FOSS4G 2022 | The story of OSGeo in Oceania

OSGeo has existed in Oceania in various forms for quite a while now. Some of the major contributors to projects such as QGIS are based in Oceania and open geo events have been organised in the region for many years. It is only in more recent times however that we have started to support these efforts through the creation of a local chapter. When a group of us came together to organise Oceania’s first regional FOSS4G SotM conference in Melbourne, 2018, it became clear structure was needed to sustain the momentum we had created.

Structure was established by forming an entity and completing all the tasks that go along with that. This included creating a constitution, financial policies, forming a board of directors, establishing a membership policy, consulting with the community, working out what the entity’s primary purpose is and so much more. We’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but we’ve also learned a lot. There are many successes too, such as the establishment of a Microgrant program to support initiatives across the region, the continuation of annual regional conferences, funding travel so that people without the financial means to do so could attend conferences, and the welcoming of new members from far and wide.

This talk is an insight into the journey of OSGeo Oceania. It is not meant to be a how to guide or a pat on the back, but rather a chance to facilitate discussion among the FOSS4G community so that we can find ways to support the use and understanding of open geospatial software in our respective regions.

Edoardo Neerhut
Elisa Puccioni

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