentations on textile collections care, archival collections care, researching collections, collection documentation, significance assessment, AMaGA’s First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries, creating simple labels, the use of AI at MHNSW, marketing, engaging children in museums, storytelling, grants and funding, and tour guiding.

Symposium participants included volunteers from rural, regional and metropolitan volunteer-run and small museums and cultural organisations, along with a small number of paid staff. Across the two days, 81 participants attended from 60 organisations from across NSW.

The symposium was an informative and rewarding event, offering something for everyone working in small and medium-sized volunteer- or community-run museums.