In Conversation with Sita Sargeant

In collaboration with the National Centre of Biography, Sita Sargeant will be in conversation with Michelle Staff and will be discussing her latest book She Shapes History : Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women the tour company itself and the role of biography in public history work.

About the Book

She Shapes History is a series of walking tours and vignettes that celebrate the accomplishments of women who made an impact on the small towns and big cities of Australia. Author Sita Sargeant has travelled the country to uncover tales of women who have so often been left out of the history books, to reframe well-known stories and let readers see the amazing histories around every corner of their own hometown or city.

The book features 30 cities and towns from across the country; from Coober Pedy to Hobart, Hahndorf to Rockhampton, and all of the major cities in between, each place has its own indelible identity, and a myriad women who left their mark there. Whether it's the underworld queens who ran Kings Cross, the businesswoman of African heritage and single mother of four who became the first recorded woman to vote in an Australian election, or the pioneering activist who founded Meals on Wheels (and just happened to be in a wheelchair), there are countless funny, heartbreaking, inspiring, and eye-opening stories of women who lived and thrived in these disparate and often challenging landscapes. There are 18 city walks included, one for each of the major cities, with easy-to-follow maps with stops that relay stories of women who affected change there. The book will have a fun and engaging scrapbook feel, with breakouts and vignettes that highlight amazing women that have helped to shape history.

About Sita Sargeant

Sita Sargeant is a tour guide, feminist, and history nerd promoting gender equality through tourism. Frustrated by the lack of recognition for the historical contributions of women, she founded She Shapes History, a social enterprise offering entertaining and engaging historical walking tours in Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne. She Shapes History: Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women is her debut book.

About Michelle Staff

Dr Michelle Staff is a feminist historian living on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country in Canberra. She is the online and outreach manager for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and the 2025 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellow.

About The National Centre of Biography ANU

The National Centre of Biography is part of the ANU’s School of History. Since its formation in 2008 it has served as the nation’s leading centre for readers and writers of biography. The NCB is also home to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, one of the longest-running collaborative humanities projects in the country.

About the Event

• Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
• Registration is required for this event.
• Accessible parking spaces directly below the Harry Hartog ANU Bookshop are available should you require them. Parking at ANU/Harry Hartog
• If you do not feel well, please refrain from attending this event.
• Disability Access available - please ask in-store.