She Shapes History

26/03/2025

We’re ridiculously excited to be opening up our very tiny but mighty team at SSH HQ to one more person: a Marketing Assistant (!!!). This is a part-time, entry-level role and we’re really pitching it to uni students without heaps of experience because it’s genuinely designed to be entry level.

We’re not looking for someone with a long resume or loads of experience. We’re looking for someone who’s curious, creative, up for giving things a go, and passionate about women’s history and creating social impact.

For those who haven’t heard of us before, She Shapes History is a historical tourism social enterprise (based in Canberra but expanding nationally!) making women’s history accessible & engaging. We’re creating recognition and respect for women – one tour (and one reel!) at a time.

📍 Canberra (or Melbourne for the right person)
✨ Part-time
🕐 10 hours/week
🎓 Entry-level (genuinely!)
💰 $25/hour (+ 11.5% super)

18/03/2025

Oh my goodness what a week!! And it’s only Tuesday!

I made it into The Sydney Morning Herald (!!) AND my 10 advance copies from the publisher arrived.

The interview with The Sydney Morning Herald was hands down one of my favorite interview experiences ever.

The fabulous Julie Power and I spent two hours wandering around Sydney, chatting about women’s history and how much of it has been erased and forgotten, but (hopefully!) not for much longer!

The gorgeous emails and DMs we’ve been getting from folks who’ve read the article have me so excited to launch tours in Sydney and see the book out in the world!

We’re planning to launch tours in Sydney in May (tickets go on sale mid-April!), and the book will be out on April 15 (but it’s available for pre-order now!).

I’ve honestly had so many “pinch me, how is this my actual life” moments lately that I’m starting to worry the universe is about to balance things out with something truly chaotic and terrible 😅😬🫣

11/03/2025

We’re hiring guides in Sydney! 💗🕺🏽✨ We’re looking for people who are able to run at least 1x 2-hour tour a week

Please share this with anyone who might be a great fit – we’ve put together a list of green flags and red flags to help you get a feel for what we’re looking for. The link to apply is in our bio 🫶🏽.

We’ll be reviewing applications and conducting interviews as they come in, as we’re looking for 1-2 people to start SOON in preparation for launching tours in Sydney in May! We’re developing and trialling our two Sydney tours throughout March and April, and we’d LOVE for whoever we hire to be part of that process.

Btw our Sydney team already includes two incredibly badass women — one is an architect and the other is a cartoonist — and we’re so excited to add 1-2 more incredible humans to the mix.

Feel free to send me a DM if you have any questions. Otherwise, we’re really looking forward to (hopefully!) welcoming you to our (frankly, pretty amazing) team.

P.S. We know this post is a bit of an info dump, but if someone’s genuinely interested in being a guide, we figure they’ll read it.

23/02/2025

I wrote a book, and it hits shelves on April 15—but you can pre-order now (ideally from your local bookshop, but online works too!).

Writing this was one of the hardest and most challenging things I’ve ever done—and for better or worse, it consumed my 2024. So I’m both really excited (and equally nervous) to see it out in the world.

Canberra is the only stop on my book tour, so I’d really love to see you at the launch at the National Library of Australia on April 12! It’s free, and it’s going to be a really special event—but you do need to register here: https://www.library.gov.au/whats-on/events/book-launch-she-shapes-history-sita-sargeant.

Hopefully, I’ll see you there 💗

And also… holy s**t, I cannot believe I wrote a book 😳

14/02/2025

These past two nights running our Love in the Capital tour have been absolutely fantastic! 💖 Huge thanks to everyone who joined Eleri for a walk through Canberra’s hidden history of romance!

