https://wikimedia.org.au/news.xmlWikimedia Australia news2026-09-14T19:12:38ZRecent posts from the Australian chapter of the global Wikimedia movement.MediaWiki 1.44.2https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/The_little_coloured_bar_that_tells_you_a_species_is_disappearing_%E2%80%94_and_the_Australian_project_keeping_it_accurateThe little coloured bar that tells you a species is disappearing — and the Australian project keeping it accurate2026-09-07T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><br />
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<div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">Threatened Species Day and Partner Projects 2026-2027.</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-09-07T00:00:00+00:00">7 September 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Endangered_species_infobox_2026.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=Endangered_species_infobox_2026.png&width=347" decoding="async" width="347" height="484" class="mw-file-element" srcset="/w/thumb.php?f=Endangered_species_infobox_2026.png&width=520 1.5x, /w/images/a/ab/Endangered_species_infobox_2026.png 2x" /></a><figcaption>The species infobox on Wikipedia in 2026 showing the conservation status icons.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Every 7 September, Australia marks National Threatened Species Day. The date marks the death of Benjamin, the last known <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine" class="extiw" title="w:Thylacine">thylacine</a>, who died at Hobart Zoo in 1936 after being locked out of his shelter overnight. The Australian Government promotes the day nationally each year to highlight the plants and animals still at risk of the same fate.
</p><p>As at June 2021 (the most recent consolidated figures available), 1,918 species — 533 animals and 1,385 plants — plus 88 ecological communities were listed as threatened under the Commonwealth's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_Protection_and_Biodiversity_Conservation_Act_1999" class="extiw" title="w:Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999"><i>Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999</i>.</a> Australia also has one of the highest rates of mammal extinction in the world: per the Government's <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au">State of the Environment 2021</a></i> report, 10% of our endemic terrestrial mammal species have gone extinct in the past 200 years, and around a fifth of all Australian mammal species are now considered threatened.
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<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Where_Wikipedia_comes_in">Where Wikipedia comes in</span></h3><p>
If you've ever looked up a plant or animal on Wikipedia, you'll have seen a coloured horizontal bar near the top of the article, running from green through yellow and orange to red, with the species' status picked out — Least Concern, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, Extinct. It's drawn from assessments by the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUCN_Red_List">International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List</a>.</p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg/330px-Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="80" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg/500px-Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg/960px-Status_iucn3.1_EN.svg.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Indicating Endangered status as highlighted in a diagram of the IUCN Red List categories</figcaption></figure>
<p>That graphic was designed by a Melbourne Wikipedian, Pengo Wray (User:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pengo">Pengo</a> on Wikipedia), who's credited as its creator on Wikimedia Commons. It's since spread well beyond English Wikipedia: the same icon set, translated, appears on species articles across dozens of language editions, from Arabic and Azerbaijani to Bikol and Bengali.
</p><p>Pengo's connection to this system goes back further than the icon. As early as 2006 they were running an early version of "Beastie Bot," a tool for updating IUCN conservation status directly in Wikipedia's species infoboxes. In 2016 they sought Wikimedia Foundation funding to open-source and modernise it, noting the lists it produced could otherwise end up "resembling database dumps rather than encyclopedic content."
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<h3><span id="Last_year.27s_partner_project"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Last_year's_partner_project">Last year's partner project</span></h3><p>
That's why Wikimedia Australia funded Pengo's project in the 2025–2026 Partner Projects round: <i>Refresh Threatened Species Lists and Create an Australia-specific Threatened Species List</i>. The brief was to improve and refresh the code behind Wikipedia's lists of threatened species, build automated tools to help create and maintain them, and produce a threatened species list specific to Australia, keeping biodiversity information on Wikipedia "accurate, readable, locally relevant." As Pengo put it in the funding application:</p><blockquote><p>"Regional biodiversity is culturally important to many, and my aim is to keep this knowledge readily accessible through Wikipedia, where the information can be immediate and explorable within the context of the large number of supporting Wikipedia articles."</p></blockquote><p>Wikipedia's existing Australian lists — <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_threatened_flora_of_Australia" class="extiw" title="w:List of threatened flora of Australia">List of threatened flora of Australia</a></i>, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatened_fauna_of_Australia" class="extiw" title="w:Threatened fauna of Australia">Threatened fauna of Australia</a></i>, and the list of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_threatened_ecological_communities_declared_by_the_Commonwealth_of_Australia" class="extiw" title="w:List of threatened ecological communities declared by the Commonwealth of Australia">Commonwealth-declared threatened ecological communities</a> — draw on government sources like the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl">Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT)</a>, but some of their citations and figures are several years old. Species get relisted, downlisted or added, and the lists on the page don't always keep pace. Tools that can refresh that information automatically, rather than relying on manual, article-by-article edits, help a list stay accurate rather than just starting out that way.
</p><h3><span class="mw-headline" id="What_you_can_do_today">What you can do today</span></h3>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Partner_Projects_2026-2027_logo.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=Partner_Projects_2026-2027_logo.png&width=300" decoding="async" width="300" height="300" class="mw-file-element" srcset="/w/thumb.php?f=Partner_Projects_2026-2027_logo.png&width=450 1.5x, /w/thumb.php?f=Partner_Projects_2026-2027_logo.png&width=600 2x" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_2026-2027" title="Partner Projects 2026-2027">the 2026-2027 round for Partner Projects funding is open until 14 September 2026.</a> </figcaption></figure>
<p>You don't need to be a developer to help out on Wiki projects. If you know a threatened species or ecological community in your area, check its Wikipedia article and see whether the conservation status and supporting references are current — a five-minute edit can matter! If you've got a freely licensed photo of a threatened Australian species, <a href="/wiki/Wikimedia_Commons" title="Wikimedia Commons">Wikimedia Commons</a> is short of good images for many of them.
</p><p>And if you're looking for a bigger project, the <a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_2026-2027" title="Partner Projects 2026-2027">2026-2027 Partner Projects</a> funding round is currently open. If you are like Pengo and see a gap on Wikipedia that can be fixed, please get in touch!
</p></div>Ali Smithhttps://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_August_2026_UpdateWikimedia Australia August 2026 Update2026-09-01T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">Our latest newsletter</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-09-01T00:00:00+00:00">1 September 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#News"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">News</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#The_last_Wiki_Loves_Pride_session_on_Wear_It_Purple_Day"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">The last Wiki Loves Pride session on Wear It Purple Day</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Partner_Projects_2026–27:_expressions_of_interest_now_open"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Partner Projects 2026–27: expressions of interest now open</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#New_podcast_about_Australia_on_Wikipedia"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">New podcast about Australia on Wikipedia</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#What_to_do?_Make_it_blue!"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">What to do? Make it blue!</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#Upcoming_events"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Upcoming events</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#Other_things_from_around_the_web"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Other things from around the web</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="News">News</span></h2>
<p><i>Our August update: our last Wiki Loves Pride session, Partner Project EOI open, a new podcast and lots of opportunities to attend meet-ups.</i>
</p><p><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikimedia-au-announce.lists.wikimedia.org/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> to stay up to date with the latest from the Wikimedia Australia Community.</i>
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="The_last_Wiki_Loves_Pride_session_on_Wear_It_Purple_Day">The last Wiki Loves Pride session on Wear It Purple Day</span></h3>
<p>Our sixth and final fortnightly Wiki Loves Pride Australia session for 2026 ran on 28 August 2026 and it happened to land on Wear It Purple Day, which supports LGBTQIA+ young people. A fitting way to close out a winter of drop-in editing bees, improving LGBTQ+ representation across Wikipedia, Commons and Wikidata.
</p><p>Globally, the Wiki Loves Pride contest run by Wikimedia LGBT+ has already produced 555 new, expanded or translated articles this year, including Australian and New Zealand entries like Pride celebrations in Australia, Pine Gap Women's Peace Camp and Bobby Goldsmith. Come help add one more before judging begins.
</p><p><b><a href="/wiki/WikiLoves_Pride_Australia_2026" title="WikiLoves Pride Australia 2026">See what we've achieved.</a></b>
</p>
<h3><span id="Partner_Projects_2026.E2.80.9327:_expressions_of_interest_now_open"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Partner_Projects_2026–27:_expressions_of_interest_now_open">Partner Projects 2026–27: expressions of interest now open</span></h3>
<p>Wikimedia Australia is inviting Expressions of Interest from Australian organisations and individuals for projects that grow free knowledge and strive for knowledge equity. Up to three projects will be funded this round, each worth between $3,000 and $10,000 which can be used for hosting a Wikimedian-in-Residence, running editathons or training, uploading collections to Wikimedia Commons, or building tools that integrate with Wikidata.
</p><p>Australian organisations and individuals are both welcome to apply. Projects must be undertaken in accordance with our new <a href="/wiki/Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms" title="Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms"><i>Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</i></a>.
</p><p>Expressions of interest close Monday 14 September. Come to our FAQ session if you'd like to know more about Partner Projects and talk through your ideas.
</p><p><b><a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_2026-2027" title="Partner Projects 2026-2027">Apply now</a>.</b>
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="New_podcast_about_Australia_on_Wikipedia">New podcast about Australia on Wikipedia</span></h3>
<p><b>All That We Touch: Wikipedia</b>, is a new a six-part podcast from the wikihistories research project at UTS, hosted by Professor Heather Ford, journalist Richard Cooke and Dr Francesca Sidoti.
