City of Swan volunteers were thanked during the opening of a new visitor centre at Whiteman Park recently.
Hundreds of residents from throughout the Western Australia city, including Bellevue, have freely given their time to help out at the state’s most popular conservation and recreation parks.
Each year, an estimated one million people visit the park, which is regularly featured in tourism brochure printing campaigns.
Western Australia’s planning minister, John Day, said Whiteman Park had benefitted greatly due to the continuous support of more than 550 volunteers.
He said more than 4000 volunteer hours a day were being provided to maintain the facility and the donation of knowledge, expertise, skills and time had been invaluable to the park’s operation.
Two such achievers were Ellen Bradley and Des Noon, who had both been volunteering at the centre for over a decade.
Volunteer guides have regularly led park tours, including the Nocturnal Woylie Walks, Whiteman Explorer Tour and Down Memory Lane program. Further, they regularly prepare evening meals for the animals at Woodland Reserve.
Volunteers will once again feature in the running of the new Visitor Information Centre, which operates seven days a week at the 4000 hectare park.
In addition to establishing a permanent public open space, Whiteman Park operates to safeguard the underlying aquifer in the area, which is one of Perth’s drinking water sources.
