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Volunteering and Maintenance - Wiruna and the SPSP

By Lesa Moore

The ASNSW is grateful to all its volunteers who carry out regular maintenance and special projects, and help run the South Pacific Star Party (SPSP). 

This set of web pages is designed to help our regular volunteers and, also, to assist new volunteers who would like to get an idea of what the volunteer jobs entail. This Volunteering Index is organised into sections. Some instructions refer only to Star Party procedures, but some are general-purpose pages that refer to facility access, and site and equipment maintenance. Take the links to read the full details.

SPSP OVERVIEW - Advance Preparations and Packing Away
Book 1: FACILITIES - Buildings, Tents, Grounds, Furniture, Signs, Safety Lights
Book 2: UTILITIES - Power, Inverter, Electronics, PA, Plumbing, Waste Management, Checking Essential Services
Book 3: ADMINISTRATION - Check-In Desk, Supplier Contacts, Fire Wardens, Emergency Procedures, Announcements, MC, Drill, First Aid
Book 4: ACTIVITIES - Workshops, Competitions and Sky Tours
Book 5: CATERING - Tea & Coffee Station, Roast Dinner, Oven, Stoves
WIRUNA MAINTENANCE SUMMARY and SCHEDULE 

SPSP OVERVIEW - Advance Preparations and Packing Away

  1. Committee Checklist
  2. Preparing Badges and Tickets
  3. Where to Find Stores and Equipment
  4. First Aid and Emergency Procedure
  5. Assembly Day for Registration Packs
  6. Roles to be assigned if sufficient and suitable volunteers available
  7. Packing Away and Resetting Electricals

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Book 1: FACILITIES - Buildings, Tents, Grounds, Furniture, Signs, Safety Lights

  1. Numbered Sites for Camping Vehicles on Lower Camp Ground – Working Bee and Wednesday
  2. Temporary Fencing - Wednesday
  3. Unlocking the Main Shed, Store Rooms, Amenities, BGL - Wednesday
  4. Pavilion and Tents
  5. Tables for the Scouts - Thursday morning
  6. Furniture for the Check-In Tent - Thursday morning
  7. Furniture in the Main Shed - All Weekend
  8. Putting up the Signs and Banner
  9. Mirrors for the Outside Sinks
  10. Safety Lighting (all areas)
  11. Attending the Gate: Thursday morning to Saturday afternoon
  12. Marshalling the Camping Areas: Thursday am to Saturday pm
  13. Marshalling the Main Observing Field
  14. Setting up and Maintaining the Pit Toilets
  15. Putting out the Fireplaces

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Book 2: UTILITIES - Power, Electronics, PA, Plumbing, Waste Management

  1. Generator, Power, Inverter, Flow Chart and the Earth Switch
  2. Power and Lighting for the Check-In Desk and Pavilion
  3. Power for the Recharging Station near the Roller Door
  4. Testing the Projector
  5. Turning on the Sound System
  6. Scouts Water Supply
  7. Temperature Regulation on the Amenities’ Hot Water
  8. Toilet and Shower Cleaning
  9. Rubbish Management
  10. How to Check Essential Services

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Book 3: ADMINISTRATION - Check-In Desk, Supplier Contacts, Fire Wardens & Emergency Procedures, Announcements, MC, Emergency Drill

  1. Setting up the Check-In Desk
  2. Setting up the Apparel
  3. Checking in Participants
  4. Lost Property
  5. Sales with the Square Terminal
  6. Cash
  7. Setting up the Printer
  8. Stocktake
  9. Packing Away
  10. Putting the Program on the Whiteboard
  11. Suppliers
  12. Fire Wardens & Emergency Procedures
  13. First Aid
  14. Making Announcements
  15. MC and Saturday Afternoon Program
  16. Emergency Drill

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Book 4: ACTIVITIES - Workshops, Competitions and Sky Tours

  1. Setting up the Kids’ Workshop
  2. Coordinating the Astronomy Innovations Showcase
  3. Running the Astroimaging Competition
  4. Twilight Sky Tours
  5. Telescope Sky Tours