</p><p>The series covers how Wikipedia formed, its three big fights over what counts as knowledge, whether it can survive generative AI, a listener quiz, and a practical episode for teachers, students and librarians - plus an episode examining the gaps, "Australia and Wikipedia: the bias in the map." Wikimedia Australia gets a mention too!
</p><p><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://impactstudios.edu.au/podcast/all-that-we-touch"><b>Listen now</b></a>
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<h3><span id="What_to_do.3F_Make_it_blue.21"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="What_to_do?_Make_it_blue!">What to do? Make it blue!</span></h3>
<p><b>What to blue?</b> is one of four sister tools under whattodo.toolforge.org (a Toolforge app called SwitchMaster, built to "help find articles to improve or create"). It's a red-link prioritiser. You pick a target wiki (language code), a WikiProject/topic area, and an importance tier (Top/High/Mid/Low/Any). It returns the redlinks in that subject that already have the most incoming links from existing articles — i.e. topics other editors have already tried to link to, so they're proven-wanted and won't sit orphaned once created.
</p><p><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://whattodo.toolforge.org/whattoblue"><b>Give it a whirl!</b></a>
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<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Upcoming_events">Upcoming events</span></h2><p>
Events happening online and around Australia in the next few weeks.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_2026-2027_FAQ_session" title="Partner Projects 2026-2027 FAQ session">Partner Projects 2026-2027 FAQ session</a></strong> — Wednesday 2 September 2026<br /><small>A FAQ and advice session for applying for Partner Projects funding</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Introduction_to_Wikipedia_-_September_2026" title="Introduction to Wikipedia - September 2026">Introduction to Wikipedia - September 2026</a></strong> — Wednesday 2 September 2026<br /><small>Learn how Wikipedia content is created</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Drop_in_and_Wiki_-_September_2026" title="Drop in and Wiki - September 2026">Drop in and Wiki - September 2026</a></strong> — Thursday 3 September 2026<br /><small>Join us online for a casual drop-in session to edit Wikipedia</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Adelaide_Exchange_meet_up_-_September_2026" title="Adelaide Exchange meet up - September 2026">Adelaide Exchange meet up - September 2026</a></strong> — Friday 4 September 2026<br /><small>Want to improve articles about South Australia's heritage and environment?</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Commons_Catch_Up_-_September_2026" title="Commons Catch Up - September 2026">Commons Catch Up - September 2026</a></strong> — Thursday 10 September 2026<br /><small>Join us for Commons Catch Up, a monthly online drop-in session for anyone keen to work on and chat about Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository behind Wikipedia.</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Online_Community_Meeting_-_September_2026" title="Online Community Meeting - September 2026">Online Community Meeting - September 2026</a></strong> — Monday 14 September 2026<br /><small>The Australian Wikimedia community meets online monthly</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Perth_Meetup_97" title="Perth Meetup 97">Perth Meetup 97</a></strong> — Saturday 19 September 2026<br /><small>A meet up for WA Wikimedians</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_2026_AGM" title="Wikimedia Australia 2026 AGM">Wikimedia Australia 2026 AGM</a></strong> — Sunday 20 September 2026<br /><small>Save the date for the Annual General Meeting of Wikimedia Australia</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Drop_in_and_Wikidata_-_September_2026" title="Drop in and Wikidata - September 2026">Drop in and Wikidata - September 2026</a></strong> — Thursday 24 September 2026<br /><small>Join our monthly Wikidata drop in!</small></li>
</ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Other_things_from_around_the_web">Other things from around the web</span></h2>
<ul><li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/976004/elon-musk-grokipedia-ai-wikipedia-not-updating-dead">Elon Musk's attempt at an AI Wikipedia hasn't been updated in months</a> — TheVerge</i></li>
<li><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2026-08-24/Recent_research" class="extiw" title="w:Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2026-08-24/Recent research">Women in blue? Wikipedia's gender gap reverses in some areas</a> — Wikipedia Signpost</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2026/07/ramm-collections-get-almost-13-million-wikipedia-hits-due-to-new-copyright-strategy/">RAMM collections get almost 13 million Wikipedia hits due to new copyright strategy</a> - Museums Association</i></li></ul>
<ul><li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikiedu.org/blog/2026/08/19/making-rare-disease-knowledge-a-little-more-common-on-wikipedia/">Making rare disease knowledge a little more common on Wikipedia</a> — Wiki Education</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.avclub.com/dr-seuss-gordon-roseleip-olympic-mascots">Toast, boners, and margarine haters all come together on Wikipedia</a> — The A.V. Club</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://updates.timsherratt.org/2026/08/17/a-new-way-of-downloading.html">A new way of downloading Trove newspaper images</a> — Tim Sherratt</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://noeflandre.com/posts/describe-place-on-earth-part1-wikidata">How to describe any place on Earth (Part 1): Wikidata as the bridge</a> - Noé Flandre</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/wikipedias-25th-anniversary-advancing-open-knowledge-and-information-integrity">Wikipedia's 25th anniversary: advancing open knowledge and information integrity</a> - UNESCO</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://medium.com/wikimedia-policy/anonymity-is-important-for-democracy-and-its-also-at-risk-discussing-online-identity-6e9a83099ba7">Anonymity is important for democracy — and it's also at risk</a> - Wikimedia Policy</i></li></ul></div>Ali Smithhttps://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Partner_Projects_2026-2027Partner Projects 2026-20272026-08-12T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><br />
</p>
<div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">Expressions of Interest for Partner Projects 2026-2027 are now open. Apply by 14 September 2026.</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-08-12T00:00:00+00:00">12 August 2026</time>. </div>
<p>Wikimedia Australia is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Australian organisations and individuals for projects that grow free knowledge and strive for knowledge equity, in line with our <a href="/wiki/WMAU_10_Year_Strategic_Plan_(2025%E2%80%932035)" title="WMAU 10 Year Strategic Plan (2025–2035)">10 Year Strategic Plan (2025–2035)</a>.
</p><p>This funding round is open to organisations and individuals with the capacity and expertise to deliver a project engaging with one or more Wikimedia platforms, including Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons and others. Proposals from applicants with prior Wikimedia experience are strongly encouraged.
</p><p><b>Funding:</b> Up to AUD$10,000 per project (minimum AUD$3,000). Up to three projects will be funded this round. Projects will be supported by Wikimedia Australia's new <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimedia.org.au/w/images/a/aa/Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf">Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) Guide</a>.
</p><p><b>Co-contributions</b> (cash or in-kind) are welcome.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Apply_for_Partner_Project_Funding">Apply for Partner Project Funding</span></h2>
<ul><li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7T3kwh3SXK9JVQTNBjuPnGrA3B0cE17LqK0MUjQm3wAHRig/viewform">Submit your Expression of Interest</a></b> by Monday 14 September 2026, 23:59 in your timezone</li>
<li>Plan your project with the <a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_Best_Practice_Guide" title="Partner Projects Best Practice Guide"><b>Best Practice Guide</b></a></li>
<li>Review the <a href="/wiki/File:WMAU_Partner_Projects_Assessment_Criteria_and_Scoring_Framework_Guidelines_2025.pdf" title="File:WMAU Partner Projects Assessment Criteria and Scoring Framework Guidelines 2025.pdf"><b>Assessment Criteria and Scoring Framework Guidelines</b></a></li></ul>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Review_the_Partner_Projects_2026_FAQ_video_for_tips_on_your_application">Review the <a href="/wiki/File:WMAU_Partner_Projects_FAQ_session_2026.webm" title="File:WMAU Partner Projects FAQ session 2026.webm">Partner Projects 2026 FAQ video</a> for tips on your application</span></h3>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Key_dates">Key dates</span></h2>
<ul><li><b>Applications open:</b> Wednesday 12 August 2026</li>
<li><b>Deadline for EOI submissions:</b> Monday 14 September 2026, 23:59 in your timezone</li>
<li><b>Successful applicants notified:</b> by 30 September 2026</li>
<li><b>Funding agreements signed:</b> by 16 October 2026</li>
<li><b>Projects start:</b> from late October 2026 (once agreements are signed and first payments made)</li>
<li><b>Projects complete:</b> by 31 May 2027</li>
<li><b>Final report due:</b> by 28 June 2027</li>
<li><b>Optional information session:</b> <a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_2026-2027_FAQ_session" title="Partner Projects 2026-2027 FAQ session">FAQ session Wednesday 2 September 2026</a></li></ul>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Selection_criteria">Selection criteria</span></h3>
<p>Projects should align with the <a href="/wiki/WMAU_10_Year_Strategic_Plan_(2025%E2%80%932035)" title="WMAU 10 Year Strategic Plan (2025–2035)"><b>WMAU 10 Year Strategic Plan (2025–2035)</b></a> and address one or more of our four strategic pillars:
</p>
<ul><li>Grow free knowledge</li>
<li>Strive for knowledge equity</li>
<li>Build a stronger organisation</li>
<li>Celebrate our community</li></ul>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Assessment_criteria">Assessment criteria</span></h3>
<p>Project proposals will be assessed against the <a href="/wiki/File:WMAU_Partner_Projects_Assessment_Criteria_and_Scoring_Framework_Guidelines_2025.pdf" title="File:WMAU Partner Projects Assessment Criteria and Scoring Framework Guidelines 2025.pdf"><b>WMAU Partner Projects Assessment Criteria and Scoring Framework Guidelines</b></a>.
