Our mission

If you don’t believe women have shaped history, why would you believe they can shape the future? We share how women have shaped history in the places where they’ve shaped history.

Our Story

She Shapes History started with a simple question – "Where are the women in the history of Australia?"

Bushrangers, convicts, diggers, blokes and battlers are often seen as the main characters of Australian history. In the story of our nation, women have frequently been cast as minor characters. Countless stories have been lost, left unrecorded, undervalued, and untold. As a society, it's so easy to forget that women were behind many of the moments that shaped Australia.

By recovering the remarkable stories of the women who shaped history, we can challenge our perception of women today. Closing the respect gap in Australian politics and culture today requires that we recognise and re-imagine what Australian women, particularly First Nations women, queer women, women of colour and women with disabilities, have achieved in the past.

While there are many ways to learn more about our history, there is nothing quite like a walking tour. Walking tours offer a unique opportunity to share history in an inclusive, accessible and non-judgmental context.

We use walking tours to highlight the diverse and often forgotten women behind the moments that shaped Australia. We want all Australians, no matter their race, gender or sexuality, to see themselves in Canberra's landscape, in Australian history, and the story of our nation.

So, where are the women in the story of Australia? Well, as you'll discover on our tours, everywhere.

Our Values

Intersectional

Our content reflects Australia’s diversity. We centre women’s agency, resilience, and strength while acknowledging the structural inequalities and challenges they face. We specifically focus on sharing women’s stories from migrant, disabled, First Nations, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Inclusive

You don’t need a history degree to enjoy our tours. Walking tours offer an opportunity to share knowledge and stories in an inclusive and non-judgmental context. We don’t want any barriers to engaging with our content. All our tours are wheelchair and pram accessible, and our guides use microphones so everyone can hear us. We also don’t assume prior knowledge, use image descriptions online, and use clear and non-exclusionary language.

Respectful

Whether in an internal staff meeting or a conversation with a guest, we communicate directly but with respect and kindness. Our Safer Spaces Policy is fundamentally about respecting one another and ensuring She Shapes History (the tours, social media and any online or off-site events) remains a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

Queer

Queerness is rooted in liberation. For us, being queer is about more than gender or sexuality. It is about someone’s willingness to challenge what we understand as “normal.” It is about embracing and making space for the possibility of new, innovative, radical ways of existing. To be a queer business means to challenge the status quo. To be a queer business means to innovate.

Community Focussed

We want our tours to create more engaged locals and visitors. We strive to create a sense of community and belonging, to make people feel a part of Canberra, and a part of She Shapes History. We also design our content in collaboration with relevant community organisations and individuals.