Fewer than 4% of statues in Australia are of women. Through the monuments we build and the names we remember, we are loudly saying that women’s contributions aren’t worthy of respect. How will we ever close the gender pay gap, get more women into leadership positions and reduce violence against women if we can’t even recognise their historical contributions?
In 2021, I became so frustrated with women’s stories being overlooked and their impact underestimated that I felt I had no choice but to do something about it.
So I started sharing the stories of the incredible women who had shaped my home town of Canberra on a two-hour walking tour on Sundays. Walking tours felt like the perfect entry point. They’re accessible, engaging and fun. The stories stick because they’re tied to real places and told in ways that feel relevant. From the start, my hope was that our tours would spark curiosity and inspire people to dig deeper.
Once I started, I found that women’s stories are everywhere. You just have to start looking and, once you do, you won’t stop seeing them.
Four years on, She ShapesHistoryis no longer just one frustrated woman with an idea. We run tours in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, have trained over a dozen incredible guides and welcomed thousands of people to walk with us and hear these stories. I’ve also spent six months travelling Australia to write a book about what I’ve found.
But you don’t need to start a tour to make an impact. Just choose one woman whose story resonates with you, do a bit more research on her and then share her story everywhere you go.
After years of telling women’s stories in entirely unexpected moments – from first dates to job interviews to chats with the bartender at my local pub – I’ve learned that no one will get mad at you for sharing a great story.
You’d be surprised by how many women have been commemorated – we just haven’t been taught to look for them, or learn their names.
Begin with your neighbourhood:Start where you live. Read the plaques. Look into the stories behind the names of nearby streets, parks and buildings. In Australia, women are represented in fewer than one in 10 places named after people. While that’s a pretty shocking stat, it still means thousands of women have been recognised.
Visit museums explicitly focused on sharing women’s contributions:My favourites include the Cascades Female Factory in Hobart, Her Place Women’s Museum in Melbourne, Miegunyah Historic House Museum in Brisbane, Story Bank in Maryborough and the Women’s Museum of Australia in Alice Springs.
Although more women than you might expect have been commemorated, the majority haven’t. This means you’ll need to do some digging. As you explore the history of your town or city, take note of any women’s names you come across, as well as any historical moments where women should be represented, but seem to be missing. The more research you do, the better you’ll become at spotting these gaps. Once you’ve gathered names, dive deeper into their stories.
Take a walking tour:Walking tours are an excellent shortcut for finding stories – tour guides have already done the research and selected the best ones.
Read local histories:Councils often publish town histories, self-guided walking tours and information about historical landmarks. While these resources rarely focus on just women, you’ll often find them mentioned throughout.
Visit local museums:These places are treasure troves of stories and often include perspectives overlooked by larger institutions. Don’t forget to carry cash for entry and donations, and check their hours before you visit— many are volunteer-run with limited opening times.
Explore cemeteries:Gravestones and inscriptions often tell the stories of community leaders, family matriarchs and remarkable women.
Talk to women:Ask the women in your life: your mum, grandmother, neighbours, colleagues, friends, or even the woman who runs your local pub. These conversations often uncover personal perspectives and overlooked stories you won’t find in books or archives. My favourite icebreaker (on tours, at dinner parties, even on dates) is simple: who is a woman who inspires you? Everyone can name someone.
Look for community archives:Your local library, council, or historical society might already have a history collection or community archive. Most of this isn’t online, so it’s worth popping in for a chat. Historical societies can be particularly valuable. Often run by passionate volunteers, these groups have the knowhow, resources and archives to help you dig into particular people or periods. To find your local historical society, search your town’s name and “historical society” online – something should come up.
Search online platforms:Start with Trove, the Australian Women’s Register, the Australian Dictionary of Biography and state or local archives. Don’t overlook local history blogs – they’re often packed with incredible stories you wouldn’t find elsewhere.
Don’t let all these incredible stories fade into obscurity – celebrate and share them with others.
Talk to the women in your life:Record interviews with women in your community and donate them to local historical societies, archives or libraries.
Write it down:Encourage women to share their stories through memoirs, essays or reflections.
Contribute to local histories:Many councils, libraries and historical societies accept photos, written stories, or oral histories, and they’re often thrilled to receive material about women. You might even find they’re working on a local project or publication you can contribute to.
Share online and in the community:Use blogs, social media, zines, podcasts or even walking tours to amplify these stories. Start Wikipedia pages for the women you find. Use art, photography or theatre to bring stories to life. Host panels, storytelling nights or film screenings celebrating women’s contributions. Use whatever tools you have to share the stories of women in your community.
Incorporate women’s stories into your everyday life:Teachers, bring women’s histories in your classroom; professionals, advocate for gender considerations in policy, health care and design; book clubs, highlight local women’s history or historical fiction. No matter what you do, there’s an opportunity to include women’s stories.
Nominate women for public commemoration:Submit the names and stories of women who deserve to be remembered to your local government for the naming of new streets, parks, schools, suburbs and other public landmarks.
Support movements for public art and place naming:Initiatives like A Monument of One’s Own or Put Her Name On It, campaign for more statues, place names and public art honouring women. Share their work, attend their events and help amplify the call for more visible recognition of women in our shared spaces.
This is an edited extract fromShe Shapes Historyby Sita Sargeant, published by Hardie Grant Explore (A$34.99)