How to Shape History

If the past is what happened, then history is the story we choose to tell about it. And when the stories we tell are mostly of men, we send a message about whose contributions deserve respect.

In this talk, Sita looks at why women’s stories have been pushed to the sidelines and what happens when we bring them back in. Drawing on a six-month research road trip around Australia and her experience taking thousands of guests on feminist walking tours in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, she shows how statues, buildings, plaques, museums and street names quietly shape our idea of who matters. The talk also gives some practical tipsat what we can do to shift that, whether as individuals, a community, an institution, or as a nation. It is a practical guide to helping build a future where every Australian can see themselves reflected in the story of this country.

Sita Sargeant is the founder and CEO of She Shapes History, one of Australia’s fastest growing social enterprises. What began as a single walking tour has become a national movement, spanning sold-out tours, a bestselling book, and partnerships with institutions including the National Library of Australia and Abbotsford Convent. She Shapes History reaches hundreds of thousands of Australians and embeds respect for women into public memory.

Her vision is simple and ambitious: every Australian should see women’s stories reflected in the world around them. If we want respect for women today, we need to first respect the women who shaped our history.

When