Talk:Matiu / Somes Island

Silver gull

I'm not sure whether it's the silver gull on Matiu/Somes or another type of bird. Can someone correct me if I am wrong. Apologies if I am not supposed to edit this page. Bookscale (talk) 13:19, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Requested move 1 November 2021

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: Not moved. (non-admin closure) Simplexity22 (talk) 16:08, 9 November 2021 (UTC)

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Matiu / Somes Island → Matiu/Somes Island – The current title format looks ugly. Moreover, I can't find a single source that formats the slash this way. The island's official name is Matiu/Somes Island, and most sources, such as DOC, Forest & Bird, and even the island's official website use Matiu/Somes. This article also spells it Matiu/Somes everywhere but its title, so it seems ridiculous to keep its current name. If there is a technical reason to keep this name, I'm happy to keep it here, although this seems unlikely given the proposed article title is already a redirect. YttriumShrew (talk) 19:32, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

It’s consistent with other dual names in NZ, and if it’s not the official name, it will be an anomaly. The space helps designate the two historic names, and give them separate but equal consideration, rather than hyphenate them together as one name. It is unusual that one of the names has not been preferred over the other in written sources, but locals will generally use one, not both.

All of which is to say: oppose. — HTGS (talk) 20:03, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

Oppose per HTGS. Title fits dual name formatting policy per WP:NCNZ --Spekkios (talk) 20:52, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

@HTGS and Spekkios: I don't think that WP:NCNZ applies here. Most locals (of which I am one) use "Matiu/Somes Island" or "Matiu/Somes" to refer to the Island, and nGrams throws up far more mentions for Matiu/Somes and Matiu/Somes Island than either Matiu or Somes (I've linked to my searches, but I might have searched incorrectly as I haven't used it many times before). WP:COMMONNAME and WP:OFFICIALNAME trump WP:NCNZ. YttriumShrew (talk) 21:31, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

I’d be surprised if the slash wasn’t doing something funny in nGrams, as the dual name didn’t exist prior to the 1990s, much less the 1890s. (FYI: I personally can’t stand the spaced slash either, but I just take it as the price of consistency.) — HTGS (talk) 22:55, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

Indeed, in nGrams the slash literally divides one term by another: advanced nGrams. — HTGS (talk) 23:02, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

OK, I guess we won't be able to use nGrams data. YttriumShrew (talk) 00:42, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

You can try Google trends, but it’s not that much better (and obviously has a very different focus). I get the impression, looking at it earlier (sorry, I can grab you a link later), that there may be other Matius clouding the water. Nothing’s perfect, I guess. — HTGS (talk) 01:13, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose. The official name is written Matiu / Somes Island, not Matiu/Somes Island. I have added this info to the article, with two references. This weakens the proposer's argument to the extent that I don't think there is much reason remaining for the proposed change. Nurg (talk) 04:05, 3 November 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose I think this is the only time I'm going to agree with HTGS and Spekkios on a dual name. Title formatting matches the remaining portions of WP:NZNC and is consistent with the approach to other dual names. Turnagra (talk) 08:08, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Translocation of robins

The article mentions the translocation of robins to the island. On a recent visit, I asked one of the guides about this, because we hadn't seen any robins. We were told that unfortunately, the robins had not survived - it appears that the ecology of the island doesn't yet provide sufficient food for robins. I am not aware of any source we can quote, but will keep trying.--Marshelec (talk) 07:56, 12 December 2022 (UTC)

Finally found a source that states that the robins did not thrive, and have included this in the article.Marshelec (talk) 02:50, 22 May 2023 (UTC)

Historical role as quarantine station

More content is needed about the role of the island as an animal quarantine station, given the long period of use in that role, and the extensive quarantine station buildings that still remain. Marshelec (talk) 07:54, 21 January 2023 (UTC)

@Marshelec I've added a bit more about the quarantine station. Anything else needed? Wainuiomartian (talk) 06:32, 3 April 2023 (UTC)

Inconsistencies in naming

Some species of plants and wildlife have no scientific names attached, some have the scientific name linked and others have the common name (Enlgish and/or Maori) linked. Is there a recommended style for this, as it's getting clunky?Wainuiomartian (talk) 17:24, 28 March 2023 (UTC)

