By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
NATIONAL Volunteer Week runs from 9 to 15 May, and celebrates the contribution volunteers make to communities across the country.
Puffing Billy Railway utilises a crew of more than 900 volunteers to keep the railway running and visitors enjoying the history and beauty of the Dandenong Ranges.
Volunteers at Puffing Billy fill important roles such as locomotive crews, station masters, conductors, booking clerks, refreshment room attendants, administration, engineering and gardening.
These volunteers give their time and hard work to making the Puffing Billy experience a major tourism draw for the area.
Below are just four of the many volunteers who work hard to make Puffing Billy the amazing experience it is.
Emma Pallister has been a member of the Puffing Billy crew for eight years, following in her father’s footsteps.
“The Great Train Race was my introduction to the railway,” she said.
“Afterwards, I did several odd jobs around the railway until I could do my safe-working (a qualification to operate the trains) then to fire a locomotive.”
Ms Pallister is now in the young Volunteer Representative Group, works as a fireman any chance she gets and says Puffing Billy has become a big part of her life.
“It’s like having a second family, I get to meet people from all walks of life, but they are all equal on this railway, everyone is so friendly,” she said.
At 13 years of age, Ashton Edgley became the youngest qualified volunteer conductor on the railway.
“At the age of 12, I was offered a big opportunity, which was to begin training as a conductor under the condition that my mum was in attendance,” Mr Edgley said.
“After a year of training under the highly capable volunteers such as Alan Gray and Bob Prewett, both mum and I qualified as conductors.”
Since qualifying as a conductor, Mr Edgley has worked other jobs at the railway including engine cleaner, fire patrol and special events such as the Great Train Race.
“Overall, my time at the railway has been extremely enjoyable and an experience that has taught me many valuable skills,” he said.
“Puffing Billy is a very important part of Australian heritage, and I will always take pride in maintaining that ‘step back in time’ experience for generations to come.”
Train enthusiast Tony Harris has been a Puffing Billy volunteer for 10 years, and has fond memories of the historic train from his childhood.
“I used to ride in the engine around Belgrave yard as a five or six-year-old in the early 50s,” he said.
Mr Harris volunteers across three other historic railways in addition to his roles as fireman and engine driver for Puffing Billy.
“What I find enjoyable about volunteering at Puffing Billy is the interaction with the passengers, showing them the Locomotive and explaining how it works,” he said.
“Also, the setting in which we volunteer is ideal as the Dandenong Ranges is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
Bernadette Cowley saw volunteering with Puffing Billy as a great opportunity to give back to the community after her retirement 12 years ago.
Ms Crowley works as a head conductor, conductor training officer and uniform co-ordinator, and said her volunteer work has made for some very interesting experiences.
“I was a head conductor attending to a tour group of over 350 very polite Japanese students,” she said.
“I studied and practised Japanese all weekend to ensure I could address the group, and I thought I had said in my best Japanese ‘good morning my name is Bernadette welcome to Puffing Billy Railway’.
“I was shocked with the response of the group, bursting out laughing and applauding me at the same time. I clearly I had said something incredibly wrong!”
Ms Cowley said she enjoyed the unique opportunities she got as a volunteer with Puffing Billy to meet people from all over Australia and the world.
