Sheilas: Badass Women of Australian History

by Eliza Reilly

An entertaining romp through Australian history that celebrates the badass sheroes we were never taught about in school and who deserve to be printed on our money, goddamn it!

It's been said that 'well-behaved women seldom make history', but the handful of white boys who wrote our history books conveniently left most of them out. Whoops! To rectify this situation, Eliza Reilly is setting out to revive the forgotten stories of the badass Sheilas of Australian history.

Chain yourself to pub counters with the determined Merle Thornton, fight for Indigenous rights alongside Faith Bandler, and lure forlorn sailors with swimmer-slash-mermaid Annette Kellerman. Deceive cranky soldiers with bushranger Mary Ann Bugg, infiltrate Nazi strongholds on the back of Nancy Wake's bike - and much, much more.

Cracking with satirical wit and whole-hearted admiration, Sheilas is a cheeky, funny, inspirational celebration of the tough-titted ladies who hiked up their petticoats and fly-kicked down the doors of opportunity for modern Australia.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Australia, Book Club, Audiobook, Historical, Feminism

208 pages, Hardcover

First published February 22, 2022

Reviews

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheilas isn’t a straight history book. It’s more like Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, for grown-ups. Reilly incorporates tweets, personal asides and anecdote, and lots of fun trivia. That makes it a quick read, but only a loosely informative one. It's a great introductory guide to amazing Australian women who might otherwise be forgotten.

My full review of Sheilas is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

[Clare Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It could only be one thing. The vagina. I repeat. The answer is 'the vagina'."

At first I hated the writing style of this. About half way through Eliza Reilly mentioned her tv series Growing Up Gracefully. What's that Eliza, you're Hannah Reilly's other half? I love love love Growing Up Gracefully. Then I found their web series Sheilas, which the book is based on. I had to put down the book and watch it. Hell yes! I couldn't stop laughing. Some parts of the book are direct quotes from the series and they were hilarious, but in the first half of the book they shitted me every which way.*

I don't know what goes on in my brain, but when I went back to reading, all the things I hated, I didn't. This sweary writing style won't be for everyone, so watch an ep of Sheilas the web series and then you'll know what to expect. https://youtube.com/sheilastvseries

The book is an expansion of the series, with more badass Sheilas included. The book design, illustration and layout is a work of art. Don't throw it out the window, especially if it's a library book.

*Eg. of me getting pissed off at the book.
In Fanny Durack's chapter, Pierre de Coubertin is called: Pierre de Fuckface, Pierre de Dickhead, and Pierre de Poo Bum. I swear like a bushranger, but I thought it was so juvenile, I almost threw the beautiful hardback out the fucking window. He's called Pierre de Fuckface in the web series and I didn't care at all... Can I blame my period?

[Liisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Sheilas* by Eliza Reilly is a breath of fresh air in the world of Australian history, bringing to light the audacious women who deserve far more than a fleeting (if any) mention in our textbooks. Reilly presents an entertaining and satirical romp through the lives of some of Australia's most badass, trailblazing women—women who broke rules, shattered expectations, and left indelible marks on history, even though they’ve largely been overlooked.

Reilly’s sharp wit and infectious admiration for these trailblazing women, make *Sheilas* both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply inspiring. From Merle Thornton chaining herself to pub counters to demand women's rights, to the fearless Nancy Wake cycling through Nazi strongholds, the book is filled with stories of daring, courage, and rebellion. It’s a delightfully irreverent celebration of women who refused to behave—and in doing so, changed the course of history.

This book is not just a recount of historical facts; it's an empowering call to action to remember the forgotten female heroes of Australia and to recognise their rightful place in the nation's narrative. Reilly's storytelling is both fun and poignant, filled with satirical digs at those who wrote these women out of history while wholeheartedly lifting up the achievements of these unsung heroines.

For anyone who loves a good laugh, a bit of history, and a healthy dose of feminist energy, *Sheilas* is a must-read. These women deserve recognition and Reilly's brilliant retelling ensures they’re unforgettable.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Sheilas in these pages are celebrated for the chaos and brilliance they bring, and they deserve to be spun into legend. They have helped me find out who I really am, and I think reading about them is going to give you some clues about who you really are, too.”

Sheilas: Bad Ass Women of Australian History is a fascinating, inspiring, irreverent celebration of some of Australia’s women who refused to accept the status quo throughout history, by writer, director and performer, Eliza Reilly.

Building on the (must watch) ‘Sheilas: Badass Women of Australian History’ comedy webisode series Eliza created with her sister Hannah, developed as a part of Screen Australia‘s initiative called Gender Matters in 2018 (available on YouTube), the book ‘Sheilas: Badass Women of Australian History’ introduces a bushranger and suffragettes, swimmers and pilots, a spy and an artist, among others. I was disappointed in myself to realise how few names I recognised.

