David Sheedy Foundation Collections Scholarship – Year 1

David Sheedy Collections Scholarship – Year 1
National Trust of Australia (NSW)

Title: David Sheedy Collections Scholarship – Year 1
Location: Saumarez Homestead, Armidale NSW
Employment Type: Fixed term, Part-time
Hours of Work: 14 hours/week (2 days)
Reporting to: Visitor Experience Manager, Saumarez Homestead
Department: Properties North
Hourly Rate: $40.44/hr plus superannuation

The National Trust NSW is the State’s largest community-based conservation organisation. It operates a number of important museums and leased historic properties while also looking after a large collection of objects and archaeological artefacts. The Trust is committed to providing educational and cultural services that enhance public knowledge and protect our State’s special places.
The David Sheedy Future Conservation Fund was established to directly reflect David’s life’s work of promoting heritage learning and research through our archives for future generations. The Fund will support a discrete project each year which aligns with the National Trust’s shared values and vision in heritage and conservation. It is anticipated the scholarship will run over a 5-year period.
This support will take the form of a 12-month part-time scholarship, offered to applicants in their penultimate year of study or newly graduated from tertiary education, to allow them to utilise their skills and the resources of the National Trust to further their understanding of heritage conservation.

YEAR 1 – Saumarez Collections and House Tours Scholarship
About the role
Saumarez Homestead in Armidale NSW holds a remarkable collection of artefacts, furniture and personal items reflecting the life and times of regional NSW over more than a century. Many of these items are yet to be fully catalogued in the Trust’s Vernon Collection Management System (Vernon CMS) or shared publicly.

The scholarship will fund a part-time emerging heritage professional to:
• Research and catalogue the Saumarez House collection in Vernon CMS, ensuring items are accessible for future generations.
• Enrich the existing house tour with findings from research, bringing the stories of the Saumarez homestead & collection to life for visitors through the development of new tours or visitor information.
• Undertake a minimum of 2 additional house tours a week, when the property is open to the public.

About you
We’re looking for someone with strong collections management and research skills who can continue cataloguing our collection and use these assets to develop new stories and tours for visitors. If you’d like to be part of this project that values cultural heritage and collection management, we’d like to hear from you. You should be able to demonstrate:

• You have run tours before and know how to tailor them to enhance the visitor experience
• You have strong writing skills and the ability to engage a wide audience
• An ability to manage competing priorities, as well as strong attention to detail
• Ability to take initiative and work independently or within a team.
• Most importantly, you must be a good communicator who understands the value of great customer service, is friendly, engaging and professional

As you will be working closely with our wonderful volunteers, an ability to train or share your knowledge with them is also essential.

Technically you need:
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office365; experience with database management and demonstrated aptitude for learning new software programs.
• Tertiary qualification (in progress or completed) in a discipline related to cultural heritage such as archaeology, architecture, archives, collections or history, or a related discipline.
• Excellent time management skills and an ability to constantly re-prioritise tasks to ensure completion within required timeframes
• An understanding of and commitment to the National Trust’s aims, objectives and workplace values.

If you love bringing Collections to life and have a passion for the protection of heritage, this role offers the opportunity to gain real life collections management experience while working in a heritage environment.
You must have the right to live and work in Australia to apply for this job.
• For a full position description or any enquiries call: 02 9258 0159 or email hr@nationaltrust.com.au
• To apply, submit your CV together with a covering letter addressing why you feel your skills are suitable for this project: hr@nationaltrust.com.au