GLAM/Newsletter/May 2023/Contents/New Zealand report

This Month in GLAM – Volume XIII, Issue V, May 2023

New Zealand report

Women in Architecture Edit-a-thon and Auckland suburb updates

Women in Architecture Edit-a-thon

The New Zealand Women in Architecture WikiProject began in late 2022. The project, a collaboration between members of the Wikimedia User Group of Aotearoa New Zealand and Architecture + Women NZ, focuses on ways to improve coverage of New Zealand women in architecture and landscaping on the English Wikipedia and Wikidata, such as by creating articles on women, or better documenting buildings and projects that were designed by women.

On 20 May, an edit-a-thon was held for this project, initiated by Pakoire which included an in-person event at Auckland War Memorial Museum, organised by the museum, WANZ and the University of Auckland. The edit-a-thon was one of the largest in-person Wikipedia events held in Auckland, with over 23 participants and was run by Susan Tol and others. The event was a big success: between the editors in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and those participating online, with 17 new biographies being created, with a total of 58,400 words and 351 references added to Wikipedia and Wikidata.

In preparation for the day of the edit-a-thon a Wikidata item was created, New Zealand Women in Architecture WikiProject by DrThneed with 281 items linking to it at the beginning of June. The number of related Wikipedia articles is also growing, before the project the category New Zealand women architects had nine women listed, now there are 40.

Auckland War Memorial Museum suburb project updates

Another major milestone was reached after the publishing of the new and improved article on South Auckland. At this stage, two major areas of metropolitan Auckland are left to complete, as well as articles on centres across the Auckland Region, including the Hibiscus Coast and Matakana Coast. 18 articles were created and greatly improved on Auckland localities, including features of South Auckland, such as the Ōtara Creek, Māngere Mountain, Oruarangi Creek and Kiwi Esplanade.