Wikitree and SAG ‘7 in 7’ challenge

The Wikitree and SAG ‘7 in 7’ challenge starts this Friday at 4am Sydney time.

In my previous post, I mentioned that one of the great things about Wikitree is that it encourages researchers to collaborate. One way that is achieved is by participating in challenges. This challenge is a partnership with the Society of Australian Genealogists.

The Society nominated seven people who are important to the Society. Some have material in the Society’s collections and the research conducted during the challenge will help provide context for us to understand and appreciate those materials better. Others were nominated because members of the Society have requested help in researching them.

I am pleased to see that two of the seven are people that I suggested. I am looking forward to seeing what information is discovered, that will help us promote the Society’s collections.

Participants in the challenge will improve the profiles of the seven nominees by adding information and sources, as well as building out their trees by seven degrees in any direction (either blood or marriage connections). Although it is a competition with points to be achieved, the goal is really about working together to improve the profiles of the chosen seven and to have a bit of fun discovering new information. It will also help increase awareness of Wikitree and of the Society.

The seven people are:

• James Bourn, born about 1774 in County Antrim, Ireland. James was a convict who guided Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson across the Blue Mountains. His family is largely unknown, so it would be great to solve this one.
• Oliver Heggie, born 17 September 1877 in Angaston, South Australia. Oliver was a film and theatre actor, who appeared in the film Bride of Frankenstein in 1935.
• Adelaide Ironside, born 17 November 1831 in Sydney, New South Wales. Adelaide was an artist and poet. The Society’s archives holds some letters written to Adelaide.
• Herbert Rumsey, born about 4 February 1866 in Warwickshire, England. Herbert was a founding member and first president of the Society of Australian Genealogists.
• Mei Quong Tart, born about 1850 in China. He came to Australia aged nine and became a successful entrepreneur, tea merchant and philanthropist. The Society has a collection of materials about his family in its archives, called the Tart McEvoy Collection.
• Dora Wicks (nee Tiedemann), born 26 October 1901 in West Maitland, New South Wales. Dora has German and indigenous Australian ancestors.
• Jess Hill, born 11 April 1915 in Perth, Western Australia. Jess was a genealogist who researched convict women in Australia. Her research, known as “Jess’s Girls” is held in the Society’s archives.

Mei Quong Tart, photo in the archives of the Society of Australian Genealogists, Tart McEvoy Collection

If you would like to join in the fun, you can register here and start researching! Just do not add or alter any of the profiles of the seven until after the challenge commences.

You can also follow along, with updates in the Wikitree forum and on Facebook.