Being a not for profit organisation all our people are volunteers. The total number of regular volunteers is 35 to 40. They serve in a variety of capacities including; research and writing, as members of the national and Chapter committees and as tour guides of Garden Island, Sydney. Many are involved in delivering Society services which include; secretarial, accounting, sales, publications, membership, library, administration, research, archives, IT support, website content development and FaceBook management. The volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a broad range of skill sets which makes us a strong and innovative team. Less than 70% have a service background. Like any successful organisation the Society is always seeking new volunteers to achieve its ambitious business plan. Volunteers with plenty of initiative and good IT skills are always required. In addition to the traditional arrangement whereby volunteers attend the office on a regular basis a growing number of Society volunteers work remotely from home using the internet.
Meet some of our team.
Max Sulman
Tour Guide
I spent almost 40 years in the RAN and Garden Island was a constant in my life. I enjoy showing people the island and giving them some idea of Australia’s naval history.
Lloyd Skinner
Researcher
Having joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Gap Year Midshipman in early 2020 I soon learnt about the Society. My strong interest in history led me to become a volunteer assisting with researching and writing stories for Society publications.
Liz Colthorpe
Librarian
My interest in the NHSA began in the 1970s when I thought as a young navy wife I should know something about my husband’s career. Since then I have very much enjoyed passing on whatever help I can to answer queries about naval history.
Hugh Farmer
Administration
Having joined the Society from a non-naval background in 2016 I have enjoyed participating in a variety of administrative support, archival and research activities and discovered the richness of Australia’s naval history. Working in the old Boatshed in the midst of a working Dockyard is also a very special experience.
Samantha Chan
Website Content
With no previous exposure to the Navy, I joined the Society as a volunteer to expand my administrative skills. This has proved successful as I have gained experience in WordPress and several other related applications in a pleasant Team environment.
Colin Randall
Researcher and Archivist
My close association with Navy and passion for researching subjects associated with Garden Island stems from spending much of my youth living in a Garden Island residence. The son and grandson of long term Naval officers, I feel Garden Island is a home and the volunteers I work with, family.
Activity Centres |
| Administration, Personnel, Finance & Membership Database |
| Information Resources (archive, library & research) |
| The Naval Historical Review & Newsletters (research, writing & editing) |
| Products (DVDs, Monographs, plans, CDs, books) Development, Production, Marketing, Sales & distribution |
| Promotion of Society |
| Tours (coordination & guiding) |
| Information, Communications & Technology Network management Hardware and maintenance support Website management |