For two dry seasons Tina and Will Visser have worked as volunteer caretakers at O’Keeffe House in Katherine NT – a job they highly recommend. They say it’s a wonderful place to work but now they are both unwell and need volunteers for August and September 2012 and also 2013.
The volunteer couple is required to show people through the house and tell them a bit of its history, as well as keep the property well presented – cleaning, gardening and maintenance, taking fees and serving Devonshire Teas.
A caravan shelter, power and water is made available in return.
Hours of opening are 10am to 5pm weekdays in season with some weekend work.
Tina and Will say:
“Basically its a volunteer job for an energetic couple who must like chatting to people and we do get people from all over the world as well as Australia. It’s such fun and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants an enjoyable caretaking job. The property is wonderful.”
The property belongs to the Northern Territory National Trust and was originally a recreational hut built in 1942 for army engineers.
Now known as the Officers’ Mess the property was sold to the public after 1945 and eventually John and Olive O’Keeffe bought the house. Olive spent a lifetime tending to others in the Northern Territory and was awarded an OBE for her work as a nurse.
The O’Keeffe residence is one of the very few WWII bush structures that has survived in the Northern Territory.
For more info you can phone Tina and Will on 0429955487 or write to P.O. Box 595 Katherine NT 0850.
2 Comments
Do they provide the caravan?
Not sure – shoot them an email!