Five minutes with NCM Volunteer, Taite

Volunteers are a core part of visitors' experience at the National Communication Museum (NCM).

They create the welcoming atmosphere, help people navigate our exhibitions and interactive displays and share basic knowledge about the objects in our collections. Beyond the museum floor, volunteering with NCM opens the door to hands-on experience in the museum sector, from public programs and events to marketing and social media, alongside a community of people just as curious about how technology connects us.

As we open applications for our next volunteer intake, we sat down with current NCM volunteer Taite to hear what the experience has really been like.

Five minutes with NCM Volunteer, Taite

1. Why did you decide to become a volunteer at NCM?

I have always found the intricate ecosystem of volunteers and employees in a museum really beautiful. I was recommended by a mentor to begin volunteering at NCM to be able to understand this culture and gain experience of how this ecosystem operates to preserve and communicate history and culture.

2. What's your favourite interactive experience in the museum?

I really love the interactive phones in the permanent collection upstairs at the museum. Both the step-by-step exchange and the network of phones that call across the museum, bring me a lot of joy and reignite the experience of telecommunications beyond mobile phones. I grew up during the phasing out of landlines, but had played on analogue phones long after they were disconnected. Being able to use these phones again is very nostalgic. Learning about the exchange systems that connected the phones deepens my interest and excitement in the experience.

3. What's been the best thing about volunteering at NCM so far?

I have really been enjoying the knowledge and experience I have gained, both about telecommunications, museums and the museum sector as a whole. I've also been very lucky to meet a lot of wonderful people and attend several volunteering events, including helping at a Furby event, and a tour of ACMI in the city. Overall, I think my favourite element of volunteering so far can be summarised as joining and experiencing the museum community, and continuously learning and teaching elements of history and culture.

“Overall, I think my favourite element of volunteering so far can be summarised as joining and experiencing the museum community, and continuously learning and teaching elements of history and culture.”

4. Did you have volunteering experience before NCM?

This is my first long-term volunteering position, and my first in this sector. I previously volunteered through my high school at local community kitchens, and in a partnership between the school and a local kindergarten. I had wanted to volunteer again for a long time, particularly in the museum sector.

5. What have you gained from the experience so far?

So far I have gained understanding and knowledge of the museum sector as a whole, met wonderful people, and been able to witness and support the communication of elements of Australian history. I have grown in confidence and communication skills, which have helped me grow personally as well as a volunteer, able to invigilate and occasionally lead informal tours. I have also gained confirmation of my career direction (pursuing the history sector), as the preservation and education of history and culture has brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction.

Interested in becoming a volunteer at NCM?

We wouldn't be NCM without our amazing volunteers. They create a welcoming atmosphere and provide basic information about NCM's objects, exhibitions, accessibility resources, wayfinding, and public programs. They proactively show and explain how to engage with our objects, interactive displays and exhibitions, and invigilate the museum to ensure the safety of our exhibitions and objects.

We are currently accepting applications from enthusiastic individuals wanting to join our passionate team of volunteers.