Never mind, I have changed them to make the style consistent throughout the article.Wainuiomartian (talk) 18:33, 31 March 2023 (UTC)

Some possible further additions

@Wainuiomartian:I think it would be useful to add a bit more to the geography section, to give some details of the geology of the island. Also, it would be worthwhile to add the interesting details of the artesian acquifer that is accessible from the island, even though it is fully surrounded by seawater. I have found a one source in a 1990 brochure published by Forest & Bird Lower Hutt, temporary copy here: [1] but we ideally need more. I have some contacts with background in geology, and they have referred me to: On Shaky Ground, by Graeme Stevens. I will follow this up. On another matter, I think the lead is a bit overly condensed, and would benefit from some expansions. Compressing most of its human history to these two sentences seems too brief: "It was the site of military and quarantine internments, as well as animal quarantine until 1995. Since 1995, it has been designated as a scientific and historic reserve". Would you like to have a go at totally rewriting and expanding the lead ? It would be fine to have four decent paragraphs.Marshelec (talk) 01:58, 9 April 2023 (UTC)

I agree that the geological side of things is the big bit still outstanding - but can I just say, it's been a delight to see the article really come together recently, and I reckon with a bit more work it could easily go for GA status. Turnagra (talk) 03:56, 9 April 2023 (UTC)

@Marshelec okeydokey.Wainuiomartian (talk) 05:50, 9 April 2023 (UTC)

@Wainuiomartian: I have put some additional content, citations and an image into the section on Geology and geography. See what you think. I have asked a colleague of mine who has a background in geology to also review the content and suggest anything we might consider adding. However, I think now would be a good time to nominate the article for GAR. I will leave this to you...:) Marshelec (talk) 23:36, 18 April 2023 (UTC)

Nice. I rearranged that section a little. I will go ahead and nominate in a day or two.Wainuiomartian (talk) 03:24, 19 April 2023 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Matiu / Somes Island/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: I am starting to review this Dr vulpes (talk · contribs) 02:08, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