Here’s a little round-up from night one (with a special pic from night two thrown in for good measure):

1. At the Ladies Rose Gardens 🌹
2. Kicking off the evening with champagne at the (their courtyards are stunning and are definitely one of Canberra’s hidden secrets) and getting to know one another. 🥂
3. Out front of the Hyatt, hearing about one of its more famous residents (hint: her husband went missing at sea and was never heard from again).
4. Tennis at the Senate Rose Gardens. Including these men in my round-up because oh my goodness, they were LOUD—so much grunting, which was not exactly the vibe we were going for while telling a story about someone key to The Dismissal.
5. On the front steps of Old Parliament House.
6. At the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
7. Two of my fave SSH community members—they’ve been on every tour and have probably told everyone in their lives about SSH. Another of my eternal faves was there too, but I didn’t get a good photo of her. (She is on my spy tour this afternoon AS A SECOND DATE activity so maybe I’ll take a sneaky pic then)
8. Eleri and John McEwan.
9. Hotel Kurrajong.
10. A group video from night one, featuring very unclear instructions from me, which is why it’s slightly awkward. 😅
11. Group photo from night two! ☂️

See you all again tonight! And then probably in a year when we run this again. 😉🕺🏽

30/01/2025

Thank you HerCanberra for the lovely shout out!

"Learn about the love stories that shaped the nation

Running for only three days, She Shapes History Tours returns with its most scandalous tour just in time for Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day.

Discover Canberra’s hidden romantic side on this eye-opening journey into the heart of the capital, revealing its lesser-known history of love, passion, and scandal. Grab your date or some friends and uncover the stories that rocked the city, from power couples to secret love affairs, and everyday romances that thrived despite government policies."

From where to book a table for two to fun activities that will woo your boo, here are 15+ ways to spend Valentine's Day in Canberra.

28/01/2025

We are absolutely delighted to bring back our very popular Love in the Capital tour this February for three NIGHTS only: 13th (Galentine’s Day), 14th (Valentine’s Day), and 15th (because Saturdays deserve some love too) 🌹💕

Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of bubbles 🥂 and two hours of incredible stories that will absolutely transform how you view Canberra and Australia’s political history forever.

This is one of our absolute favourite tours to run (and we’re so excited to offer it as an EVENING tour!), so hopefully we’ll see you there. We personally couldn’t think of a better way to spend Valentine’s Day! 💗

14/01/2025

So, I quit my part-time job (Engagement Manager at the amazing women-owned social enterprise ) AND made my first non-tour guide hire today (Zev is coming on as our new part-time Operations Manager). And holy sh*t, am I really nervous and low-key second-guessing myself.

December and January are ALWAYS super quiet months for us (Canberra empties out, and the locals who stick around don’t want to be outside), so I’m making this move knowing the next couple of months will be a bit tough in terms of cash flow.

But after a really good break where I thought a lot about what I wanted my life and She Shapes History to look like, I’ve fully decided to go all in. I have so much faith in She Shapes History (it’s already so much bigger than I imagined) and I really do think a few slightly painful months will be worth it because I get to work on something I love every day and I also get to contribute to making Australia a better place by reshaping how we think about our history.

I don’t know exactly what I’m trying to say here. I guess, just keep me in your thoughts as I scale up a women’s history tourism company to the point where quitting my fairly well paid and flexible job and hiring someone for operations feels like the right call 😅. (Right now, I low key feel like I need a drink, but instead, I’m going to go for a walk with a friend as I’m trying to not go to the pub as my default post-work activity).

My goal for 2025 is to expand She Shapes History to two other Australian cities, grow our corporate and school tour offerings, and to keep amplifying women’s stories through digital content. I honestly just couldn’t see that happening while working part-time elsewhere, or without someone else dedicated to operations and customer service.

But it’s still a MASSIVE leap, and one that I *really* hope I won’t regret.

Keep shaping history,
Sita

17/12/2024

Look, we dropped the ball on marketing this year and left it pretty late to remind you we do gift cards. But maybe you also dropped the ball on getting a gift...

If that’s the case, we’ve got you. A She Shapes History gift card is the perfect Christmas gift—for literally anyone.

Your partner, mum, best friend, grandma, colleague, even your misogynistic dad. We’ve got you.