</p>
<h3><span id="What_can_be_funded.3F"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="What_can_be_funded?">What can be funded?</span></h3>
<p>This funding is flexible, and we are open to new ideas. Your project may include aspects such as:
</p>
<ul><li>Hosting a Wikimedian-in-Residence (WiR) or intern in your organisation</li>
<li>Running training sessions or editathons for specific groups or communities</li>
<li>Creating or uploading collections, data, images or content to Wikimedia platforms</li>
<li>Developing tools or integrating data with Wikidata</li>
<li>Building staff or volunteer skills, drafting open access policies, or improving metadata and citations</li></ul>
<p>Previous projects and examples of successful partnerships are <a href="/wiki/Partnerships" title="Partnerships">available on our website</a>.
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="How_to_apply">How to apply</span></h3>
<ul><li>Define your project by working through the <a href="/wiki/Partner_Projects_Best_Practice_Guide" title="Partner Projects Best Practice Guide">Best Practice Guide</a></li>
<li>Review the <a href="/wiki/File:WMAU_Partner_Projects_Assessment_Criteria_and_Scoring_Framework_Guidelines_2025.pdf" title="File:WMAU Partner Projects Assessment Criteria and Scoring Framework Guidelines 2025.pdf">Assessment rubric</a></li>
<li>All projects should consider First Nations perspectives and content from the start. Projects involving First Nations peoples, communities or content must be led by or involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Guidance is available in the <a href="/wiki/Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms" title="Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms">Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</a></li>
<li>Contact us at contact@wikimedia.org.au with questions or to discuss your ideas</li>
<li><b>Submit your Expression of Interest</b> using the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7T3kwh3SXK9JVQTNBjuPnGrA3B0cE17LqK0MUjQm3wAHRig/viewform">EOI form</a> by Monday 14 September 2026, 23:59 in your timezone</li>
<li>If shortlisted, you may be contacted to discuss your proposal in more detail with the WMAU Partner Project Selection Committee during 15–30 September.</li>
<li>If your EOI is successful, a funding agreement must be signed before funds are transferred. Projects should be underway by late October 2026 and completed by 31 May 2027. A final report is required within four weeks of the end of the project. Reporting is via a blog post, plus an online or in-person presentation.</li></ul>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Important_notes">Important notes</span></h3>
<p>All projects must comply with Wikimedia Foundation and WMAU policies, including:
</p>
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Safe_Space_Policy" title="Safe Space Policy">Safe Spaces</a></b> for participants at activities and events</li>
<li><b>Licensing:</b> all content must follow Wikimedia Open licensing (usually CC BY-SA or Public Domain)</li>
<li><b>Quality:</b> contributions must meet Wikimedia standards for citations, metadata and accuracy</li></ul>
<p><b>Why partner with Wikimedia?</b>
</p><p>Wikipedia is consistently one of the most-visited websites in Australia, often appearing at the top of search results. Adding your content to Wikipedia and related platforms:
</p>
<ul><li>Increases visibility of your collections and expertise</li>
<li>Enhances public access to knowledge</li>
<li>Drives traffic to your website or resources</li>
<li>Contributes to a global movement for open knowledge</li></ul>
<p><b>Further information about Wikimedia Australia</b>
</p><p>Wikimedia Australia (WMAU) is a registered charity and the official Australian chapter of the international Wikimedia Foundation (WMF). We support individuals and organisations to engage with and contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms through events, training and partnerships. See the <a href="/wiki/WMAU_10_Year_Strategic_Plan_(2025%E2%80%932035)" title="WMAU 10 Year Strategic Plan (2025–2035)">WMAU 10 Year Strategic Plan (2025–2035)</a>.
</p><p><b>Contact</b>
</p><p>Contact us at <b>contact@wikimedia.org.au</b> if you have questions or would like to discuss your project before applying.
</p></div>https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_July_2026_UpdateWikimedia Australia July 2026 Update2026-08-10T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">Our latest newsletter</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-08-10T00:00:00+00:00">10 August 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<p><br />
This month’s news and happenings include news of Wikimedia Australia turning 18, our new ICIP and IDSov Guide, what you told us about WikiCon Canberra, and a last call for Craig Franklin Award nominations.
</p><p><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikimedia-au-announce.lists.wikimedia.org/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> to stay up to date with the latest from the Wikimedia Australia Community.</i>
</p>
<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#News"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">News</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Wikimedia_Australia_turns_18"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Wikimedia Australia turns 18</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#A_tour_of_the_toolbox_-_Wikimedia_tools_worth_a_look"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">A tour of the toolbox - Wikimedia tools worth a look</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#Featured_tool_-_Can_I_TRUST_Wikipedia?"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">Featured tool - Can I TRUST Wikipedia?</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#Upcoming_events"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Upcoming events</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#Other_things_from_around_the_web"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Other things from around the web</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="News">News</span></h2>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms">Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms</span></h3>
<p>Who has the cultural authority to tell this story? That question sits at the heart of two publications Wikimedia Australia released in July - the <a href="/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf" title="File:Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Guide.pdf">Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</a>, a practical resource for contributors working with First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms, and <a href="/wiki/File:CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf" title="File:CultureStrong Platforms White Paper.pdf">CultureStrong Platforms: Setting the Standard at Wikimedia</a>, a white paper examining the challenges still to be resolved.
</p><p>Both were developed with Terri Janke and Company, an Indigenous-owned law firm, through community consultation — including our <a href="/wiki/ICIP_%26_IDSov_Project_Update" title="ICIP & IDSov Project Update">First Nations Expert Group</a> and participants at WikiCon Canberra. The work was presented on the world stage at Wikimania 2026 in Paris, where Dr Terri Janke facilitated the First Nations keynote panel.
</p><p><a href="/wiki/Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms" title="Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms">Read about the project</a>
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Wikimedia_Australia_turns_18">Wikimedia Australia turns 18</span></h3>
<p>Thursday, 6 August, marks eighteen years since Wikimedia Australia was incorporated in 2008. Somewhere between then and now, we came of age: from the first GLAM-WIKI event in 2009, to some 23,000 images shared from state library collections and Australia's first Wikimedian in Residence, to Noongarpedia, to welcoming our first staff and hosting international conferences. None of it would have happened without the volunteers, members and partner organisations who've built the free knowledge movement in Australia. Thanks for the first eighteen years!
</p><p><a href="/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_turns_18" title="Wikimedia Australia turns 18">Look back at where we've been.</a>
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="A_tour_of_the_toolbox_-_Wikimedia_tools_worth_a_look">A tour of the toolbox - Wikimedia tools worth a look</span></h3>
<p>The Wikimedia projects are surrounded by a workshop full of tools built by volunteers — each solving one problem well! Our blog post rounds up fourteen of them, grouped by mood: a Commons workbench, Wikidata helpers, ways to find your next edit, and a few pure rabbit holes for when you'd rather wander. Whether you're a seasoned editor or just curious, we hope you'll find a useful tool to try!
</p><p><a href="/wiki/A_tour_of_the_toolbox:_Wikimedia_tools_worth_a_look" title="A tour of the toolbox: Wikimedia tools worth a look">Take a tour</a>
</p>
<h3><span id="Featured_tool_-_Can_I_TRUST_Wikipedia.3F"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Featured_tool_-_Can_I_TRUST_Wikipedia?">Featured tool - Can I TRUST Wikipedia?</span></h3>
<p>How do you tell whether a Wikipedia article is reliable? Wikimedia Belgium has turned that question into an interactive game. You're shown the features of an article and sort them into green ticks for articles that can be trusted and red flags that should give you pause. It's a fun, five-minute way to sharpen instincts most of us use without thinking, and well worth passing on to students, teachers, or anyone who reads Wikipedia.
