Interconnecting Local Histories through GLAM and Wikipedia 

There is a colloquial saying in Aotearoa New Zealand, that everyone is connected by only 2 degrees of separation. I did not realise how true this could be until I started researching and editing for Wikipedia.  

In November 2025, I was fortunate enough to be awarded a Wikipedia Summer Studentship through the Sheldon Werner Summer Studentship Programme for the Tāmaki Makaurau Wikipedia Local Histories project. In the Wikipedia programme’s third iteration, I was part of a cohort of 6 with 5 other incredible wahine. The 2025/26 programme saw the expansion to include other Auckland GLAM institutions for the first time, so I was extra fortunate to be the first Wiki summer student placed at MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology.  

The first article I wrote was on one of the buildings that is an essential part of MOTAT’s history, Sargeant Quinlan’s Fencible Cottage. The MOTAT Village was always my favourite part of the M1 site as a kid so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to deep dive on the history of the buildings. This Fencible cottage, built in 1848, was originally located in the Fencible settlement in Panmure before being transported to MOTAT in 1966. It was the first historic building to be moved onto the site.  

I then turned my attention to another building on the grounds, the Lawler-Sattleday Cottage, another historic Fencible cottage. Through a little digging, I discovered that this cottage was too originally built in 1848, in Panmure. Further, Patrick Quinlan, Richard Sattleday and Daniel Lawler arrived on the same ship, the Clifton in 1848, before settling no less than 200m from each other in Panmure, not much further than the buildings sit apart nowadays at MOTAT.  

One of the hurdles I faced when looking at history so closely connected with MOTAT itself is the potential conflict of Interest. However, I quickly learnt that Wikipedia is built around a community to verify information. By declaring potential conflict, and following the correct procedures by putting it through drafts, this information could be checked and verified.  

Working within a GLAM institution, especially one with such a diverse collection like MOTAT means that interest can be piqued anywhere and everywhere. I therefore then took a move away from the MOTAT Village and turned towards MOTAT’s extensive aviation collections. I turned to the namesake of the reference library I was working in, the Walsh Memorial Library, for aviation pioneering brothers Vivian and Leo. The brothers were the first to complete a recognised, controlled powered flight in New Zealand, and opened up the Walsh Bros. Flying School. Vivian Walsh had an existing stub article, but was missing key details, images and information about his equally important brother, Leo. By utilising the MOTAT collection and resources, I expanded the article to encapsulate the life and works of both brothers, and moved the article to Walsh brothers (aviation).  

I then moved to a different side of civil aviation, aerial mapping pioneer Piet van Asch and New Zealand Aerial Mapping. Once again, Piet van Asch had a small preexisting stub article, but New Zealand Aerial Mapping was an untouched subject. The MOTAT collection houses Piet van Asch’s Beechcraft AT-11, displayed at the aviation hall after it was donated in 1982. This is where I found another “wow, thats cool” connection. Piet was inspired to get into aviation by one of his uncles, Gerrit, who was a pilot in WW1. Sure enough, Gerrit had trained at the Walsh Bros. Flying School.  

Through digging deeper through the MOTAT collection, I actually found that all of my research areas, both the MOTAT village and Civil aviation were all uniquely interconnected by MOTAT. I discovered that Patrick Quinlan’s grandson, Harold Stone ended up being the first paid employee of MOTAT, over a century after his grandfather migrated to New Zealand. He was intrinsic to the early history of MOTAT through the 1960s and 1970s, including being there during the opening and naming of the Walsh Memorial Library and the pioneers of N.Z. Aviation exhibition, of which Piet van Asch attended and had items from NZAM displayed. 

Through utilising Wikipedia and Wikicommons, I was able to literally provide links between these seemingly disconnected pieces of local Tamaki Makarau and Aotearoa histories, both through linking the pages to eachother, as well as compiling all uploads under the MOTAT GLAM plage.  

 By stumbling through pieces of history that piqued my interest, I found so many connections, by absolute pure coincidence and accident. Pieces of local history that, on first glance, have absolutely no connection whatsoever, turn out to be intrinsically connected by truly incredible local histories. Proving, that maybe, with Wikipedia and GLAMs, any history can truly be only separated by two degrees.