Introduction
The Discovery Ranger role at National Parks and Wildlife Service in Gloucester delivers visitor experiences at Copeland Tops State Conservation Area. The work includes twilight tours, Mountain Maid underground mine tours and interpretation of the area’s mining history, environment and cultural heritage. It combines engaging storytelling with the practical responsibility of keeping groups safe in outdoor and underground settings.
When planning how to apply for Discovery Ranger, prepare a cover letter of no more than two pages and a resume of no more than four pages. The letter needs to address the focus capabilities in the role description and explain your interest and suitability. Pick examples of guiding or educational programs that show how you helped a group understand a place while managing its needs and safety.
This is a casual opportunity with no guaranteed weekly hours, and flexibility includes evenings, weekends, public holidays and school holidays. The requirements also cover a Working with Children Check, first aid and a driver licence, with willingness to obtain the latter two accepted. Your application should give a clear picture of both your visitor-engagement experience and your readiness for the field work.
View the official job ad and keep its application instructions open while you plan.
Discovery Ranger role snapshot
| Role | Discovery Ranger |
| Organisation | National Parks and Wildlife Service |
| Location | Gloucester, including Copeland Tops State Conservation Area |
| Employment | Casual, with no guaranteed weekly hours |
| Salary or remuneration | $47.74 to $52.28 per hour depending on experience, plus employer superannuation contribution and casual loading |
| Job ID | 601791 |
| Closing date | 11:55 pm, Sunday 11 October 2026 |
NSW Government application requirements
Give the hiring team the documents and written responses it requests, within the stated limits. Check the application form before drafting so the final submission follows the required format.
Application requirements for Discovery Ranger
- Resume, maximum four pages
- Cover letter, maximum two pages, addressing the role description’s focus capabilities and your interest and suitability
Use the role description to check the official focus capabilities before drafting the letter. The evidence areas below are practical guidance drawn from the visitor, interpretation and safety work.
Role conditions and qualifications
- Current Working with Children Check
- First Aid Certificate and current Australian driver licence, or willingness to obtain them
- Availability for flexible hours, including weekdays, evenings, weekends, public holidays and school holidays
- Casual employment with no guaranteed weekly hours
Candidate evidence for Discovery Ranger
Lead guided and educational visitor experiences around Gloucester, including underground mine and heritage tours, while interpreting natural and cultural values and managing group safety. The evidence areas below help you choose examples for that work.
| Requirement or evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Interpretive guiding and educational programs | Describe a tour or program you developed or delivered, the audience and how you helped people understand the subject. |
| Engaging communication and visitor questions | Show how you adapted your explanation for different visitors and responded to questions or an unexpected situation. |
| Local heritage and cultural awareness | Explain your knowledge of natural or cultural heritage and how you handled Aboriginal cultural information respectfully. |
| Visitor safety and field judgement | Use a group activity to explain the risks you assessed and the risk-management, minimal-impact or bush-safety practices you applied. |
| Self-management and teamwork | Describe how you prepared and ran an activity independently and worked with others when coordination was needed. |
| Digital administration | Explain your use of Word, Excel, Outlook or online tools to organise an activity, manage information or support visitors. |
Example application structure for Discovery Ranger
Provide a cover letter addressing the role description’s focus capabilities and your interest and suitability, together with a resume. The maximum is two pages for the letter and four pages for the resume. The outline below helps you select guiding, interpretation and safety evidence while checking it against the official capabilities.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening | Introduce your guiding or educational experience and interest in Gloucester’s natural and mining heritage. |
| Interpretation and visitor engagement | Describe the program, audience, storytelling choices and how you answered questions or adapted the delivery. |
| Heritage and cultural understanding | Explain the knowledge and cultural care behind your interpretation of a place or topic. |
| Safety and self-management | Show your planning, field-safety decisions and management of a group or unsupervised activity. |
| Digital support and conditions | Briefly connect your digital skills to the work and state your check, first-aid, licence and availability position. |
| Closing | Link your examples to the official focus capabilities and the tours described for Copeland Tops. |
Before you submit
Check the two-page letter and four-page resume limits, then compare the letter with the focus capabilities in the role description. Make your guiding experience, cultural awareness and safety decisions specific. Confirm the required checks, first aid, licence and flexible availability before submitting by 11:55 pm on 11 October.
Return to the official vacancy for the final document and deadline check.
Help with your Discovery Ranger application
If you want help organising your own evidence and preparing the written documents, request application support from Team 3Thirty. Bring the vacancy and your current CV so the application can address the work you have actually done.