Vollie Profile - Carol Barnett

Carol Barnett

Entally Estate Volunteer

Possibly one of the most well-known volunteers is Carol Barnett – a newbie compared to some others, considering she started volunteering at Entally in 2018, but well loved just the same.

Carol freely admits to volunteering at Entally purely be able to enjoy visiting the site without paying the entrance fee. She was gently prodded into volunteering by her friend Lorriane (another Entally volunteer) and jumped at the opportunity to “play in the house”, as she would put it.

The comradery of the volunteer group was a pleasant surprise, and has come to become one of Carol’s highlights of her time here so far. Her inherent joy at meeting people from all walks of life, and sharing her knowledge and passion for the history of the Estate, shines through as she talks. Carol has a very theatrical spirit, and listening to her tale of the Entally history keeps the listeners engaged and entertained.

Whilst Carol has been a volunteer at Entally, she has researched her own family history and found a few ties with the Estate, but also with her fellow volunteers, linking generations of ancestors to each other. Finding these links has enriched Carol’s experience of working onsite, helping her to create deeper connections with the other volunteers, and with the buildings themselves.

As well as her talents for talking and tours, Carol is also a talented artist, and has her studio onsite in a cottage in the Farmyard. She finds being immersed in the history by hosting tours, and being amongst the colonial relics, it inspires her in her art (for more information regarding her artwork, please click here).

When asked what advice she would give to people who like to volunteer, Carol says you’ll be surprised by your options. The vollies here are very inclusive, and the role can be tailored to your needs – there’s endless roles to fill, whether its gardening, tours, baking scones, furniture restoration, history research, etc. There’s no obligations to come frequently and regularly – any offering of time is a valuable offering.