A new data partnership with national scope

The Winyama team is excited to formally announce our partnership with the University of Melbourne’s Indigenous Data Network (IDN) — a collaboration connecting two organisations that share the same vision. 

The IDN’s aim is to give Indigenous Australians better access to databases that hold information about themselves and their ancestors, along with greater capacity to use and govern these databases. This objective clearly complements Winyama’s goal of Indigenous empowerment and participation in the digital economy. 

The partnership began when Professor Marcia Langton, Dr James Rose and Dr Darren Clinch presented on the IDN’s work at Winyama’s IMW Australia On-Demand launch. The opportunities for collaboration were immediately obvious, leading to the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in late 2020. 

“After our first introduction to Marcia, James and Darren, I could see that an ongoing relationship with the IDN was inevitable. 

“We’re really passionate about nurturing upcoming generations to take an active seat in the digital economy, and the IDN’s work in strengthening communities’ agency in their data perfectly compliments this ambition,” said Winyama’s Managing Director, Andrew Dowding. 

This MoU outlines a common goal: to increase technical capabilities, training opportunities and data governance within Australia’s Indigenous communities. Through better access to data, and a deeper understanding of how data can be used and governed, we know Indigenous Australians will be better able to tell their stories to Government, industry, and their own communities. 

Andrew Dowding, James Rose, Marcia Langton and Darren Clinch (L-R) delivering a joint keynote at the IMW Australia - On Demand launch event.

“Several years ago I became aware of the Indigenous Mapping Workshop and they immediately caught my attention,” said IDN Data Analytics Coordinator, Darren Clinch. 

“I wanted to participate in any way, shape or form. I’ve been working with GIS for quite a while and know how important it is to get more Aboriginal fullas adding this to their skill sets. 

“To be able to work with an organisation with the vision and technical capabilities to make those visions a reality is really going to be a highpoint of my career, and an incredibly important partnership for the IDN,” he said.

Now in its early stages, the Winyama-IDN partnership is already showing significant scope for collaborative work in the areas of health, data training and Geographic Information Systems. We’re looking forward to taking the next step together.

Want to see how this collaboration started? Watch the recording of our IMW Australia - On Demand launch event!