Blogs

When I first visited Perth 17 years ago I had no idea that I’d be sewing the seeds of an intercontinental move and finding a company that has the same whacky ideals that I have. I was working at the Natural History Museum in London at the time and we were just starting to grow our family (2 adults, 1 child).

Here in our headquarters in Perth (which is located on Noongar country) we’re coming to the end of the Makuru season and are about to start the Djilba season - where we see a massive explosion of yellow around Perth as the acacias and other yellow flowering plants start to bloom.  Which feels just about right for where we are at Gaia Resources, as we enter our 22nd year of operation.

In Western Australia the Polyphagus shot-hole borer (PSHB, Euwallacea fornicatus) has been a major biosecurity problem since it was detected in Perth in 2021.  This week, the State government announced that it was no longer deemed possible to eradicate this pest, and instead a management approach to try to slow the spread of the pest is in play.

In Australia, where Gaia Resources was “born” and operates, turning 21 is definitely a milestone!  While the formal “age of majority” in Australia has been 18 since the 1970s (each State or Territory had an Age of Majority Act passed across the 1970s that lowered the age from 21 to 18).  So while we’ve been able to call Gaia Resources an adult for the last three years, it does feel like this year is really our coming of age.

Ever wonder what happens behind the digital scenes of the archival institutions that preserve our history and knowledge for the future? Well, this blog is a follow on from our last one about Archives where we talked about the digital infrastructure behind archives, and in this one we cover the software that sits behind these important institutions.

At Gaia Resources, we have been working with a range of archives over the 20 years we’ve been operating. In the next few months - and leading up to some big conferences such as iPRES and the ASA at the end of the year - we thought we’d put forward some of our thoughts and experience on various aspects of the digital side of archives.

Let’s start at the beginning: choosing your digital infrastructure.

Geographic & Reporting Information Database 24/06/2013 - 31/01/2025

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the last of our Geographic & Reporting Information Database (GRID) instances.

I wrote all the way back in 2024 (it was a great break, so it feels like a long time ago!): 

“2025 promises to be an interesting year - we’re wrapping up some more big projects, starting some new ones and there are lots of new avenues for us to explore, right alongside our clients.  So stay tuned for more blogs and updates from us in the new year.”

So now we’re back, refreshed and recharged, let’s charge into this year and look at what we’re looking forward to this year - the year we turn 21!

2024 was the twentieth year for Gaia Resources, and a major milestone - and not without its ups and downs as there is with all years!

There was a quiet little note appearing on the Queensland State Archive (QSA) social media feeds a couple of months ago…