For the last 19 or so months, Judy Henry has been pounding the pavement as a volunteer for the Broken Hill City Council’s Heritage Walk Tours.
Reminiscing on the reasons she initially volunteered as a guide, she told the Truth that “as a child growing up in the town, both sets of my grandparents used to tell us stories of their experiences growing up in and around Broken Hill.”
“They used to take us for drives and show us where these places were. This inspired me to take an interest in Broken Hill’s history and its stories,” she added.
Over the years, Ms Henry enjoyed the times that friends from out-of-town visited, and she took the opportunity to share local stories with those friends.
Upon retiring from teaching, Ms Henry thought that volunteering as a guide would be the “perfect way to utilise my skills and interests and contribute to the promotion of Broken Hill.”
Learning of a need for heritage walk tour volunteers, Ms Henry visited Patrick Kreitner at the Visitor Information Centre and expressed her interest in joining the group.
“He interviewed me and invited me to a meeting, [so] I tagged along with each of the other guides while they did their walks, learnt the scripts and started guiding my own walks,” she said.
Ms Henry also mentioned that during the onboarding process, she was “well supported,” and “gained confidence from the more experienced guides.”
She mentioned that “the background detail behind the stories, the little asides which make the story more engaging for the tourists,” is one of the most interesting components of her tour, which she holds weekly.
Aside from volunteering, Ms Henry likes to travel, and she says she explores new countries as often as she can. However, when she is home, she sews and enjoys catching up with family and friends.
“I am [also] a member of the local family history group and volunteer there once a week, helping the team researching the cemetery,” she added, reinforcing her strong passion for the stories of Broken Hill.
Reflecting on her time as a volunteer tour guide, she encouraged anyone “who enjoys walking, meeting and talking to people, and are proud and passionate about promoting Broken Hill as an interesting tourist destination,” to apply.
“Give it a go! It’s a very rewarding and positive experience,” she concluded.
For those who are interested in learning more about volunteering with Visitor Services, please call Patrick Kreitner, the coordinator, on 8080 3571.
