We’re a sanctuary for farmed animals with over 300 animals in care. We rely on volunteers to help us run our charity – come help us!
Volunteer on a farm in Australia – requirements & tasks
Little Oak Sanctuary provides refuge for farmed animals from backgrounds of abuse, neglect and abandonment.
Set on 273 acres amidst stunning Australian bushland, we care for over 300 animals at any one time. The sanctuary is located an hour from Canberra, the South Coast and Goulburn, and around two and a half hours from Sydney. We have sheep, goats, pigs, horses, cows, alpacas, geese, turkeys, chickens, roosters, ducks and quail at the sanctuary.
You’ll be helping us for about 25 hours a week with 2 days off with the day-to-day running of the sanctuary. It’s a very hands-on role where you’ll get to know the animals as the individuals they are!
Duties can be somewhat tailored to your skills but may include: undertaking the twice-daily feed runs (morning and afternoon), daily cleaning of stable, poultry coops and yards, undertaking health checks, some maintenance work, monitoring flock movements and assisting with the care of ill, elderly and baby animals, Gardening/fence maintenance/other projects, Helping with market stalls and events.
Additional tasks may be required when new rescues or vulnerable animals arrive at the sanctuary. Ideally, helpers will have access to their form of transport as we do not have public transport available to the sanctuary. If you do not have transport, we might be able to work out the use of a vehicle for you during your stay, but you will need to have the necessary driver’s license etc.
The sanctuary is vegan and we ask that you do not bring or consume animal products onto sanctuary grounds. We ask that you do not smoke on sanctuary grounds.
Volunteer on a farm in Australia – what we offer
Our newly completed Carer’s Cottage is compact but well-appointed. It features two bedrooms sleeping a maximum of three people (plus two extra roll-out single beds in the lounge room), a living space with a dining table, couch and television, a bathroom with shower and a kitchenette with fridge, convection microwave, toaster, kettle and sink.
For safety reasons, we try to have at least two live-in volunteers working at the same time, so the accommodation will be shared with at least one other person, but you will have separate bedrooms. The cottage is powered by off-grid solar electricity and all water used for drinking, showering, toilets etc is rainwater collected in tanks.
Volunteers have access to a second living space and a larger kitchen with a dishwasher in our Visitors centre. Bedroom one features a triple bunk bed (double on the bottom single bed on top) and bedroom two has a single bed. A Digital TV device is provided enabling you to connect your Netflix, Stan or other subscriptions. Free WIFI (Starlink) is provided and we have plenty of bush for bushwalking and a creek with a great swimming spot for when it is hot.
We can provide basic food staples (pasta, rice, tinned foods, etc). You are free to make your own meals however we do ask that helpers do not bring animal products onto the sanctuary given the nature of our work helping farmed animals in need (we are a vegan sanctuary).
Other volunteering opportunities in Australia
- Volunteer on our Permaculture Project in Tasmania, Australia
- Help to renovate a beach shack while volunteering in Australia.
- Volunteer skills in Australia while staying at our Barrington Park Resort
- Organic Produce Farming Australia
- Volunteer on a vineyard in Autrialia & learn winemaking.
