The Wire

From the weekend sports coaches of our childhoods, to the paradigmatic image of the fearless fireys, or surf life savers, there’s no doubt that volunteers have marked the consciousness of Australian culture. But where in the official history books do you find recognition of the many thousands of people who give their time, volunteering for something that’s important to them? Why do we hear prime-ministerial praise for the cricketers, but seldom for volunteers? Dr Melanie Oppenheimer is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Sydney and co-editor of ‘Volunteers and Volunteering’.