</p><p><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimedia.be/trustwikigame/">Play it!</a>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Upcoming_events">Upcoming events</span></h2><p>
Events happening online and around Australia in the next few weeks.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="/wiki/Perth_Meetup_96" title="Perth Meetup 96">Perth Meetup 96</a></strong> — Saturday 1 August 2026<br /><small>A meet up for WA Wikimedians</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Introduction_to_Wikipedia_-_August_2026" title="Introduction to Wikipedia - August 2026">Introduction to Wikipedia - August 2026</a></strong> — Wednesday 5 August 2026<br /><small>Learn how Wikipedia content is created</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Drop_in_and_Wiki_-_August_2026" title="Drop in and Wiki - August 2026">Drop in and Wiki - August 2026</a></strong> — Thursday 6 August 2026<br /><small>Join us online for a casual drop-in session to edit Wikipedia</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Adelaide_Exchange_meet_up_-_August_2026" title="Adelaide Exchange meet up - August 2026">Adelaide Exchange meet up - August 2026</a></strong> — Friday 7 August 2026<br /><small>Want to improve articles about South Australia's heritage and environment?</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Online_Community_Meeting_-_August_2026" title="Online Community Meeting - August 2026">Online Community Meeting - August 2026</a></strong> — Monday 10 August 2026<br /><small>The Australian Wikimedia community meets online monthly</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Commons_Catch_Up_-_August_2026" title="Commons Catch Up - August 2026">Commons Catch Up - August 2026</a></strong> — Thursday 13 August 2026<br /><small>Join us for Commons Catch Up, a monthly online drop-in session for anyone keen to work on and chat about Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository behind Wikipedia.</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/WikiLoves_Pride_Australia_-_15_August_2026" title="WikiLoves Pride Australia - 15 August 2026">WikiLoves Pride Australia - 15 August 2026</a></strong> — Saturday 15 August 2026<br /><small>🏳️🌈 We are hosting six fortnightly, hands-on editing sessions from June to August 2026.</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Inclusive_Biographies_in_STEMM_Project_%E2%80%93_A_(mini)_Wiki_edit-a-thon" title="Inclusive Biographies in STEMM Project – A (mini) Wiki edit-a-thon">Inclusive Biographies in STEMM Project – A (mini) Wiki edit-a-thon</a></strong> — Saturday 22 August 2026<br /><small>Join us for a mini-Wikipedia edit-a-thon! Work with local Wiki editors as we expand and update articles related to the diverse people, knowledges, and discoveries that make science what it is today.</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/Drop_in_and_Wikidata_-_August_2026" title="Drop in and Wikidata - August 2026">Drop in and Wikidata - August 2026</a></strong> — Thursday 27 August 2026<br /><small>Join our monthly Wikidata drop in!</small></li>
<li><strong><a href="/wiki/WikiLoves_Pride_Australia_-_28_August_2026" title="WikiLoves Pride Australia - 28 August 2026">WikiLoves Pride Australia - 28 August 2026</a></strong> — Friday 28 August 2026<br /><small>🏳️🌈 The last of six fortnightly, hands-on editing sessions for WikiLoves Pride</small></li>
</ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Other_things_from_around_the_web">Other things from around the web</span></h2>
<ul><li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/07/22/meet-the-wikimedians-of-the-year-2026/">Meet the Wikimedians of the Year 2026</a> - Diff</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/the-accidental-architect-of-the-internets-brain">The accidental architect of the internet’s brain</a> - The New Yorker</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0331161">10 recommendations for strengthening citizen science</a> — PLOS One paper</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2026/07/08/wikimedia-foundation-denied-wipo-permanent-observer-status/">China again blocks Wikimedia Foundation's bid for permanent observer status at WIPO</a> — Wikimedia Foundation</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2026/07/ramm-collections-get-almost-13-million-wikipedia-hits-due-to-new-copyright-strategy/">RAMM collections get almost 13 million Wikipedia hits due to new copyright strategy</a> — Museums Journal</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Picture_of_the_Year/2025/Results/All">Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2025</a> — winners announced</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/07/29/a-glam-culture-and-heritage-roundup-for-april-june-2026/">A GLAM, Culture, and Heritage Roundup for April–June 2026</a> — Diff</i></li>
<li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.commonsdb.org/">CommonsDB</a> — a new EU-backed public registry for Public Domain and openly licensed works, led by Open Future</i></li></ul>
<p>Image: <i>Iñaki LL, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons</i>
</p></div>Ali Smithhttps://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_turns_18Wikimedia Australia turns 182026-08-06T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">Happy Birthday WMAU!</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-08-06T00:00:00+00:00">6 August 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG/330px-WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG/500px-WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG/960px-WMAU_2008-2009_AGM_Sydney.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>The Sydney crowd at the Wikimedia Australia 2008-2009 AGM, at Millers Point.</figcaption></figure><p>On 6 August 2008, Wikimedia Australia became an incorporated association. Eighteen years later, the chapter has reached the age at which, in this country, you can vote, sign a contract, serve on a jury and shout your mates a beer!
</p><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="How_we_got_here">How we got here</span></h2>
<p>The Wikimedia Foundation recognised Wikimedia Australia as a chapter on 4 March 2008, and an incorporation meeting followed on 20 April, with around twenty Wikimedians joining by conference call from Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart. Consumer Affairs Victoria promptly <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_chapters/Reports/Wikimedia_Australia/2008-10">knocked back the first application</a> — our statement of purpose, apparently, was too short. A rewrite did the trick, and incorporation came through on 6 August 2008.
</p>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG/330px-Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG/500px-Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG/960px-Wikimedia_Australia_committee_2009-2010.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>The Wikimedia Australia committee for 2009-2010.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Our first event arrived the following year: <a href="/wiki/GLAM-WIKI" title="GLAM-WIKI">GLAM-WIKI 2009</a>, hosted with the support of the Australian War Memorial, which set the pattern for nearly two decades of work alongside galleries, libraries, archives and museums. Since then, there has been <a href="/wiki/Freopedia" title="Freopedia">Freopedia</a>, Australia's first WikiTown, in Fremantle in 2012; a long partnership with <a href="/wiki/Paralympics_History_Partnership" title="Paralympics History Partnership">Paralympics Australia</a> that put Wikimedians on the ground at London and Sochi; and a steadily growing body of work supporting <a href="/wiki/ICIP_%26_IDSov_Project_Update" title="ICIP & IDSov Project Update">Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and Indigenous Data Sovereignty</a> in the Wikimedia movement.
</p><p><a href="/wiki/Ongoing_and_Past_Partnerships" title="Ongoing and Past Partnerships"><b>Read a full list of ongoing and past partnerships.</b></a>
</p><p>
In 2022 Wikimedia Australia welcomed two full-time staff for the first time and hosted <a href="/wiki/ESEAP_Conference_2022" title="ESEAP Conference 2022">ESEAP Conference 2022</a> in Sydney. From 2023 we gradually increased the team, reaching three <a href="/wiki/Staff" title="Staff">staff</a> — two full-time and one part-time — by 2025. As of July 2026 all three positions are full-time.</p><figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Caddie_Brain_and_James_Gaunt.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Caddie_Brain_and_James_Gaunt.jpg/330px-Caddie_Brain_and_James_Gaunt.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="268" height="357" class="mw-file-element" /></a><figcaption>Caddie Brain and James Gaunt, WMAU inaugural staff</figcaption></figure><p>There is a neat coincidence in the numbers, too! The chapter is in its eighteenth year and its eighteenth committee term. Every one of those terms has been filled by volunteers who put their hand up.
</p><p><b><a href="/wiki/History" title="History">Read more about our history</a>.</b>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Come_and_be_part_of_the_next_eighteen">Come and be part of the next eighteen</span></h2>
<p>Everything Wikimedia Australia does depends on members and volunteers. As of 6 August 2026, Wikimedia Australia proudly has 100 members.
</p><p>If you edit, photograph, translate, tidy references, or just think free knowledge is worth backing, <a href="/wiki/Membership" title="Membership">join us</a> — and mark 20 September in your diary for this year's Annual General Meeting.
</p><p><b>Happy birthday, WMAU.</b>
</p></div>Ali Smithhttps://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/What_you_told_us_about_WikiCon_Canberra_2026What you told us about WikiCon Canberra 20262026-08-05T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><br />
</p>
<div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">WikiCon 2026 reflections</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-08-05T00:00:00+00:00">5 August 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<p><br />
</p><p>
Back in April we shared a wrap-up of <a href="/wiki/WikiCon_Canberra_2026:_Bringing_the_Community_Together" title="WikiCon Canberra 2026: Bringing the Community Together">WikiCon Canberra (Kanbarra) 2026</a> celebrating the sessions, the courtyard conversations, and of course the Wikipedia25 cake! Since then, we have been reviewing our Community's feedback on what went well and what we can improve on for hosting the next WikiCon Australia. </p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg/330px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg/500px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg/960px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-33.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Belinda inviting feedback on sessions</figcaption></figure><p>At the time, two forms went out: one on the event overall, post conference and we also circulated a form that covered individual sessions that participants were encouraged to fill in after a session. Here is what they said.
</p><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="The_numbers">The numbers</span></h2>
<p>Overall satisfaction averaged <b>4.7 out of 5</b>. Session relevance — how useful people found the content to their own work — averaged <b>4.4</b>. The session-by-session form gathered <b>48 ratings averaging 4.5</b>, with 30 of those 48 giving a session the top score.
</p><p>Whilst only a small number of people completed the overall event form, encouragingly, it told much the same story of satisfaction as the individual sessions.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="What_worked">What worked</span></h2>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg/330px-WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg/500px-WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg/960px-WikiCon_2026_wp25_Cake_gnangarra-5.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Cutting the Wikipedia 25 birthday cake in the NFSA courtyard</figcaption></figure>
<p><b>The venue.</b> The National Film and Sound Archive scored 4.5, with the most compelling reason given in the comments: hosting at a GLAM institution with both indoor and outdoor space gave people somewhere to take a conversation when a session ended.
</p><p><b>The ICIP and IDSov thread.</b> Running from the AIATSIS pre-conference panel on Friday night, through Terri Janke's keynote to the Sunday workshop, the topic was able to be discussed over the whole weekend rather than sitting in a single slot. Terri and her team were praised repeatedly. Structuring a subject as a thread is something we will do again.
