What if we could walk through Sydney and discover the stories of women who helped shape its history, women whose contributions are often overshadowed by those of men?
That is the premise behind ‘She Shapes History’, a walking tour that takes participants to significant locations across Sydney while introducing them to women who challenged convention, broke barriers and created change.
My friend Sonali Saxena and I recently joined the tour and found ourselves looking at familiar parts of Sydney through a very different lens.
The walk began in Hyde Park with the intriguing story of Rayner Hoff’s Crucifixion of Civilisation. Designed in 1932 for the Anzac Memorial, the controversial sculpture depicted a naked female figure representing Peace or Civilisation, crucified on the sword and shield of Mars and positioned above dead and dying soldiers. Opposition from church leaders meant that the work was never realised.
The story provided a thought-provoking introduction to a tour centred on women who challenged the conventions and institutions of their time.
The first stop was St Mary of the Cross, where participants learnt about Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first canonised saint, educator and social reformer. In the 19th century, MacKillop demonstrated remarkable courage in challenging church authorities and advocating for the people she served.
The tour continued through the stories of women including Caroline Chisholm, Florence Nightingale, Lucy Osburn, Millicent Preston-Stanley, Pearl Gibbs, Annie Forsyth Wyatt, Kathleen Butler, Maria Bashir and Mary Reibey. Their lives were vastly different, but they shared a willingness to question accepted norms and push against the limitations placed upon women of their time. Their achievements remind us that social change rarely happens overnight. It is often the result of individuals who have the courage to challenge what is accepted, persist when faced with resistance and create opportunities for those who follow after.
‘She Shapes History’ offers more than a walking tour of Sydney. It is an opportunity to reconsider whose stories are remembered, whose contributions are celebrated and how women have helped shape the society we live in today.
For anyone interested in Sydney’s history, women’s stories or simply discovering the city from a different perspective, this is a walk worth taking, preferably with a group of friends.
Sometimes, the best way to appreciate how far we have come is to walk in the footsteps of those who came before us.
– Poornima Menon
