Visitor Centre under new lead

• Scottsdale Information Centre outgoing manager Helen Shepherd and incoming manager Jan Speakman.

By Daisy Baker,
June 15, 2022

It’s an end of an era for Scottsdale Visitor Information Centre’s manager Helen Shepherd, who will step down from her role at the end of the month after nearly five years.

She said the time was right to retire from the volunteer position.

“I will miss it but I’ll still be about. I may come back one day a week after I’ve had a bit of a holiday,” she said.

“I’ve always worked with retail so I will miss the interaction with people.”

Travel is on the horizon for Mrs Shepherd and her husband Garry, with plans to go caravanning on the mainland and potentially a visit of New Zealand’s South Island. 

Current volunteer Jan Speakman will be taking over the reins as the manager from the start of July.

She has been volunteering at the Information Centre for around eight months, after moving to the North-East from Hobart a year ago.

“It’s all new for me and I’m really looking forward to it because I love history and I want to get to know all these beautiful local people and want to be part of the community,” she said.

Ms Speakman said she’s looking forward to interacting with the community and welcoming tourists visiting the region.

She comes from a background in office management and has previously lived in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Northern Territory. 

Mrs Shepherd said despite the change in management, the day-to-day running of the Information Centre will remain relatively unchanged, with the team of volunteers at the ready.

The Information Centre sees around 15 people a day over the quieter winter months and up to 80 a day over summer.

Ms Shepherd said visitation to the North-East is starting to pick up once again with the easing of travel restrictions. 

“I know a lot of people rely on phones but it only shows them so much, they don’t get the local insight,” she said.

“Sometimes they’ll come in, get a map and go and other times they’ll be here for an hour – it just depends who they are and where they’re going.”

Mayor Greg Howard said she has played an invaluable role in the team.

“Council would like to thank Helen for her outstanding contribution over the last five years. The Visitor Information Centre has been proven to be one of the best-run centres in the state and we have received extremely positive feedback from visitors to the centre,” he said.

“We are pleased to welcome Jan as the new manager, and are expecting a smooth transition with business as usual.”