Welcome/Wominjeka

Finding Her, Australia’s first statewide women’s commemorative tour, starts here but will only end when the past is complete and the stories of people of all genders are equally told in public places and celebrated in every corner of what’s now known as Victoria.

Commemorative places provide an important link between present and past generations and are a permanent marker to recognise the people, events and stories that make this place what it is.

In the narrative of Victoria, permanent markers of women and gender diverse people’s impact are scarce and more so for First Nations women who went largely unseen in Australia, and due to the silencing of their stories many have not been preserved. But hidden amongst the public landscapes of Victoria, a hint of their contributions and achievements can be found.

Finding Her shines a light on women and gender diverse people and the places where their life and times have been commemorated. These sites provide inspiration of what was and what can be. They remind us of the power of public place naming, truth-telling and commemoration in creating equitable, respectful and creative spaces for generations to come.
Finding Her is a catalyst for visitation, conversation and activation. Our aim is to see Victoria adorned with the stories and achievements of people of all genders immortalised in public places from Mildura to Melton and Mallacoota to Millicent and everywhere in between.

Finding Her is just the start. Our hope is that by shining a light on the existing commemorations, more will emerge. More statues, more public art, more place naming, new policy and improved practice. You can help. Come journey with us, find her, talk about her, identify more sites and start your own advocacy and projects. There’s something for everyone to help Put Her Name on It.

Who We Are

Geographic Names Victoria

Geographic Names Victoria (GNV) part of the Department of Transport and Planning within Land Use Victoria oversees the naming and registration of roads, features and localities in Victoria by administering the Geographic Place Names Act 1998. GNV maintains the official Victorian Register of Geographic Names called VICNAMES and reviews and ensures compliance with the Naming Rules for Places in Victoria. Since May 2022 the ‘Rules’ include the important principle of gender equality and the ability to use first names in place naming supporting a future of better representation in public place naming and commemoration.

Gender Equity Victoria

Gender Equity Victoria (GEN VIC) is the independent peak body for organisations, practitioners and individuals promoting gender equity in Victoria. GNV sponsored GEN VIC to advance the Put Her Name on It campaign in Victoria and develop Finding Her.

Her Place Museum

Her Place Women’s Heritage and Museum Ltd (Her Place) was created in 2015 to provide a physical and digital space to honour women, inspire girls and educate all. Her Place is the custodian of Finding Her, complimenting the physical space in Melbourne with a statewide public places museum and making more women visible.

Just Gold

Just Gold is Australia’s first strategic communications consultancy and creative agency that is an accredited social enterprise. Established in 2018 Just Gold works with Tier 1 clients and Government to enhance their ethical footprint and via its profits enables and activates social change projects with focus on Women, Queer people, CALD communities and Neurodiversity.

First Nations statement

First Nations peoples have cared for and protected these lands and waters since time immemorial. From the arrival of Europeans on these shores, Australia’s First Nations people have received little recognition for their fierce resistance during the frontier wars, where they fought to protect and preserve their Country, community and culture in the face of land invasion, alienation and loss. First Nations Australians live in a society that celebrates and glorifies the oppressors, and there is very little representation of the numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have dedicated their lives to advocating for the rights of their people. In the telling of Australia’s history since the arrival of Europeans, First Nations womens’ voices and stories have largely remained invisible, however, their resistance to oppression has always existed and persists today.

The strength First Nations women possess, their ability to challenge authority, speak for, heal and care for Country and to inspire self-determination within their own communities is unmatched. The power of their continued resistance has inspired many, and their stories deserve to be known and told in mainstream spaces. Finding Her brings the stories of many First Nations women to the forefront, to receive the recognition they deserve for their contribution to modern Australian society.

Inclusion statement

Finding Her aims to address the gender imbalance that exists in public commemoration. To address this imbalance, Finding Her aims to recognise and advocate for the commemoration of all women, cis and trans. We also recognise the important position that gender diverse people who exist outside the binary have in feminist histories, and endeavour to ensure their stories are told.

We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have faced some of the most intense forms of political and cultural subjugation as a result of colonisation and through generations of discrimination and marginalisation. Therefore, as a commemorative justice project, we recognise that it is vital to ensure that the stories and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are told.

In this, we have endeavoured to work with First Nations communities wherever possible when commemorating First Nations people. We respect the wishes of these communities to have their members commemorated, or not commemorated, and this map reflects the autonomy of these communities to participate in commemoration on their terms.

We acknowledge that there will be gaps in our work, and we hope that this project will bring to light where these gaps exist. Where you see these gaps, we encourage the community to let us know, so that we can strengthen our aim to tell the truth about women and gender diverse people who have made our nation’s history. Through the Put Her Name On It initiative, we hope to advocate and campaign for further commemoration of those who have not yet been recognised and to provide redress for historic erasure.