Christopher McCormack Volunteering at the Dunedin Gasworks Museum

Volunteering at the Gasworks

I volunteered at the Gasworks, not because I had to but because I wanted to.  Once I had seen the place and had a tour of the area I found something interesting about it and different to other kinds of volunteering places. 
Don't judge a place until you see what it has to offer and that is exactly what the Gasworks is like. Yes, maybe it does look old and needs fixing but it doesn't.  The age and look of the place makes it what it is and gives you that exact impression of what it was like back when it first opened. 
The Gasworks needs volunteers all the time to help out and get generous donations or it would not be standing today, it needs our youth and ideas to carry on its history throughout the ages to come.  A future for our kind to see what it was like back in the days and the hard work we went through to create today.

Volunteering at the Gasworks will change your ways, giving places and things a second chance just like the gasworks.

Photos of the Gasworks

Photos taken by myself at the Gasworks, people may wonder why I like the gasworks as much as I do.  Once you get into the place and start looking around and hearing all the stories about the Gasworks, you get more a feel for the place and enjoy it more knowing that you have experienced something not many people get the chance to.  All you need is about an hour or even less just to walk around and learn the cool history of this place.

Working at the Gasworks

When employees started working at the gasworks it was often hot, cloudy and dirty.  On windy days the coke and coal dust blew everywhere.  There was many different jobs there including fitters, bricklayers, electricians, gas fitters, 'coalies', retort men, shift formen and many many more.
The gasworks was not always a popular option at the times for employment.  It was known for its good work, dirty conditons but good pay.

You rarely get any chance to work in any conditions like this anymore.  Yes it does sound weird wanting to work in a conidition like this in our day and age but given that chance it would be a once in a life time experience.  Still today, when you walk into the Gasworks, the old smell of the machines is so intense in there, it has managed to maintain its smell after all these years.

This is photo shows an old vintage wall in the Gasworks. I toke this photo because it represents the old and artistic look of the Gasworks.  You don't just see a old wall, you look more into it and experience how the workers used to work and what it was like.

Reference: Dunedin Gasworks. Retrieved from http://www.gasworksmuseum.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64&Itemid=68

Old picture or the Gasworks

Opening

The Dunedin Gas Light and Coke Company was formed in May 1862.  The original intention was to erect a small plant to supply some 50 street lights, The gas was first ignited at the works in May 1863.

 Reference: Dunedin Gasworks Museum. Retrieved from http://www.gasworksmuseum.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=29

Entrance