She Shapes History
Things To Do Parkes, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
She Shapes History shares how women and queer people have shaped history in the places where they’ve shaped history – providing transformative, engaging, and entertaining experiences designed for those eager to uncover a different side of history.
Be guided through Australia’s capital city by locals with a great sense of humour, a genuine passion for Canberra and women’s history, and plenty of fun facts to share. She Shapes History are more than just guides – they’re storytellers, activists, and part of the living history they share.
Services
$50
Discover the badass women behind Australia’s capital city. Hidden between the National Archives, the National Library, and the National Gallery are the stories of women who designed cities, changed Australia’s constitution and dismissed governments.
Dive into Canberra’s hidden history and discover how the city gradually became the political and cultural capital it is today. This tour introduces you to a different side of Canberra’s most iconic monuments, sites and cultural institutions.
Join us to uncover these hidden gems and more!
Disabled Access
Carpark Family Friendly Pet Friendly - Enquire$50
It’s time for Canberra’s secrets to come out of the closet. Led by an extremely passionate local queer guide, this tour takes you to some of the key sites where queer Canberrans shaped history. From the site of the city’s first Pride Festival to the first privately (and woman!) owned gay club to the park where gay men used to meet under the cover of darkness, each stop is a chapter in our community’s rich queer narrative.
Stand where barriers were broken and rights won. Feel the legacy of those who fought for our freedoms. This walking tour is a celebration of the unsung heroes who forever changed the social fabric of our city (and had fun and fell in love along the way!). So, get your facts straight and your history queer on this LGBTQ+ history tour. Book today for an unforgettable experience that connects, educates, and inspires.
She Shapes History is a queer-owned and -operated business. All our LGBTQIA+ History Tours are led by a queer guide. At She Shapes History, we’re more than just guides – we’re storytellers, activists, and part of the living history we share.
Disabled Access
Carpark Pet Friendly - Enquire$50
Uncover a side of Australia’s capital city that few encounter – a hidden world of spies, double agents, and covert operations. Walk in the footsteps of extraordinary women who were both spies and spied upon. On this tour, we’ll retrace their steps from ASIO’s first office to Canberra’s longest-running pub. Explore secrets hidden in plain sight on unassuming suburban streets. Visit infamous pubs, abandoned embassies, and schools and homes that were under constant surveillance.
This entertaining tour playfully explores the early days of espionage in Canberra, poking fun at both the spies and their unsuspecting subjects. While our tour is well-researched and rich in historical stories, we approach Canberra’s spy history with a light-hearted touch. This tour isn’t for those seeking a two-hour lecture on Canberra’s history.
We believe in bringing history to life, which includes sharing a few jokes and questioning some interesting decisions from the past. For instance, did you know ASIO has files on over half a million Australians? As you’ll discover, not everyone watched by ASIO was a threat to the state! Some were simply mums involved in the women’s liberation movement, dropping their kids off at school.
Disabled Access
Carpark Family Friendly Pet Friendly - Enquire