</p>
<p><b>The shape of the program.</b> Two streams, with a variety of session formats. The speed round were named as particularly effective.</p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Mary_Coe_presents.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Mary_Coe_presents.jpg/330px-Mary_Coe_presents.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="194" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Mary_Coe_presents.jpg/500px-Mary_Coe_presents.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Mary_Coe_presents.jpg/960px-Mary_Coe_presents.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Mary Coe presents at WikiCon 2026</figcaption></figure><p><b>The community feel.</b> Having international Wikimedians in the room was exciting! There was a feeling of inclusiveness and shared learning experiences with our international visitors. In addition to this, people seemed to simply like having enough unprogrammed time to talk!
</p><p><b>Other logistics.</b> Accommodation scored 5.0, accessibility 4.8, communication 4.7, activities 4.7 and registration 4.6. As staff, we were extremely impressed by the care and level of service provided to us from the Novotel Canberra in assistance with booking rooms and helping to host our Strategic Planning Day for the Board on the day after WikiCon.
</p>
<h2><span id="What_we.27re_taking_onboard"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="What_we're_taking_onboard">What we're taking onboard</span></h2>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg/330px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg/500px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg/960px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-66.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Ali troubleshooting hybrid streaming issues</figcaption></figure>
<p><b>Hybrid delivery.</b> At 3.9, this was the lowest score. Zoom access was unclear for remote attendees, microphones frequently were not the Zoom audio source, and presentations were not consistently shared to people online. Whilst we tested the technology, and had IT support in each room (and paid IT support in some instances) things still went awry and we couldn't deliver on what we'd promised. Remote participation is something that needs to be considered more thoroughly for future WikiCons.
</p><p><b>Food.</b> 4.2 - more savoury options alongside the sweets at breaks!
</p>
<p><b>Communications for associated events.</b> The tours, the AIATSIS pre-conference and the social events all needed earlier notice, registration confirmations and reminders closer to the day. One suggestion we like: name tags at the AIATSIS event, which drew a more broad and mixed audience than the main conference sessions. </p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG/330px-WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG/500px-WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG/960px-WikiCon-AU_2026_National_Library_Tour.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Tour of the National Library</figcaption></figure><p><b>Getting around Canberra.</b> Roadworks caused problems nobody could have anticipated. Pre-event guidance on buses, walking routes and taxi options between the hotel, the National Library and AIATSIS would have saved a bit of confusion. This is something that we need to get better at by the next event.
</p><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Making_WikiCon_something_for_everyone">Making WikiCon something for everyone</span></h2>
<p>Several long-term Wikimedians raised an important question that we'll take on board for the next planning process: <i>how did the weekend feel for someone attending their first WikiCon?</i> and <i>how can we better reach the Australian Wikimedians who have never engaged with WMAU at all?</i>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Thank_you">Thank you</span></h2>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg/330px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg/500px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg/960px-WikiCon_Aust_2026_-Gnangarra-61.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Biyanto presents at WikiCon 2026</figcaption></figure>
<p>To everyone who filled in the feedback forms, especially those who wrote more than the boxes asked for!
</p><p>If you have thoughts that didn't make it onto a form, we would still like to hear them. Come along to one of our <a href="/wiki/Events" title="Events">monthly community calls</a>, or get in <a href="/wiki/Contact" title="Contact">touch with the</a> <a href="/wiki/Contact" title="Contact">team any time</a>.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Related_links">Related links</span></h2>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/WikiCon_Canberra_2026:_Bringing_the_Community_Together" title="WikiCon Canberra 2026: Bringing the Community Together">WikiCon Canberra 2026: Bringing the Community Together</a></li></ul></div>Ali Smithhttps://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSovWikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov2026-07-17T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><br />
</p>
<div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">The latest news on our partnership with Terri Janke and Company (TJC) on WMAU's ICIP and IDSov work.</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-07-17T00:00:00+00:00">17 July 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<p>In late 2025 Wikimedia Australia (WMAU) engaged <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.terrijanke.com.au">Terri Janke and Company</a> (TJC), a leading Australian Indigenous-owned law firm and consultancy, specialising in Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) to develop the first stage of a First Nations Protocol for WMAU.
</p><p>This partnership will provide Wikimedia Australia, its members, and partners with a clear framework for responsibly engaging with and supporting First Nations Peoples and communities. The Protocol will ensure that Wikimedia Australia's work respects Indigenous knowledge systems and supports the rights of Indigenous Peoples to be centred in and control the use of their data and cultural heritage.
</p><p>In early 2026 an Indigenous Expert Working Group was formed, and Terri and her team presented a draft of the ICIP Guide to Australian editors at WikiCon Canberra in April 2026 for discussion and feedback.
</p><p>On 16 July 2026 two publications were released: the <b><a href="/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf" title="File:Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Guide.pdf">Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Guide</a></b> and the accompanying white paper <a href="/wiki/File:CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf" title="File:CultureStrong Platforms White Paper.pdf"><i><b>CultureStrong Platforms: Setting the Standard at Wikimedia</b></i>.</a> Developed through an Indigenous-led process, the publications provide practical guidance for Wikimedia contributors while opening an international conversation about respecting Indigenous knowledge, cultural authority and self-determination within the Wikimedia movement. Community feedback on the white paper's consultation questions is invited via an online survey. <b><a href="/wiki/Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms" title="Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms">Read the Guide and white paper</a>.</b>
</p>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg/330px-Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="mw-file-element" srcset="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg/500px-Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 1.5x, https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg/960px-Terri_Janke_presenting_CultureStrong_at_Wikimania_Paris_2026.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail 2x" /></a><figcaption>Terri Janke presenting in the Guide and White Paper at Wikimania Paris 2026.</figcaption></figure>
<p>In July 2026 this work moves onto the global stage at Wikimania 2026 in Paris, Wikimedia's annual international conference. The publications will be shared with delegates from around the world, and Dr Terri Janke will facilitate the First Nations keynote panel in the Equity stream, leading international discussions on the future of Indigenous knowledge on the Wikimedia platforms.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Stay_up_to_date">Stay up to date</span></h2>
<ul><li>Stay up to date with what WMAU is doing in the space: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikimedia-au-icip.lists.wikimedia.org"><b>Wikimedia-au-icip mailing list</b></a> (you'll need a free postorious account, or <a href="/wiki/Contact" title="Contact">contact us</a> to be added to the mailing list).</li></ul>
<h2><span id="ICIP_.26_IDSov_related_events"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="ICIP_&_IDSov_related_events">ICIP & IDSov related events</span></h2>
<ul><li><strong><a href="/wiki/Open_platforms,_open_minds,_respectful_practices:_ICIP_%26_IDSov_Guide_for_Wikimedia_Australia" title="Open platforms, open minds, respectful practices: ICIP & IDSov Guide for Wikimedia Australia">Open platforms, open minds, respectful practices: ICIP & IDSov Guide for Wikimedia Australia</a></strong> — Friday 10 April 2026<br /><small>Dr Terri Janke will present an overview of the ICIP and Indigenous Data Sovereignty project she is leading for Wikimedia Australia, followed by a panel discussion.</small></li>
</ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Presentations">Presentations</span></h2>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Screenshot_2025-12-11_at_12.49.24_pm.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=Screenshot_2025-12-11_at_12.49.24_pm.png&width=300" decoding="async" width="300" height="210" class="mw-file-element" srcset="/w/thumb.php?f=Screenshot_2025-12-11_at_12.49.24_pm.png&width=450 1.5x, /w/thumb.php?f=Screenshot_2025-12-11_at_12.49.24_pm.png&width=600 2x" /></a><figcaption><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://youtu.be/NS7yHJ7LhRA">View the presentation from Terri Janke on YouTube</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>In November 2025, a short video presentation was produced by Terri Janke and Company outlining the Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Protocol project. The project will help ensure Wikimedia Australia's work reflects best practice in engaging with Indigenous knowledge, communities and content.