Review comments

Image Issue: The most minor not issue with one of the images in the article. The carved gateway image did have a creative commons license but it didn't have the notice that the image was allowed as part of the freedom of panorama under New Zealand law. It is and this is a non-issue but I still wanted to note it. Dr vulpes (💬 • 📝) 02:50, 29 May 2023 (UTC) Delay: I am still working on this but will be gone for the next couple of days and will not have reliable internet access. I do plan to finish this when I get back. Pinging @Wainuiomartian: to keep them in the loop. Dr vulpes (💬 • 📝) 14:22, 29 May 2023 (UTC) thanks, that's fine.Wainuiomartian (talk) 18:22, 29 May 2023 (UTC) GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not) It is reasonably well written. a. (prose, spelling, and grammar): b. (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists): It is factually accurate and verifiable. a. (reference section): b. (citations to reliable sources): c. (OR): d. (copyvio and plagiarism): Checked Earwig's copyvio detector. No plagiarism. Dr vulpes (💬 • 📝) 23:31, 16 June 2023 (UTC) It is broad in its coverage. a. (major aspects): b. (focused): It follows the neutral point of view policy. Fair representation without bias: It is stable. No edit wars, etc.: It is illustrated by images and other media, where possible and appropriate. a. (images are tagged and non-free content have non-free use rationales): b. (appropriate use with suitable captions): Overall: Pass/fail: (Criteria marked are unassessed) Comments There are statements that need an in line reference. After European settlement, the island was known for over a century as Somes Island. In 1839 it fell under the control of the New Zealand Company along with much of the greater Wellington region. The island was renamed after Joseph Somes, the company's deputy-governor and financier at the time. Added further citations in the Toponymy section.Marshelec (talk) 21:25, 17 June 2023 (UTC) The island is 24.9 hectares (62 acres) in area, and lies 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the suburb of Petone and the mouth of the Hutt River. Added two citations for area of the island, and distance from Petone. Marshelec (talk) 08:55, 17 June 2023 (UTC) Matiu / Somes Island is about 5 kilometres (3 mi) northwest of the much smaller Mākaro / Ward Island. Added a new citation to support this statement.Marshelec (talk) 08:44, 17 June 2023 (UTC) Wellington Harbour and the surrounding landforms are a product of tectonic activity. Added a citation to recent book by Hayward. Marshelec (talk) 08:03, 17 June 2023 (UTC) Lewis, K. B. (1989). "A reversal of throw and change of trend on the Wellington Fault in Wellington Harbour". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 32 (2): 293–298. doi:10.1080/00288306.1989.10427590. ISSN 0028-8306. At various times throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the island hosted quarantine facilities for both human immigrants and animals, and enemy alien internees during wartime. This is a single sentence that introduces the five sub-sections that follow. Content in each of those sub-sections is supported with citations. I don't consider this introductory sentence requires a citation. A possible option is just to delete the sentence.Marshelec (talk) 08:09, 17 June 2023 (UTC) n 2009, ownership of the island was transferred to the Māori collective Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika. The transfer of ownership was part of cultural redress for Taranaki Whānui included in the settlement of their claims against the Crown for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. Following the passing of the 'Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Act 2009', the island is owned by the trustees of the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust. This one is has a source but it's WP:PRIMARY. I'm not saying get rid of it, but just find a secondary source to support it. I know some people get picky about primary sources but as long as they are supporting secondary sources they're fine. Added citations of two reports from the US News service, from August 2008 and July 2009, about the settlement with Taranaki Whanui.Marshelec (talk) 07:27, 17 June 2023 (UTC) I think you get the idea of what I'm talking about, the article has good sources it's honestly pretty impressive. It just needs to be fleshed out a bit and expanded. Are these sources reliable? I'm not sure if Scoop is a reliable source but if it is just let me know. ref76? Scoop often publishes Press releases, so is frequently a form of primary source. I have added further citation of a secondary source from Stuff about relocation of the birds. (Other citations listed now go up by one number). :)Marshelec (talk) 07:11, 17 June 2023 (UTC) ref89? This is a published Press release from the NZ Government. It is effectively a primary source, but the content is not controversial. The main use in the article is just to confirm the date of the launch of the trust. This makes a useful contribution to the article.Marshelec (talk) 07:11, 17 June 2023 (UTC) ref100? Replaced with secondary source. Marshelec (talk) 07:11, 17 June 2023 (UTC) The system flags ref79 as not being reliable because it's from Research Gate. Don't worry about it, I know it's not a preprint and that it's from a peer reviewed article but was just uploaded there. Dr vulpes (💬 • 📝) 23:24, 16 June 2023 (UTC) @Dr vulpes and Wainuiomartian: I have now responded to all the GA review comments to this point. The article is ready for further review.Marshelec (talk) 21:25, 17 June 2023 (UTC) Thanks @Marshelec Wainuiomartian (talk) 18:30, 18 June 2023 (UTC)

Resetting the GA review

The GA1 review has stalled for a lengthy period, with no edits for a month. The reviewer has been inactive for over a week and has not responded to messages on their talk page. I have reset the process, so that a new reviewer can start again.Marshelec (talk) 05:17, 17 July 2023 (UTC)

GA Review

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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This review is transcluded from Talk:Matiu / Somes Island/GA2. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Jonathanischoice (talk · contribs) 23:23, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

Happy to review this over the next few days. I will build up comments below as I go. — Jon (talk) 23:23, 4 August 2023 (UTC)

First things first, on first read through I agree with Dr vulpes' assessments from GA1, so I will start from those assessments and carry on, starting with addressing and re-assessing comments left on GA1.—Jon (talk) 04:37, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

