She Shapes History at the National Library
The answer might surprise you. The National Library of Australia holds one of the richest collections of women's history in this country: diaries, court records, photographs, oral histories, union files, objects, and more. Many Australians have no idea what's there. And much of what's in it has never been seen by the general public.
Over four years and twelve talks, She Shapes History founder and CEO Sita Sargeant is partnering with the Library to change that. Along with the events, we'll add digital content to this information hub, including research guides and reading lists. By the end of the series you won't just know more about Australian history, you'll know how to find it yourself.
Join us for the entire journey, or come along to any one (or more!) of the events to hear from incredible speakers shaping history in their fields.
About Sita Sargeant
Sita Sargeant is a social entrepreneur, author, and one of Australia's leading voices in women's history. In 2021, she founded She Shapes History, a company making women's history accessible and engaging through walking tours, digital content, and partnerships with historic sites and cultural institutions. She Shapes History currently operates in four cities: Canberra, Sydney, Wollongong and Melbourne with plans to be in eight by the end of 2027. She published a book by the same name in 2025 sharing the stories of over 250 women who helped shape 31 towns and cities across Australia. In 2026, she was named the ACT Young Australian of the Year.
Upcoming events
Turns out, a lot of them still ended up in the records. Court files. Police gazettes. Welfare registers. Protection regimes. The women who showed up in these documents weren't supposed to be remembered.
And someone had to stitch the clothes, nurse the sick, raise the children, and keep communities alive. That labour-built Australia. It just didn't make it into the history books. We have a funny habit of not counting women's work. But it left traces everywhere.
From the 1967 Referendum to the stolen wages campaigns, Australia's civil rights movement was organised, sustained, and often led by women, whose names rarely made it into the history books.
Continue your journey
Olympic gold medal won by Miss Fanny Durack at Stockholm, 1912, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139311257
Jessie Street representing Australia at the United Nations, 194- , nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231551090