</p>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://youtu.be/NS7yHJ7LhRA">Video presentation by Terri Janke is available on YouTube.</a></li></ul>
<p>Wikimedia Netherlands also requested a short presentation about the Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Protocol project as part of their annual WikiConNL 2025. We sent the short video presentation by Terri Janke that was played at the conference, along with WMAU staff attending online to answer questions from participants.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Latest_News">Latest News</span></h2>
<div class="ext-linkcards"><div class="ext-linkcards-card ext-linkcards-card-image-pos-start" style="flex-basis: calc(100% - 1em)"><a href="/wiki/Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platforms"><span class="ext-linkcards-image ext-linkcards-landscape"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/WikiCon26_Gnangarra-35.jpg/960px-WikiCon26_Gnangarra-35.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" width="800" height="532" style="" /></span> <span class="ext-linkcards-main"><span class="ext-linkcards-title">Guide and white paper released: Respecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms</span> The Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Guide and the CultureStrong Platforms white paper are released, ahead of the First Nations keynote panel at Wikimania 2026 in Paris.</span></a></div><div class="ext-linkcards-card ext-linkcards-card-image-pos-start" style="flex-basis: calc(100% - 1em)"><a href="/wiki/ICIP_%26_IDSov_Project_Update"><span class="ext-linkcards-image ext-linkcards-landscape"><img src="https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/WMAU_2017_vertical_logo_%28colour%29.svg/960px-WMAU_2017_vertical_logo_%28colour%29.svg.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" width="800" height="589" style="" /></span> <span class="ext-linkcards-main"><span class="ext-linkcards-title">Announcing the expert consultation ICIP & IDSov Project group</span> Progress update on the project, the Guide development, and announcing the expert consultation group</span></a></div><div class="ext-linkcards-card ext-linkcards-card-image-pos-start" style="flex-basis: calc(100% - 1em)"><a href="https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/File:Scoping_Project_to_Integrate_ICIP_and_IDSov_Best_Practice_at_Wikimedia_Australia-_Audit,_Scoping_Document_and_Strategic_Guidance.pdf"><span class="ext-linkcards-image ext-linkcards-portrait"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=DrTerriJanke_051224_44536_He.jpg&width=800" width="800" height="1200" style="" /></span> <span class="ext-linkcards-main"><span class="ext-linkcards-title">ICIP and IDSov Audit, Scoping Document and Strategic Guidance</span> Scoping Project document to Integrate ICIP and IDSov Best Practice at Wikimedia Australia: Audit, Scoping Document and Strategic Guidance</span></a></div><div class="ext-linkcards-card ext-linkcards-card-image-pos-start" style="flex-basis: calc(100% - 1em)"><a href="/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_and_Terri_Janke_and_Company_to_scope_a_First_Nations_Protocol"><span class="ext-linkcards-image ext-linkcards-portrait"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=DrTerriJanke_051224_44536_He.jpg&width=800" width="800" height="1200" style="" /></span> <span class="ext-linkcards-main"><span class="ext-linkcards-title">TJC and WMAU scoping a First Nations Protocol</span> This initiative is a significant step toward building a more equitable and respectful digital space for all.</span></a></div><div class="ext-linkcards-card ext-linkcards-card-image-pos-start" style="flex-basis: calc(100% - 1em)"><a href="/wiki/Terri_Janke_and_Company_lead_phase_1_of_WMAU_ICIP_and_IDSov_project"><span class="ext-linkcards-image ext-linkcards-landscape"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=Terri_Janke_and_WMAU.JPEG&width=800" width="800" height="625" style="" /></span> <span class="ext-linkcards-main"><span class="ext-linkcards-title">Terri Janke and Company lead phase 1 of WMAU ICIP and IDSov project</span> WMAU announces Phase 1 of the ICIP and IDSov project that will guide our work into the future.</span></a></div></div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Around_the_web">Around the web</span></h2>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/2026/09/04/guidance-for-indigenous-collections-and-data/">Guidance for Indigenous Collections and Data</a>, by Brigitte Vézina and Dee Harris, Creative Commons, 4 September 2026.</li></ul>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://policycommons.net/artifacts/57375787/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property-icip-and-indigenous-data-sovereignty-guide/58273994/">Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</a>, listed in the PolicyCommons catalogue.</li></ul>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/live-panel-wikimedia-australia-and-dr-terri-jankes/id6788245550?i=1000783939289">Live panel: Wikimedia Australia and Dr Terri Janke's guide to working with First Nations content responsibly</a>, <i>All That We Touch</i> podcast, by Dr Heather Ford and Impact Studios — the final episode, a live recording of the AIATSIS session at WikiCon Australia 2026.</li></ul>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/08/28/wikimania-2026-impactful-sessions-useful-tools-and-wonderful-people/">Wikimania 2026: Impactful sessions, useful tools, and wonderful people</a>, by Stitchbird2, <i>Diff</i>, 28 August 2026.</li></ul>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/09/05/my-first-wikimania-experience-in-paris/">My First Wikimania Experience in Paris</a>, by Piyanist, <i>Diff</i>, 5 September 2026.</li></ul>
<ul><li>Monthly GLAM call webinar with the Wiki GLAM Community — Terri Janke spoke on the CultureStrong project.</li></ul>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.terrijanke.com.au/post/wikimedia-and-glams-making-open-knowledge-culturestrong">Wikimedia and GLAMs: Making Open Knowledge CultureStrong</a>, by Terri Janke and Company, 27 August 2026.</li></ul></div>Ali Smithhttps://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/Respecting_First_Nations_knowledge_on_Wikimedia_platformsRespecting First Nations knowledge on Wikimedia platforms2026-07-16T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><br />
</p>
<div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-07-16T00:00:00+00:00">16 July 2026</time>. </div>
<p><br />
</p>
<h2><span id="Indigenous_Cultural_and_Intellectual_Property_.28ICIP.29_and_Indigenous_Data_Sovereignty_Guide"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Indigenous_Cultural_and_Intellectual_Property_(ICIP)_and_Indigenous_Data_Sovereignty_Guide">Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</span></h2>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf" class="mw-file-description"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf&width=300&page=1" decoding="async" width="300" height="424" class="mw-file-element" srcset="/w/thumb.php?f=Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf&width=450&page=1 1.5x, /w/thumb.php?f=Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf&width=600&page=1 2x" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf" title="File:Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Guide.pdf">Read the Wikimedia Australia Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</a></figcaption></figure>
<blockquote><p>What if writing a better Wikipedia article meant asking a different question first? “Who has the cultural authority to tell this story?”</p></blockquote><p>Today we are honoured to release two significant publications, developed through a partnership with Terri Janke and Company, and in consultation with the Wikimedia Australia community. Dr Terri Janke and her team have created the <b>Wikimedia Australia</b> <b>Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</b>, and alongside it, the white paper <b>CultureStrong Platforms: Setting the Standard at Wikimedia</b>.
</p><p>Developed through an Indigenous-led process, these publications provide practical guidance for Wikimedia contributors, while asking important questions and opening an international conversation about respecting Indigenous knowledge, cultural authority and self-determination within one of the world's largest open knowledge movements.
</p><p>Next week this work moves onto the global stage at <a href="https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2026:Wikimania" class="extiw" title="wikimania:2026:Wikimania">Wikimania 2026 in Paris, Wikimedia's annual international conference</a>. The publications will be shared with delegates from around the world, while Dr Janke will facilitate the First Nations keynote panel in the Equity stream, leading international discussions on the future of Indigenous knowledge on the Wikimedia platforms.
</p><p>These contributions mark an important moment not only for Wikimedia Australia, but for the wider Wikimedia movement.
</p><p>The publications were developed by Terri Janke and Company, an award-winning, 100% Indigenous-owned law firm internationally recognised for its leadership in ICIP and IDSov. We are deeply grateful to Dr Janke, Shevaun Wright, Matilda Langford, the First Nations Expert Group of Leonard Hill, Dr Jessica Russ-Smith, Dr Kirsten Thorpe, Dr Tamika Worrell, Yanti Ropeyarn and Miriam Corowa, and the entire team for their leadership, expertise and generosity throughout this project. We also extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed their knowledge, perspectives and lived experiences along the way, especially those who participated in a consultative workshop at WikiCon Canberra earlier this year.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="A_different_way_of_understanding_knowledge">A different way of understanding knowledge</span></h2><p>
The CultureStrong White Paper opens with a simple but powerful analogy:</p><blockquote><p><i>Across Australia and the Pacific, shells have long held cultural significance. Traded across vast distances, worked into adornment, ceremony, tools and art. A shell found on a beach can look like it belongs to no one, free for anyone to pick up and take away. Yet it carries a deeper story. It comes from a living ecosystem, with connections to place, to sea Country, and to the people who understand its meaning.</i>
</p><p><i>Indigenous knowledge is often treated the same way. Once it's written down, archived, digitised or placed online, it's assumed to be free for anyone to use. And in Western law, the person who writes it down or records it becomes the copyright owner. But knowledge doesn't lose its connection to the people, communities and Countries it comes from simply because it is documented or becomes publicly accessible. Like the shell, it carries relationships, responsibilities and cultural meaning that deserve respect.</i>
</p><p><i>That idea sits at the heart of this work, which is called <b>CultureStrong</b>. At its centre is a simple but powerful question:</i>
</p>
<p><i><b>Who has the cultural authority to tell this story?</b></i></p></blockquote><p>(<b>Excerpt</b> from <i>CultureStrong Platforms</i>, Terri Janke and Company).
</p><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Why_we_need_a_Guide_for_Indigenous_Content">Why we need a Guide for Indigenous Content</span></h2>
<p>Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata are built on openness. Anyone can read them, anyone can contribute, and almost everything is shared under open licences. However, this ‘openness’ has been designed around the Western concepts of individual authorship, neutrality, verifiability and unrestricted reuse. This version of openness frequently contrasts with Indigenous knowledge systems, that are often communal, specifically contextual and relational to Country and community, include oral information sharing practices, and include cultural responsibilities that are not sufficiently recognised by a Western legal framework. As a result, content added or uploaded to Wikimedia platforms relating to Indigenous peoples and cultures, often reproduces misinformation and harm. Without guidance, users and Wiki editors are at risk of disclosing Secret/Sacred knowledge, spreading misinformation, misrepresenting cultural practices, removing knowledge from the proper contexts, undermining the rights of Indigenous people to protect their cultural heritage, and can even contribute to the loss or erosion of cultural practices. However, with guidance, Wikimedia contributors can better understand ways in which they can respectfully and accurately engage with Indigenous peoples, knowledges and cultures.
</p><p>Previous research commissioned by Wikimedia Australia including the First Nations focus group report “<a href="/wiki/First_Nations_Focus_Group_Report" title="First Nations Focus Group Report">I really like Wikipedia but I don’t trust it</a>”, identified concerns about harmful metadata, deficit-based language, limited Indigenous agency and the absence of clear cultural protocols. It also highlighted how historically inaccurate information about First Nations peoples and cultures recorded in Western sources can continue to be reproduced online, perpetuating incorrect information, misrepresenting Indigenous histories and knowledge systems and conflicting with Indigenous knowledges.