Rate	Attribute	Review Comment
1. Well-written:
	1a. the prose is clear, concise, and understandable to an appropriately broad audience; spelling and grammar are correct.	(See GA1)
	1b. it complies with the Manual of Style guidelines for lead sections, layout, words to watch, fiction, and list incorporation.	lead ok; layout ok; w2w ok; fiction n/a; lists ok
2. Verifiable with no original research:
	2a. it contains a list of all references (sources of information), presented in accordance with the layout style guideline.	Satisfied
	2b. reliable sources are cited inline. All content that could reasonably be challenged, except for plot summaries and that which summarizes cited content elsewhere in the article, must be cited no later than the end of the paragraph (or line if the content is not in prose).	Satisfactory
	2c. it contains no original research.	(See GA1)
	2d. it contains no copyright violations or plagiarism.	(See GA1) The copyvio report returns nothing alarming; the highest 32.4% result is a description from a 2009 Flickr image that was yoinked from a 2009 version of this article.
3. Broad in its coverage:
	3a. it addresses the main aspects of the topic.	Satisfied
	3b. it stays focused on the topic without going into unnecessary detail (see summary style).	Satisfied
	4. Neutral: it represents viewpoints fairly and without editorial bias, giving due weight to each.	(See GA1)
	5. Stable: it does not change significantly from day to day because of an ongoing edit war or content dispute.	(See GA1)
6. Illustrated, if possible, by media such as images, video, or audio:
	6a. media are tagged with their copyright statuses, and valid non-free use rationales are provided for non-free content.	(See GA1)
	6b. media are relevant to the topic, and have suitable captions.	(See GA1). Added birds gallery
	7. Overall assessment.	Excellent work!

Review comments

Lead

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a GA criterion, but is there a good rationale for using {{EngvarB}}? It may make more sense to switch to {{Use New Zealand English}} which might be expected or more appropriate in an article related to New Zealand. Fixed Marshelec (talk) 23:39, 11 August 2023 (UTC) link "midden" ✓ link "World War I" and "World War II" ✓ lead, the sentence "The island was used for animal quarantine until 1995 and a maximum security animal quarantine station was built in 1968" is back to front. ✓ Reworded. link "environmental restoration" to restoration ecology ✓ link to scientific reserves of New Zealand ✓ link "settlement of claims" to Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements ✓ link "the Crown" to New Zealand Government (Realm of New Zealand, Governor-General of New Zealand, or Monarchy of New Zealand?) ✓ Chose Monarchy The map in the infobox frame is a bit odd. We're not concerned with the major arterial roads, for example. It should be possible to use the linked Wikidata item and OSM Relation to give us something like this, using {{infobox mapframe}} or {{maplink}}. Usually simply adding {{infobox mapframe}} somewhere in the location parameter is sufficient, usually before the text. It takes a zoom parameter, usually 8-12 is a good range (higher is more zoomed in). ✓ fixed after some unsuccessful attempts, with help from User:Turnagra :)

Toponymy
"1,000 years ago" needs to be a date; suggest using {{circa}} ✓ link "bilingual" to multilingualism ✓ "colourful" needs either quotes + source or removal (editorialising) ✓ when explaining the names, we need quotes or italics, e.g. "Matiu/Somes Island" is now written as "Matiu / Somes Island" ✓

Geology and geography

Remove "150 years of news" in the Stuff article title in ref (12) for "Leper Island" ✓ "Matiu / Somes Island is about 5 kilometres (3 mi) northwest of the much smaller Mākaro / Ward Island" seems back to front; the paragraph starts with Matiu and then describes its satellite islands. Instead, something like "the much smaller Mākaro / Ward Island lies 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast of Matiu" ✓ link "tectonic activity" to tectonics ✓ "Generally, this gully is a swampy area but it also represents an ephemeral watercourse and during and following heavy rain a small creek flows down it" is a bit long-winded with odd wording/prepositions; perhaps "The gully floor is/forms a swamp but an ephemeral watercourse/stream flows through it during periods of heavy rain" ✓ link "ephemeral watercourse" to ephemeral stream (or its just-now updated target) ✓ link "aquiclude" and/or "aquifer" (both to aquifer since aquiclude and aquitard are both explained there) ✓ possibly aquiclude should be in italics if we are introducing a scientific term (depending on how we read MOS:ITALICS and MOS:JARGON) This may not be necessary given that the term is linked (and explained in the text anyway) Marshelec (talk) 04:14, 13 August 2023 (UTC) Ok—Jon (talk) 05:30, 14 August 2023 (UTC) A personal niggle, but "necessitating" can almost always be "requiring" ✓

