Volunteer Roles

An enriching experience providing direct care to our koala patients. Please be aware that you won’t be able to touch or handle koalas (except where necessary for their care).
We have two daily shifts – 8:00am to 11:00am and 2:15pm to 4:30pm. The duties include preparing fresh leaf for feeding koalas, cleaning the koala enclosures; feeding formula to Koalas when required; washing materials used in koala care and thoroughly cleaning all areas of the Koala Hospital. This is a very physical role and requires a good level of mobility and fitness.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the popular souvenir retail shop at the Koala Hospital is important in raising funds to help us care for koalas.

We have two daily shifts – 8:00am to 12:30pm and 12:15pm to 4:15pm.

Our shop volunteers welcome and engage with visitors to the Hospital, help with ticketing and encourage sales, answer questions, provide customer service, keep the shop area clean and stocked, and manage the shop's takings.

Our Visitor Guides warmly welcome visitors and answer questions, and our Education Volunteers are our Tour Guides. Pass on your passion for and knowledge about koalas. We work together to create future generations of koala advocates!
The Koala Hospital is open to the public from 8:30am to 4:00pm every day except 25 December and shifts are 8:30am to 12:15pm,  and 12:15pm to 4pm.

Our maintenance team provides repairs and maintenance in and around Koala Conservation Australia properties and buildings.
Team members also build and maintain the koala enclosures, including the koala climbing structures and keep the grounds clean and well presented. They may also provide general repairs at our other sites including our plantations.

The work is generally carried out Monday to Fridays.

If you have carpentry, electrical or other trade or general maintenance skills we’d like love to hear from you.

Koala Conservation Australia has two Koala food tree plantations. One is at Moripo, west of Wauchope and the larger one is on Maria River Road just north of Port Macquarie.

Volunteers with good physical fitness and some relevant experience are required for these roles.

The work includes watering, mowing, pruning and tending to eucalypt trees.

At appropriate times of the year volunteers will also be involved in planting Koala food trees - an absolute necessity to keep hungry koalas fed.

It is best if you have your own transportation to reach the plantations.

We also need volunteers to help with administration work.

This role includes data entry, telephone-based customer service, general administrative tasks or assisting with updating the wild koala adoptions database and preparing packages to meet orders.

For specific projects, we also look for skilled volunteers to assist with fundraising, marketing, human resources and policy development.

If you have the skills and experience to assist us, we’d love to hear from you.!

We run a very popular month-long work experience block for international volunteers. For more info, see below!

If you're currently studying or working in the wildlife/animal care field, you can apply for a one-week work experience placement block with us. The current fee is $300, and you’ll need to organise and pay for your own accommodation, meals and transport. If you’re not a member with us, we’ll also need you to sign up (or be covered by your University or TAFE insurances). To express your interest in applying for a placement, or for any queries, please email us at workexperience@koalahospital.com.au.

The International volunteer placement is for one calendar month, and the registration fee is $AUD 880.00. You’ll need a reasonable level of spoken English. Also, you’ll also need to organise and pay for your own meals, accommodation and associated travel expenses. We’ll need proof that your tetanus immunisation is current. Oh, and we strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance when planning your visit!

To apply for a placement, or for any queries, please email our External Volunteer Placement Team click here.

The hospital operates on a twice daily working shift pattern - 8am to approx. 11am (depending on the number of koalas that we have in) and 2pm to approx. 4.30pm. We’ll need you to work a minimum of 5 morning shifts per week during your placement, and you’re welcome to work more days if you wish.

As a Volunteer, Yard Work is a large part of what you’ll be doing here at the Hospital. Please be aware that:
• You’ll be working with wild koalas, and even though some may appear quiet and gentle, they are quite capable of inflicting painful injuries with their razor-sharp claws and teeth.
• No untrained volunteer can handle or pick up any of the koalas without permission or guidance. Failure to comply with this rule may result in the volunteer being asked to leave the yards.
• The work involves raking and cleaning individual koala yards, cutting branches of leaf, feeding formula to some koalas, sweeping walkways and generally tidying up whatever is required in the yards.
• you may also be able to attend and observe rescues and releases if they occur on your shift.
• The yard work does not stop if there is pouring rain, hail or high winds as the koalas still need to be cleaned out and fed. Even though we do have some raincoats, we suggest you bring your own.
• During high winds we will provide a mandatory safety helmet which you will need to wear.
• Covered shoes and working clothes are essential. Thongs, sandals and very short shorts are not permitted.
• A hat, sunscreen and water bottle are recommended.

As an International Volunteer with us, you’ll need to:
• provide evidence that your tetanus immunisation is up to date.

Port Macquarie is a stunning and popular tourist destination. To find out more about the region and what you can enjoy here, vist the Greater Port Macquarie official visitor website- www.portmacquarieinfo.com.au!

We currently offer a one-week work experience program block.

To be eligible to apply for a placement, you’ll need to be undertaking studies in animal and/or wildlife care. The current fee is $300, and you’ll need to organise and pay for your own accommodation, meals and transport. If you’re not a member with us, we’ll also need you to be covered by your University or TAFE insurances.

To express your interest in applying for a placement, or for any queries, please   click here  to email our External Volunteer Placement Team.