There’s a quiet kind of magic that happens at Whiteman Park on any given weekday morning. Steam engines hiss back to life, vintage tractors rumble across the grounds, and heritage buses that once carried generations of Perth families are lovingly coaxed back to their former glory. All of this happens thanks to a remarkable group of volunteers who discovered, post-retirement, that their best work was still ahead of them.
For many seniors, leaving the workforce can feel like stepping off a moving train. Purpose, routine, and camaraderie can suddenly feel distant. But for the dedicated volunteers at Whiteman Park, retirement turned out to be the beginning of a whole new chapter. And one that matters deeply.
The Heart of the Park
Whiteman Park openly acknowledges that its volunteers are its heartbeat. Without them, the trams would stand still, the locomotives would go cold, and the workshop floors would fall silent. The Park’s volunteer program spans an impressive range of roles, from driving vintage trains and restoring heritage buses to greeting visitors and cataloguing motoring memorabilia, meaning there is genuinely something for almost everyone, regardless of background or trade.
And the people who show up, week after week, are generally not young enthusiasts chasing a gap-year experience. Many are men and women in their sixties, seventies, and beyond: retirees who spent decades mastering a craft, raising families, and building careers. They are not winding down. They are, as it turns out, just hitting their stride.
Let us introduce you to some of the oldest volunteers in the crew.
Jim Creagh and Bryan Hill – Tractor Museum
A Passion Cultivated Over a Lifetime
Walk through the doors of the Whiteman Park Tractor Museum and you’ll find more than a collection of gleaming red machines. You’ll find Jim Creagh and Bryan Hill, two men in their ninties and eighties respectively, whose love of the land and everything that worked it runs bone-deep.
The Tractor Museum celebrates the evolution of farm machinery in Western Australia, and for volunteers like Jim and Bryan, that history is personal. Whether they’re behind the wheel of a restored tractor during a park event or sharing stories with wide-eyed visitors, their enthusiasm is infectious.
The Tractor Museum is always looking for people with a passion for tractors, farm machinery, and rural life, including customer service officers, mechanics, electricians, and fitters. But perhaps more than the technical skills, it’s the stories that matter. And Jim and Bryan have plenty of them.
Bob Baker – Bennett Brook Railway
Keeping the Steam Alive
There are few sights at Whiteman Park more stirring than a steam locomotive pulling out of Village Junction Station, and few people more responsible for that experience than volunteers like Bob Baker at the Bennett Brook Railway.
The Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association (WALRPA), which operates the Bennett Brook Railway, maintains over six kilometres of narrow gauge track and a collection of historically significant rolling stock. Bob, a proud member of both WALRPA and the over-eights club, is part of a dedicated team that keeps this heritage alive, whether working on locomotive maintenance, restoring century-old railcars, or supporting the public during busy operating days.
The railway runs a busy volunteer program with roles that include train drivers and firemen (during the popular winter steam season), station masters, guards, ticket sellers, and behind-the-scenes track and signals crews. For a retiree with a love of engineering, railways, or simply the satisfaction of a job well done, it’s hard to imagine a more rewarding place to spend a morning.
Glenn Boorn, Gary Boorn, and Geoff Logue – Bus Preservation Society of WA
Preserving a Fleet, Building a Community
The Bus Preservation Society of WA (BPSWA) has a mission as straightforward as it is meaningful: Preserving Bus Heritage for present and future generations. And if you spend any time in their workshop at Whiteman Park, you’ll quickly understand why Glenn Boorn, Gary Boorn, and Geoff Logue keep coming back.
These volunteers are hands-on in every sense, even as two hit milestone birthdays. They don their high-visibility workwear and safety helmets to tackle engines, bodywork, and mechanical systems on vintage buses that once served the streets of Perth. It’s skilled, physical, purposeful work, and the camaraderie in that workshop is palpable.
The BPSWA welcomes a wide range of skills: mechanics, electricians, panel beaters, woodworkers, and trade assistants are all valued. Drivers, administrators, tour guides, and general hands who simply want to pitch in are equally welcome. It is, in the truest sense, a community built around a shared love of transport history and the satisfaction of preserving something real.
Adrian Barnes – Motor Museum of WA
Where Every Model Tells a Story
Inside the purpose-built Motor Museum of WA, the second largest motor museum in Australia, Adrian Barnes is in his element as their oldest volunteer! Surrounded by hundreds of pieces of motoring memorabilia, from the tiniest model car to full-scale Grand Prix vehicles and motorcycles, Adrian brings warmth and encyclopaedic knowledge to every visitor interaction.
The Motor Museum is managed entirely by motoring enthusiast volunteers under a Board of Trustees, and it welcomes people with customer service skills, a passion for motoring history, and an interest in cataloguing and researching a growing collection of donated and loaned objects. For anyone who spent their career in a trade, or simply grew up with a love of cars and motorbikes, it’s a place where that enthusiasm finds genuine purpose.
Why Volunteering Works: The Bigger Picture
The research is clear and compelling. Volunteering in later life is linked to improved physical health, stronger mental wellbeing, reduced feelings of isolation, and a significantly greater sense of purpose. For many of the volunteers at Whiteman Park, it isn’t just a hobby. It’s a reason to get up in the morning, put on the uniform, and be part of something larger than themselves.
Volunteering keeps you active. It gets you out of the house. It connects you with people who share your passions. And at a place like Whiteman Park, with its wide grounds, friendly community atmosphere, and the ever-present soundtrack of steam, diesel, and laughter, it is hard to imagine a more welcoming place to spend your time.
How to Get Involved
If this has sparked your interest, getting started is straightforward. Whiteman Park’s volunteer program covers the following groups:
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Park Volunteering – General park support roles
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Bennett Brook Railway – Train operation, restoration, and station duties
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Bus Preservation Society of WA – Heritage bus maintenance, driving, and administration
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Motor Museum of WA – Visitor services and collection research
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Tractor Museum – Mechanical, customer service, and event roles
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Tramways – Vintage tram operation and support
To express your interest, contact the Whiteman Park Volunteer Coordinator on (08) 9209 6000, or download the Volunteer Registration Form from the Whiteman Park website.
Whether you spent your career as a mechanic, a teacher, an administrator, or a farmer, Whiteman Park has a volunteer role that will make use of your skills and reward you generously in return. The volunteers we met here are not people marking time. They are engaged, valued, and genuinely thriving. If you’ve been wondering what comes next, this could be the most fulfilling answer you’ll find. Go and have a look. You might be surprised how much you have left to give, and how much the Park needs exactly what you bring.
Whiteman Park is located alongside the Swan Valley, approximately 20 kilometres north-east of Perth CBD. The Park is easily accessible by car, with ample parking available, including dedicated ACROD parking bays throughout the park. The Village Cafe and Mussel Pool Kiosk is on hand for a well-earned coffee and a bite to eat after your volunteering shift or an initial visit to explore what’s on offer.
To learn more about volunteering at Whiteman Park, visit whitemanpark.com.au/volunteer or call (08) 9209 6000.
