Ada Initiative co-founder awarded “Rusty Wrench” award for services to the Australian free software community

During the linux.conf.au dinner on Thursday January 19, I found out that I was being awarded the “Rusty Wrench” award, for services to the free software and open source communities in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania at linux.conf.au 2012. I am its fourth recipient, following in the illustrious company of Rusty Russell, Pia Waugh and Kimberlee Weatherall. To quote from one of the nominations:

Mary has been active in the Australian Linux community for over a decade. At various times she’s run AussieChix (recently expanded into OWOOT, the Oceania Women Of Open Technology group), organised the LinuxChix/Haecksen miniconfs at LCA, served on numerous organising and papers committees for open source conferences, and been an invited speaker at conferences including PyCon Australia… In 2011 she co-founded the Ada Initiative, to support and promote women in open technology and culture.

Thank you to those who anonymously nominated me, and to Rusty, Pia and Kimberlee for their decision to award it to me in 2012.