</p><p>The Guide has been specifically developed as a practical resource to help address these challenges.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Putting_the_Guide_into_practice">Putting the Guide into practice</span></h2>
<p>Wikimedia Australia has adopted the Guide as organisational practice for our Board, staff and funded projects. We are also pleased to share it as recommended good practice for editors and contributors who want to engage responsibly with Indigenous content across Wikimedia projects. It's grounded in a set of clear values:
</p>
<ul><li>Valuing relationships and accuracy over quantity</li>
<li>Respecting Indigenous cultural authority and protocols</li>
<li>Being transparent about what is shared on Wiki platforms</li>
<li>Supporting Indigenous agency and authorship</li>
<li>Avoiding harm</li></ul>
<p>Rather than prescribing rules, the Guide outlines a risk-assessment approach, helping contributors to think through whether the content in front of them is lower-risk (general, non-sensitive Indigenous content) or something that calls for a higher level of caution (culturally sensitive, secret or sacred, or offensive material), and steps to follow in each case. It provides guidance on reliable sources and citation, metadata and description. It also addresses free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) – the principle that communities have the right to make decisions about their own knowledge before it's used. Shevaun Wright, Senior Associate from Terri Janke and Company describes this clearly stating “It’s not about content moderation, but about content integrity”.
</p>
<h2><span id="This_isn.27t_a_departure_from_open_knowledge._It_is_an_evolution_of_it"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="This_isn't_a_departure_from_open_knowledge._It_is_an_evolution_of_it">This isn't a departure from open knowledge. It is an evolution of it</span></h2>
<p>Working this way strengthens what the Wikimedia Movement already stands for. The mission rests on knowledge that is <b>accurate</b>, <b>verifiable</b> and <b>accessible</b>, and on platforms that are genuinely <b>inclusive</b>. Knowledge that centres cultural authority leads to better sourcing, fewer errors repeated as fact, and a richer, more trusted record, one in which Indigenous peoples can recognise and place themselves, their histories and their voices.
</p><p>Communities around the world are already demonstrating what this looks like. In Western Australia, <a href="/wiki/Noongarpedia" class="mw-redirect" title="Noongarpedia">Noongarpedia</a> created a Noongar-language platform supporting language revitalisation through Indigenous-led participation. In Canada, the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.wikimedia.ca/en/wikipedia-in-the-atikamekw-language-a-look-back-at-an-ambitious-project/">Atikamekw Nation partnered with Wikimedia Canada</a> to translate articles, images and audio into their language. In <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.wikimedia.nz/marking-40-years-since-te-maori/">Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori</a> contributors have opened vital conversations about protecting mātauranga Māori as taonga. And the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mukurtu.org/">Mukurtu</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://localcontexts.org/">Local Contexts</a> initiatives developed with the Warumungu community in the Northern Territory, created tools using <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://localcontexts.org/labels/traditional-knowledge-labels/">Traditional Knowledge Labels</a> that let Indigenous communities communicate cultural protocols online.
</p>
<figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf" class="mw-file-description"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf&width=300&page=1" decoding="async" width="300" height="424" class="mw-file-element" srcset="/w/thumb.php?f=CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf&width=450&page=1 1.5x, /w/thumb.php?f=CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf&width=600&page=1 2x" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/File:CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf" title="File:CultureStrong Platforms White Paper.pdf">Read the CultureStrong Platforms White Paper.</a></figcaption></figure>
<h2><span id="The_White_Paper:_the_questions_we.27re_still_sitting_with"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="The_White_Paper:_the_questions_we're_still_sitting_with">The White Paper: the questions we're still sitting with</span></h2>
<p>The Guide gives practical direction. The <a href="/wiki/File:CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf" title="File:CultureStrong Platforms White Paper.pdf">CultureStrong White Paper</a> is honest about what's unresolved. It examines where open licensing and customary law pull against each other, where the law is silent, and where the wider Wikimedia movement, not just in Australia but worldwide, needs to keep talking.
</p><p>It also looks ahead. It recommends developing a <b>dedicated First Nations Protocol for Wikimedia Australia</b> through a staged, Indigenous-led process shaped with communities, Knowledge Holders and Wikimedians. Such a Protocol would deliver what the editing community is asking for: scenario-based guidance that reflects the diversity of the 200-plus First Nations across the Australian continent, and offering a methodology other Wikimedia chapters could adapt internationally.
</p><p>This matters just as much for the hundreds of millions of people who <i>read</i> Wikimedia projects as it does for those who edit them. For many, Wikipedia is the first place they go to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories. Increasingly Wikimedia content is also used by artificial intelligence (AI) systems, including as part of the training data and knowledge sources that underpin many Large Language Models (LLMs). When the knowledge behind those pages is accurate, well-sourced and shared with cultural authority, readers can trust what they find – fewer errors repeated as fact, less colonial framing carried forward, and a record in which First Nations peoples can recognise themselves. Equally important, a comprehensive First Nations Protocol would clearly demonstrate WMAU’s commitment to respectful engagement, ethical practice, prioritising cultural safety and genuine inclusion for Indigenous peoples and communities. Getting this right will make Wikipedia and other Wiki projects more trustworthy for everyone who relies on them.
</p><p>To get there, the White Paper poses ten consultation questions – on cultural safety, secret and sacred content, metadata and naming, dispute resolution, reliable sources, participation and leadership, training, language revitalisation, and shared standards. Both WMAU and Terri Janke & Company warmly invite you to contribute your ideas and perspectives through an online survey.
</p>
<h2><span id="What_you_can_do_.E2.80.93_join_the_conversation"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="What_you_can_do_–_join_the_conversation">What you can do – join the conversation</span></h2>
<p>If you edit, run edit-a-thons, or work with GLAM collections that hold First Nations material, we'd love you to read the Guide and put it to work. Being genuinely engaged with CultureStrong means going beyond "including" First Nations content. It means centering self-determination, respect for cultural authority, and building strong connections through partnerships. Additionally, we welcome your suggestions, case studies and comments on the White Paper. Both WMAU and Terri Janke and Company will take on board this feedback to inform the next phase of our project, in implementing the ICIP & IDSov Guide. This will involve creating practical tools and supports for editors, as well as addressing the remaining challenges in Indigenous knowledge on Wiki projects.
</p><p>This is an exciting first step in collaborating to develop respectful guidance for WMAU and Wikimedians, and we know there is more to do as this work is long, collective and ongoing. WMAU is honoured to be celebrating the sharing of the ICIP & IDSov Guide that is practical and self-determined, and the CultureStrong Platforms white paper to prepare for future stages, through our incredible partnership with Terri Janke and Company. We invite you to use this valuable resource, consider the consultation questions and join the ongoing conversations to help shape the next phase of this important work.