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Book 5: CATERING - Tea & Coffee Station, Roast Dinner, Ovens, Stoves

  1. The Tea & Coffee Station
  2. The Roast Dinner
  3. Wiruna Oven Use, Maintenance and Testing
  4. Assisting the Scouts

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WIRUNA MAINTENANCE SUMMARY

Regular Maintenance Schedule

How to Check Essential Services

Emergency Procedures, Safety, AEDs and First Aid

Plumbing Leaks

Hot Water

Inverter and Power

Cleaning and Operating the Ovens

Tree Lopping

Burning Off

REGULAR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Start of summer

  • Mow around BGL

Monthly in summer

  • Mow the Main Observing Field and Lower Camp Ground

Monthly in winter

  • Clear leaf litter around Kitchen and burn off in incinerator
  • Restock firewood rack in Lounge
  • Cut firewood as needed

Monthly all year

  • Check essential services
  • Swap out empty gas cylinders
  • Go through safety checklists

Six-monthly

  • Arrange test & tag of fire extinguishers

Annually

  • Trim trees on driveway
  • Restock First Aid Kits and supplies
How to Check Essential Services

This may be done at every scheduled observing weekend as well as the Star Party.
Pump, water supply, hot water, electricity, gas.
Details HERE.
Emergency Procedures, Safety, AEDs and First Aid

Fire Wardens and Emergency Procedures: Wiruna Bushfire Emergency and Evacuation Plan
PDF file, member-only access

Register of First Aid Officers
Web page, member-only access

AEDs: Wiruna is equipped with two AEDs for emergency use. One is located inside Barry Gerdes Lodge and the other is in the Breezeway opposite the door to the Main Shed (above the fire extinguishers).

Monthly Safety Checks are conducted in the main area and at Barry Gerdes Lodg to check:

  • pressures in fire extinguishers; 
  • the presence of fire blankets;
  • the functionality of the smoke detectors;
  • the blinking lights on the AEDs, functionality of torches and presence of whistles in the AED cabinets.

First Aid Kits are kept at Barry Gerdes Lodge and on a shelf in the Main Shed, just inside the Breezeway door, opposite the Library. Contents are checked, and missing and expired content is replaced annually.

Remoteness and Safety: Please note that the site is remote, and it takes some 45 minutes for an ambulance to get there. If you are attending the site for any purpose, and you have some known medical condition(s), please find a "buddy" on site and make sure they know about your condition and how to administer assistance in the case of an emergency. It is in your best interest to leave an emergency contact number (i.e. the number of someone off-site) with your buddy or the Vice-President Wiruna (who is normally in attendance) in case someone needs to contact others on your behalf.
Plumbing leaks

Telltale signs to watch out for:

  • Sound of trickling water
  • Pump turning on by itself when there is no one in the amenities blocks
  • Damp patch of ground
  • Lush green patch of grass
  • Visible water seeping, dripping, trickling or squirting from any plumbing join, pipe, tank or closed tap

If you detect a leak, report it to the VP Wiruna or any committee member or anyone with appropriate skills. 
Hot Water Setting temperature of hot water for amenities
PDF instructions for both blocks. 
Committee member access only.
Inverter and Power

Cut-out to prevent battery drain
PDF with dip switch settings.
Committee member access only.
User Manual 
PDF from the manufacturer.
Committee member access only.

Power Flow Chart
Shows relationship between solar panels, batteries and other electrical installations.
Committee member access only.
Cleaning and Operating the Ovens Testing ovens, stove and meat temperature. Cleaning the gas jets. Testing and cleaning equipment.
Take the link: Wiruna Oven Use, Maintenance and Testing
Tree Lopping

Periodic tree works are conducted to maintain sky views from the Main Observing Field. Tree works were conducted in:

  • October 2017
  • November 2020
  • September 2022
Burning Off In conjunction with the local RFS, burn-offs are conducted approximately once very 10 years. The last burn-off took place in August 2018.

 

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