It supports a small business, celebrates women, is good for the environment and your soul, and leaves you feeling incredibly inspired (or, on our spy tour, questioning whether you missed your true calling as a spy). Honestly? It’s just the ultimate gift.

Our tours are the kind of gift that doesn’t disappoint. We’ve got a way-higher-than-average redemption rate, and there’s almost always someone on tour who’s there because it was a gift (and they love it!).

Okay, going to stop selling now—but seriously, our gift cards are great, and you should grab one.

25/11/2024

Thank you everyone who braved the hot weather and joined us on a tour weekend! ❤️🫶🏽🌞

22/11/2024

Pretty soon after Eleri started running the tour last year, she was asked to create a comic for a children’s event in Sydney.

Drawing inspiration from the tour, she developed an incredible comic about Dorothy & Enid (the first women elected to federal parliament) and the lack of female toilets . It was such a fantastic comic that Allen & Unwin is turning it into a children’s book (out next June!).

Honestly, this is one of my favorite outcomes from starting She Shapes History—knowing the tours inspired (an amazing) children’s picture book is pretty damn awesome.

But this post isn’t just to brag about how amazing Eleri and the tours are (though they are). It’s to let you know that Eleri will be doing a live comics reading at Old Parliament House on Friday, November 29, at 6pm.

I went to my first live comic reading a couple months ago, and it was such a delightful, unique experience—I genuinely can’t recommend it enough. If you’re free on Friday, I can’t think of a better way to spend your evening (especially since it’s ridiculously well-priced at just $10).

This is your chance to experience Eleri’s brilliant feminist toilet commentary in the very building where the history ACTUALLY HAPPENED. And if you ask really nicely (no promises), she might even take you to the infamous toilet itself. 🚽

It’s also your last chance to see the unsanitised OG version before it’s polished for print as a children’s book.

Eleri promises you won’t regret coming.

22/11/2024

Eleri’s absolutely fabulous tour group from this morning!

PSA the rose gardens are in full bloom at the moment, so are STUNNING 🌹

Still time to book your spot for this weekends tour!

07/11/2024

We are launching a podcast!! And we're hosting a small Sunday afternoon get-together to celebrate! 😆🥳🤩

This podcast is a deep dive into Canberra’s q***r history, and the process of working on and researching it has helped both Zev and I (Sita) feel so much more connected to our identity as q***r Canberrans. We really do hope it does the same for you ❤️

We are so excited for this to be out in the world. We’ll be launching the first two episodes next Tuesday and then we’ll be dropping them weekly for the next months (only 8 episodes!). For now, you can go and listen to the podcast trailer—available on all streaming platforms 😎

Please enjoy the launch party invite I made using historic fonts from the late '90s and early 2000s. It will be hosted at Cafe Stepping Stone in Dickson and there will be food and drinks available to purchase from the incredible Q***r Food (the dishes will speak directly to the history shared in the podcast!). There will also be cake. It should be a really chill and lovely afternoon and honestly just a 10/10 way to finish up your weekend.

And if you’re worried about coming solo, please don’t be as either Zev or myself will personally introduce you to some people.

Register for free via the link in our bio! We’re so excited to celebrate with you.

Keep shaping history,
Sita, Zev & Team SSH

P.s. The INCREDIBLE podcast cover art is by the amazing Emma Rowland.

04/11/2024

It was such a joy to take the fabulous team Thylacine on our Badass Women of Canberra tour!

We absolutely love running private tours so reach out if that’s something you’re ever interested in (we can run one at any time/date that works for you!).

25/10/2024

Running a tour is easily the best way to spend a Friday morning ❤️

See you this weekend!

20/10/2024

What a fantastic way to start a Sunday!! Our tours were featured in the Sunday Times!

Eleri took the absolutely fabulous Sarah Rodrigues on our Badass Women of Canberra tour a few months ago and the article has *finally* made it's way into the world.

Shout out to the excellent PR & Media team at Visit Canberra for always putting She Shapes History forward for some pretty amazing opportunities.