</p><p><b>Together, we can build Wikimedia projects that are not only open, but also culturally respectful, more accurate and stronger because of the knowledge they share.</b>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Accompanying_resources">Accompanying resources</span></h2>
<ul><li>Download the <a href="/wiki/File:CultureStrong_Platforms_White_Paper.pdf" title="File:CultureStrong Platforms White Paper.pdf"><b>White Paper - CultureStrong: Setting the standard at Wikimedia</b></a></li>
<li>Download the <a href="/wiki/File:Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov_Guide.pdf" title="File:Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Guide.pdf"><b>Wikimedia Australia</b> <b>Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty Guide</b></a></li>
<li>Share your <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://forms.gle/CEFwUKiuvA8f5TJt6"><b>feedback on the consultation questions</b></a> (listed below):</li>
<li>Carlson, B., & Rana, L. (2024). <a href="/wiki/First_Nations_Focus_Group_Report" title="First Nations Focus Group Report"><b><i>“I really like Wikipedia, but I don’t trust it”</i> Understanding First Nations peoples' experiences using Wikipedia as a reader and/or editors.</b></a></li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Stay_up_to_date">Stay up to date</span></h2>
<ul><li>Stay up to date with what WMAU is doing in the space: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikimedia-au-icip.lists.wikimedia.org">Wikimedia-au-icip mailing list</a> (you'll need a free postorious account, or <a href="/wiki/Contact" title="Contact">contact us</a> to be added to the mailing list).</li></ul>
<div style="background-color:#f8f9fa; border:1px solid #a2a9b1; border-radius:4px; padding:1em; margin:1em 0;">
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Consultation_Questions">Consultation Questions</span></h2>
<p><i>Send your responses to the Consultation Questions to the WMAU team <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://forms.gle/CEFwUKiuvA8f5TJt6">via the consultation form</a>.</i>
</p>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Recognition_and_Respect_of_ICIP_and_IDSov">Recognition and Respect of ICIP and IDSov</span></h4>
<ul><li>How can Wikimedia platforms better recognise and respect Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) and Indigenous cultural authority within existing platform policies and governance structures?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Cultural_Safety">Cultural Safety</span></h4>
<ul><li>What changes to platform policies and practices would make Wikimedia a culturally safe environment for Indigenous peoples globally, including protection from harmful, disrespectful or hostile treatment of Indigenous people and Indigenous Content?</li></ul>
<h4><span id="Secret.2C_Sacred_and_Sensitive_Content"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Secret,_Sacred_and_Sensitive_Content">Secret, Sacred and Sensitive Content</span></h4>
<ul><li>How should Wikimedia platforms handle Secret/Sacred or otherwise culturally sensitive Indigenous Content, particularly where open-access principles conflict with Indigenous protocols about who may hold, access or share that knowledge?</li></ul>
<h4><span id="Metadata.2C_Naming_and_Categorisation"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Metadata,_Naming_and_Categorisation">Metadata, Naming and Categorisation</span></h4>
<ul><li>How can Wikimedia improve existing metadata, categorisation and naming systems to better reflect Indigenous perspectives, languages, Nations, Countries and cultural governance systems?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Decision-making_and_Dispute_Resolution">Decision-making and Dispute Resolution</span></h4>
<ul><li>What authority should Indigenous peoples and communities hold in decisions about Indigenous Content, including how it is moderated and how disputes are resolved?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Reliable_Sources_and_Indigenous_Knowledge">Reliable Sources and Indigenous Knowledge</span></h4>
<ul><li>How can Wikimedia’s ‘Reliable Sources’ frameworks be expanded to properly recognise Indigenous-led sources, oral histories, community-controlled knowledge and Indigenous language materials?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Participation_and_Leadership">Participation and Leadership</span></h4>
<ul><li>What practical steps could Wikimedia take to grow Indigenous participation and leadership amongst contributors, editors, administrators and Wikimedia governance bodies internationally?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Training_and_Cultural_Competency">Training and Cultural Competency</span></h4>
<ul><li>What training, educational resources and cultural competency initiatives are needed to better support contributors working with Indigenous Content across Wikimedia platforms?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Language_Revitalisation_and_Indigenous-led_Projects">Language Revitalisation and Indigenous-led Projects</span></h4>
<ul><li>How can Wikimedia platforms actively support Indigenous language revitalisation, Indigenous-led digital knowledge projects and culturally appropriate ways of sharing knowledge online?</li></ul>
<h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Collaboration_and_Shared_Standards">Collaboration and Shared Standards</span></h4>
<ul><li>How can the global Wikimedia movement work in partnership with Indigenous peoples to co-design culturally responsive protocols, governance frameworks and best-practise standards for open knowledge?</li></ul>
<p><i>Send your responses to the Consultation Questions to the WMAU team <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://forms.gle/CEFwUKiuvA8f5TJt6">via the consultation form</a>.</i>
</p>
</div>
<div class="ext-linkcards"><div class="ext-linkcards-card ext-linkcards-card-image-pos-start" style="flex-basis: calc(100% - 1em)"><a href="/wiki/Wikimedia_Australia_ICIP_and_IDSov"><span class="ext-linkcards-image ext-linkcards-landscape"><img src="/w/thumb.php?f=Screenshot_2025-12-11_at_12.49.24_pm.png&width=800" width="800" height="561" style="" /></span> <span class="ext-linkcards-main"><span class="ext-linkcards-title">Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov Updates</span> Details and updates from the Wikimedia Australia ICIP and IDSov project with Terri Janke and Company.</span></a></div></div></div>https://wikimedia.org.au/wiki/A_tour_of_the_toolbox:_Wikimedia_tools_worth_a_lookA tour of the toolbox: Wikimedia tools worth a look2026-07-14T12:00:00Z<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><br />
</p>
<div style="font-size:larger; margin:1em 0">Fourteen volunteer-built Wikimedia tools worth a look — for Commons work, Wikidata tidying, finding your next edit, or just having a play.</div><div style="color:#444; font-size:smaller; margin-bottom:2em;"><time datetime="2026-07-14T00:00:00+00:00">14 July 2026</time>, <strong><a href="/wiki/Ali_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Ali Smith">Ali Smith</a></strong>. </div>
<p>Some of the best things in the Wikimedia world are built not by the Foundation but by volunteers: small, sharp tools that each <b>solve one problem well</b>. We feature one or two in every to our <a href="/wiki/Subscribe" title="Subscribe">Members and Announce newsletters</a>, but they add up quickly — so here's the whole toolbox in one place!
</p><p>Most of these live on <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://toolforge.org">Toolforge</a>, Wikimedia's free hosting platform for community-built tools.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="For_your_Commons_workbench">For your Commons workbench</span></h2>
<p>If you spend time with <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org">Wikimedia Commons</a> — the free media library behind Wikipedia — these make the fiddly parts... less fiddly.
</p>
<ul><li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://croptool2.toolforge.org/">CropTool</a></b> — crop and make basic adjustments to Commons images directly in the browser, no external editing software needed. It handles everything from JPEG and PNG through to animated GIF, PDF and DJVU. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.veradekok.nl/en/2026/07/making-croptool-better-for-everyone/">Read about recent improvements</a>.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikivisage.toolforge.org/">WikiVisage</a></b> — helps you add "depicts" statements for people in Commons images. Start with a Wikidata item and a Commons category, confirm a few faces, and it suggests likely matches in the rest — you review everything before an edit is made. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/05/11/what-i-learned-building-wikivisage-for-wikimedia-commons/">The story behind it</a> is a good read on building community tools.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-images-userscript">Trove Newspaper Images Userscript</a></b> — a local one! Tim Sherratt's userscript adds high-resolution download options to Trove's newspaper interface, which makes getting out-of-copyright Australian newspaper pages onto Commons so much easier. It pairs well with his <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lab.slv.vic.gov.au/resources/hack-website-video-tim-sherratt">video tutorial</a> created for the State Library of Victoria Lab.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/05/29/introducing-openspeaks-tools-subtitler-tome-and-bento/">OpenSpeaks: Subtitler, Bento and Tome</a></b> — a triple threat of new tools for audio and video, including <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://subtitler.toolforge.org/">Subtitler</a> for editing and translating captions in any language. Still a little rough around the edges, but worth a try if you work with media.</li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="For_the_Wikidata-curious">For the Wikidata-curious</span></h2>
<p><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.wikidata.org">Wikidata</a> — the structured data project that connects everything else — has a thriving tool ecosystem of its own!
</p>
<ul><li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sqid.toolforge.org/#/">SQID</a></b> — a fast way to browse and query Wikidata, with statistics about classes and properties you won't find in Wikidata itself. Handy for getting your head around how a topic area is modelled.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikidata-todo.toolforge.org/">Wikidata Todo — Concept Cloud</a></b> — start from any Wikidata item and it crawls outwards, finding items that are missing labels in your language. A tidy way to generate a to-do list around a subject you care about.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wdrc.toolforge.org">Wikidata Recent Changes API</a></b> — query Wikidata edits by properties, labels, aliases, descriptions or sitelinks, in near real time. One for the watchers and the data-minded.</li></ul>
<h2><span id="Stuck_for_something_to_edit.3F"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Stuck_for_something_to_edit?">Stuck for something to edit?</span></h2>
<ul><li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://microtask-generator.toolforge.org/about.html">Wikipedia Microtask Generator</a></b> — analyses articles, finds quality gaps, and suggests concrete tasks: an infobox here, a reference there. Good for turning ten spare minutes into an actual improvement.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://clarity-tool.toolforge.org/">Clarity Tool</a></b> — finds missing information in articles and suggests structured data from Wikidata to fill the gaps, working across Wikipedia, Wikidata and Commons.</li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="For_the_rabbit_holes">For the rabbit holes</span></h2>
<p>For the quieter moments — take a wander through the encyclopaedia
</p>
<ul><li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://neal.fun/wiki-spy/">Wiki Spy</a></b> — an endless, searchable I-Spy collage of objects cut out from Wikipedia's images. Search by colour or by concept, or click any object to find similar ones. A nice reminder of just how much lives in our media.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.lonelywiki.com">LonelyWiki</a></b> — surfaces one obscure (but genuinely good!) Wikipedia article every day, chosen from articles with fewer than 2,000 views a year. Quality without the clicks.</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikinav.toolforge.org/">WikiNav</a></b> — visualises how readers actually move through Wikipedia, where they arrive from and where they head next on any topic. Try <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikinav.toolforge.org/?language=en&title=Chocolate">Chocolate</a>.</li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Tools_for_finding_tools">Tools for finding tools</span></h2>
<ul><li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://whichtool.toolforge.org">WhichTool</a></b> — describe what you're trying to do, in any language, and it suggests the right Wikimedia tool for the job, with actively maintained tools ranked first. Yes, a tool for finding tools!</li>
<li><b><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://hay.toolforge.org/directory/">Hay's Tools Directory</a></b> — a searchable directory of some 3,800 Wikimedia tools. If it exists, it's probably in here.</li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Bring_one_along">Bring one along</span></h2>
<p>If any of these catch your eye, our regular online sessions are a good place to try them in company — Commons Catch Up on the second Thursday of each month for the image tools, and Drop in and Wikidata for the data ones. <a href="/wiki/Events" title="Events">See the events list</a> to find the next session.
</p><p>And if you've found a tool the rest of us should know about, we'd like to hear about it — email us at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="mailto:contact@wikimedia.org.au">contact@wikimedia.org.au</a>.
</p><p><i>Image:<a href="/wiki/File:WikiSpy_July_2026.png" title="File:WikiSpy July 2026.png">WikiSpy July 2026</a>, Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.</i>
</p></div>Ali Smith