General News
8 June, 2026
Working bee brings community together
Rain, clouds, sunshine and even a rainbow could not stop volunteers from turning out for a successful working bee and volunteer appreciation day at the Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum on Saturday, May 30.
More than 20 people from Jeparit, Rainbow, Horsham and surrounding areas joined the community event, which combined practical restoration work with a celebration of National Volunteer Week.
One of the organisers, Natalia Aguirre, said the day brought together both long-time supporters and new faces.
“We had over 20 people on the day,” she said.
“We had a fantastic day, even though we had rain, sunshine, rainbows and everything.
“We all had an amazing time working together.”
Volunteers spent about five hours cleaning, repairing and maintaining the museum grounds and heritage buildings.
Ms Aguirre said the group cleaned about six buildings and completed important maintenance work around the site.
“We achieved a lot, as we managed to clean about six buildings altogether,” she said.
Some volunteers worked on rabbit-proofing one of the buildings, while others helped with garden maintenance and general cleaning.
A new Jeparit resident, David, also joined early in the day, helped with whip-snipping around the museum, and left before the barbecue.
The event also welcomed six new volunteers to the museum community.
Ms Aguirre said the new helpers were keen to assist with future working bees, events and museum activities.
“They join us to help out anytime we’re doing a working bee or running any event where we need extra people,” she said.
Museum Director Wendy Werner also addressed the volunteers during the day, thanking them for their time, effort and community spirit.
Ms Aguirre said Wendy spoke about the importance of preserving local heritage and recognising the people who help keep the museum alive.
“She appreciates everybody and the community spirit as well, to come in and to love the museum, to preserve our heritage and history,” Ms Aguirre said.
The museum also provided a barbecue as a thank-you to volunteers.
Ms Aguirre and Wendy Werner organised the catering, prepared food and made cakes and sweets for everyone to enjoy, including gluten-free and vegan options.
Ms Aguirre said the cold, wet weather made the volunteers’ contributions even more meaningful.
“It was a cold day, and it was raining, but they still had the heart to come in,” she said.
“And it didn’t stop them from helping out.”
She said the day showed the strength of community support for the museum and its role in preserving local history.
“It was a very successful day,” she said.
“We not only made new friends, but it just shows that there are people out there willing to help and willing to be part of a community project like that.
“We are just very, very grateful for that.”