Join the Rottnest Guides
The Osprey and the Yellow Shirts
The idea of having voluntary guides on Rottnest goes back fifty years to the mid-1970s and the idea by the Rottnest Island Board (now Authority) of ‘Environmental Education’ – helping visitors to develop a better awareness, appreciation and understanding of the island.
The Voluntary Guides were formed in 1986 and soon became an independent, not-for-profit group, similar to those at Kings Park and the Zoo in Perth. It was quickly realised that Voluntary Guides are very cohesive and dedicated groups, with a lot of relevant expertise.
Tom Perrigo, co-instigator of the RVGA with Pat Barblett, drew the Osprey logo, and within 18 months the Guides settled on the bright yellow shirts as being the most distinctive. Forty years later, they still are!
The guides with the yellow shirts are famous for being knowledgeable and passionate about all aspects of the island. Over the years we have rostered more guides over more days of the week, and now have around 15 volunteers each and every day across the length and breadth of the island, wearing their distinctive yellow shirts with the osprey logo.
If you want to know about the Island, Ask a Guide!
Osprey image (top): Rottnest island Authority
The Rottnest Guides today
Although we’ve expanded our activities and numbers over the years, we still have the same role;
- advising and assisting visitors to Rottnest Island at our information booth
- leading a varied program of daily guided walks
- organising family-based activities during school holidays
- running special request tours (primarily for school groups)
- acting as roving ambassadors for the island
All 375 Rottnest Guides are volunteers. To perform their role in a professional manner the guides require a broad range of island knowledge plus guiding and customer service skills. Our guides bring an immense range of life experience to the role and are passionate both about the island and explaining it to our visitors. Learning never stops, and Rottnest Guides have a ‘Maintaining Excellence’ programme of training and field visits plus monthly meetings and presentations on a range of subjects.
Each year, Rottnest Guides clock up over 5,500 days on the island
Joining the RVGA
As a member of the Association you can look forward to many years of enjoyable and rewarding activity in association with the “family” of some 375 existing members.
Members of the Association are required to abide by the RVGA’s Regulations and Rules of Association, which can be viewed when you submit an application.
Your Guiding Commitment
Your minimum commitment as a new guide is 12 days of rostered guiding on Rottnest per year, but most of our guides commit to one or two days on Rottnest per month. All new guides are required to be available for the full range of daily guiding duties including settlement and remote tours, guns and lighthouse.
A monthly roster is published 5 weeks in advance, so there is ample time to prepare for a rostered tour. All guides must keep the roster coordinator informed of their availability.
In addition to rostered tours, guides may volunteer to take special request tours and/or holiday guiding activities.
Our annual membership fee is currently $40. Travel to and from the island on all ferries is provided free when on duty, courtesy of the ferry companies, and the landing fee is waived courtesy of the Rottnest Island Authority.
2027 Training Course Details
See here for a breakdown of our next training course, starting in February 2027.
Working with Children Check
All RVGA guides are required to have a current Working with Children (WWC) Check. Applications for the WWC card will be arranged during the training course. Further information can be obtained from the WWC website.
If arranging your WWC application through the RVGA, the WWC volunteer application fee (currently $11) is to be paid by the applicant. Applicants will receive a reimbursement from the RVGA’s Treasurer once the Card has been issued.
Recruitment Enquiries
Any enquiries can be addressed to our Recruitment Coordinator, Beth Downsborough by email to recruitment@rvga.asn.au or by phone to 0410 008 093.
The Rottnest Voluntary Guides Association acknowledge the considerable support provided by the Rottnest Island Authority over the forty years since our foundation