Wikimedia Australia Partner Projects highly successful

Four of our Partner Projects have now concluded with successful outcomes for the organisations and Wikimedia platforms.

11 October 2023, Ali Smith.

Our Partners

Wikimedia Australia has been actively supporting free knowledge as part of their commitment to fostering open-access information.

Earlier this year we announced an Expression of Interest, and then funded four Partner Projects grants, aiming to educate and empower organisations through furthering their knowledge and engagement in contributing to Wikimedia projects and platforms.

Projects were selected to align with our strategic priorities on regional Australia, gender equity and First Nations perspectives.

These four remarkable Partner Projects have now concluded with a range of successful outcomes for the organisations and Wikimedia platforms, benefitting local and global communities.

University of Divinity

This partnership enabled a Wikimedian in Residence to focus on editing Wikipedia pages and creating Wikidata items for underrepresented yet notable Australian women in religion. Activities included image digitisation, content uploads, and extensive article creation and improvement. The addition of secondary sources to JSTOR, to provide links through Wikipedia citations and references, has opened up a vast repository of historical documents and materials increasing accessibility to researchers, students and enthusiasts worldwide.

ACMI (formerly Australian Centre for the Moving Image)

Through this project ACMI’s extensive collection of biographies and films has been cross-referenced and integrated into Wikidata. Additionally, entries from Wikidata have been included in the ACMI online collection and website. An expert Wikimedian in Residence used inhouse software tools to analyse and support the ‘two way’ comparison and migration. This project also used apps and a roadmap to support ACMI staff with deeper engagement with Wikidata. The positive results and viability of this proof of concept means that ACMI will continue this project into the future with plans for the next 12 months underway.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

The QUT project involved their team digitising historical photographs and images from regional Queensland and the Pacific, and then working with an expert Wikimedia mentor to successfully upload batches of image files to Wikimedia Commons. By leveraging QUT's expertise and resources, a significant collection of old photographs and images has been meticulously digitised and contributed to Wikimedia Commons, enriching the platform with a wealth of historical content. These images can now be linked to Wikipedia, increasing reach and improving quality of articles. This collaborative effort underscores the importance of open access and community-driven initiatives in preserving and sharing visual heritage.

Shire of Paroo (South West Queensland - Local Government council area)

Wikimedia Australia recognises the importance of engaging with regional communities to promote content creation and knowledge sharing on Wikipedia. In funding the Shire of Paroo to train a small team of new editors focused on their region, this has encouraged community members to contribute their local knowledge to Wikipedia and add images to WikiCommons. The project is working closely with First Nations people to document knowledge around local flora, fauna and geography. One of the outputs will be a Guide on how Local Councils can work with Wikimedia to improve regional content. The initiative has increased the representation of regional content on Wikimedia projects, ensuring a more diverse and comprehensive knowledge base.

In addition to the dashboards and reports provided above, a range of other outputs include key people in each project presenting at conferences, community talks, online webinar presentations and the Shire of Paroo were interviewed on ABC radio.

Conclusion

These diverse Partner Projects grants by Wikimedia Australia have enhanced free knowledge about Australia available online. By supporting regional communities, preserving historical knowledge, fostering GLAM collaborations, and promoting women's contributions, Wikimedia Australia has contributed to a more comprehensive and inclusive knowledge base, enriching the lives of people around the world.

Contact us to find out how to get involved in future Partner Projects and Grant offerings.