History

link Te Āti Awa ✓ "and got its captain John Harewood to take them to the island" - got could be coerced or forced. ✓ There is possibly too much detail in places, e.g. first paragraph of § "World War I internment camp", see GA 3(b) and WP:TMI ✓ Took out a sentence. Perhaps link "Swiss Consul" to foreign relations of Switzerland ✓ In § "World War II internment camp": internees were allowed to stay in New Zealand if they wished since Europe was "in a mess" - MOS:EDITORIAL unless that is a direct quote from somewhere (quote marks and ref needed) ✓ "In 1994, Italians erected a monument" - which Italians? ✓ In § "Quarantine station to scientific reserve": the island "became part of Lower Hutt in 1989" should be more specific; was it Hutt County Council, or Lower Hutt City Council (which was formed at about that time)? ✓ link "scientific and historical reserve" to scientific reserves of New Zealand and historic reserves of New Zealand ✓ In § "Transfer of ownership": link "settlement of their claims" to Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements ✓ Italicise waharoa; in addition, use {{lang}} for waharoa and Tane Te Waiora, and in general throughout the article when using italics to denote words in Te Reo Māori, e.g. {{lang|mi|waharoa}}. This gives the result in italics but with extra markup that helps with things like accessibility, screen readers, machine parsing, etc. ✓

Environmental restoration

Birds reintroduced to Matiu / Somes Island: kākāriki, top-left; North Island robin, top-right; fluttering shearwater, bottom. The researchgate PDF download noted in GA1 can easily and should be replaced with the Notornis journal archive URL, which provides an open-access link to download the PDF: [2] Introduce "Karo Busters" group, or perhaps replace with "volunteers" ✓ In § "Pest eradication": possibly WP:TMI, perhaps just summarise to "DOC has continued to maintain the island's pest-free status", possibly mention the controlled access via the wharf ✓ Second half of the "Reintroduction of invertebrates" section discusses reptiles, which are vertebrates; consider a "Reintroduction of reptiles" heading or rearranging ✓ In § "Reintroduction of birds": suggest an image gallery of 2-3 good photographs of the birds in question (red-crowned kākāriki, North Island robin, shearwater), and possibly for invertebrates and reptiles sections too. Suggest using {{multiple image}} which can be used as a compact thumb gallery; see "Types of traditional and military serpents" in the serpent article as a good example. Here's a starter for 10. ✓ Looking good! :) Jon (talk) 05:39, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

In the arts

introduce (e.g. "New Zealand author") Maurice Gee, Oscar Knightley, Melanie Drewery, David McGill, Fort Dorset,✓ Bard Productions ✓ If the person is linked and it states that they wrote a book, do we need to describe each one as an author?Wainuiomartian (talk) 05:33, 14 August 2023 (UTC) It's for readers with no local context, per the WP:MOS (I can't remember where exactly, sorry). For example it's relevant context (which I didn't know!) that Oscar Knightley is "Samoan-born New Zealand actor, writer and director" given the subject of his play, and without the introductions they are just random people. Obviously (to kiwis) Maurice Gee is a novelist, but without the "New Zealand novelist" bit he could be a quantity surveyor who dabbles in writing for all we know. I just pinch the first sentence from their article lead, and use that :) — Jon (talk) 05:53, 14 August 2023 (UTC) okeydokey, done.Wainuiomartian (talk) 18:12, 14 August 2023 (UTC) link to The Tempest ✓

References
Ref 64 has the Stuff tagline "150 Years of News" in the title ✓ Ref 67 and 71 are the same ref, suggest reusing with {{rp}} as used in this article ✓ Ref 104 and 108 are the same ✓

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Topographic map

@Vallee Many thanks for creating the topographic map of the island. I think this is a useful addition - it helps readers to understand the physical geography of the island, and supports the text. Let's see if there is feedback from any others who have this page on their watchlist. Marshelec (talk) 01:12, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

I agree that the maps (on all of the islands) look great! My only wish is that they followed the topo map conventions a bit more, but that doesn't have a huge impact by any stretch. Turnagra (talk) 01:19, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

@Turnagra Hmmm. In my feedback to User:Vallee about an earlier version of the Kapiti Island topographic map, I made the observation that the green-to-brown colour shading in steps of altitude created a distinct but misleading impression that the top of the island was brown/dirt/rock. So the departure from the conventions is possibly down to me. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that the green shading in this example (and also Kapiti Island) is better for the purposes of these articles about the two islands. Marshelec (talk) 01:30, 13 January 2024 (UTC)