Volunteer Registration Now Open

Do you want to be in on the action and part of the team that create the Australian Wooden Boat Festival? Why not put your hand up to volunteer. With hundreds of various roles to fill, we have a lot to offer. Whether you like boats, or not, we are sure you will love helping us create the best festival around. 

Our festival’s success is largely thanks to our huge group of volunteers, that work as one big team, or should we say ‘crew’ to celebrate our wonderful maritime community. You’ll get a special festival t-shirt, hat, and exclusive invite to our ‘after party’.

In 2019 there were 355 volunteers registered and several volunteer service organisations such as Scouts, Rotary and St Johns. AWBF conducts 2-3 induction sessions prior to the event, which provide any necessary information and training required for each particular role.

The purpose of the AWBF Volunteer Program is to attract, recruit, train and support the 350 volunteer staff required to produce this biennial event on the Hobart waterfront.  The AWBF is the largest wooden boat festival in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting more than 200,000 visitors over four days.  Volunteers perform a very wide range of tasks.  Boat handlers, communications officers, safety staff, stage hands, forklift operators, information counter staff, photographers, guides, speakers, drivers and a dozen other jobs are all handled by volunteers. The volunteers are the public face of the event as well as the technical crew that produce it. Many volunteers will fill several roles during the festival, demonstrating a high level of flexibility in skills, rostered hours and coping with unexpected challenges,  The festival follows a policy of empowering volunteers with the training and information that allows them to make decisions on the spot, or find the person best qualified to assist with whatever action is needed. Many AWBF volunteers go on to use these skills at other events, including the Australian Antarctic Festival and other smaller community events. The outcome is a life affirming, positive and enjoyable experience for both the volunteer and the festival-goer. 

Impressively, more than 85% of registered volunteers in 2019 had volunteered at one or more AWBFs before!!