Not content to simply regurgitate the dry facts and figures which are the hallmarks of many history books, Sheilas has a conversational tone, complete with expletives for emphasis. Reilly incorporates on point, funny and occasionally savage personal commentary, tweets and pieces of trivia. Her flippancy won’t appeal to everyone but I think it’s more likely to capture the attention of a wide audience than any history textbook. Photographs and ephemera support each story, while the illustrated titles for each woman, designed by Regine Abos, are whimsical and witty.

Here are a few notes on just three of the incredible Sheilas in the book…

Mary Ann Bugg

“There probably isn’t a better example of white Australia’s bad habit of holding up a grubby man as a hero and discarding a woman of colour who was literally doing the exact same shit but better than the story of the overlooked bushranger and her illiterate white boyfriend who was there too.”

Captain Thunderbolt (aka Frederick Ward) may be remembered for having the longest bushranging career in New South Wales, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Mary Ann Bugg, a Worimi woman who swam the shark-infested Sydney harbour with a metal file between her teeth to liberate her boyfriend from his prison cell on Cockatoo Island. When she finally tired of Fred’s company, she remarried and became a nurse.

Catherine Hay Thomson

“…very real and very scary grounds for being locked up included: ‘Laziness’,‘Masturbation, ‘Medicine to prevent conception’, ‘Mental excitement’, ‘Novel reading’ and practising ‘Egotism’. Which sounds more like my daily to-do list than a justification for insanity.”

Like her well known American counterpart Nellie Bly, Australian journalist, Catherine Hay Thomson, admitted herself to Kew Asylum in Melbourne to expose the abuse and corruption rife within the institution. In 1886 alone, Catherine published five stories on the Melbourne hospital. Her articles resulted in formal nursing training being introduced in Victoria and a ‘Ladies’ committee’ being imposed to help patients.

Deborah Lawrie

“Ansett went on to name The Period as enemy number one, pleading that people with periods should legally be banned from flying because they would ‘act strangely every month, simply were medically unfit once a month, “out of action”’.

Deborah Lawrie refused to take no for an answer when Ansett Airlines repeatedly rejected her application to become an airline pilot. In what was the first case ever held before the Equal Opportunity Board, Deborah won, At the direction of Ansett Airlines owner, Sir Reginald Ansett, the result was appealed to first the Supreme Court, and when they upheld the ruling of the EOB, to the High Court of Australia, where the court directed Ansett Airlines to hire Deborah after a two year legal battle. Sir Reg was so affronted he stood down as CEO and unlike the now defunct airline, Deborah is still flying today, a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a master air pilot.

Read Sheilas: Badass Women of Australian History to learn about sheroes including Faith Bandler, Nancy Wake, Fanny Durack. This is informative, hilarious, and badass.

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not everyone will enjoy the irreverent, sarcastic tone of this book. It took me a while but by the end of the first chapter I’d bought into it. Eliza isn’t poking fun at her “sheroes” but at the historical treatment of women and their underrepresentation in Australian history books.
She selects females from Australian history who SHOULD be more widely known and admired and humorously sets the record straight about their contributions. Her selection spans from the 1860s to the 1980s.
To qualify as one of Eliza’s “badass sheilas” her women have to have caused chaos and exhibited ballsy brilliance in the face of societal opposition (most often from ‘the patriarchy’).
There is a bushranger, an undercover journalist, several suffragettes, ground-breaking swimmers, an artist/occultist, pilots and aviators, civil rights campaigners and a WW2 Resistance war-hero. Many could be described as feminist activists. I’d heard of some but others were a revelation to me.
This is both a funny and a serious history book that will appeal to non-traditional history buffs. It contains some bad language but that didn’t faze me.
There is an online TV series of “Sheilas” streaming on Facebook and Youtube. Try that first to see if it tickles your funny bone then tackle the book.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started but couldn't finish this. I wanted to enjoy a brief and entertaining overview of Australian women in history but I found the writing style jarring. Making fun of a man in the first chapter for not being literate and dying? This was so distasteful. I'd rather research the ladies myself.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved learning about the different Australian women who really were ground breakers. But man, the writing style! It was like reading the transcript of a really crass podcast trying its best to be funny in Millenial style. Blagh. Now I know I'm old, at only 44 🤣

[Saturday's Child · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of these women I knew of and some I didn't. I liked being introduced to those that I didn't know of but I didn't enjoy the style that it was written in.

[Carlea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and informative. The audiobook read by the author made for a rollicking time.
Be prepared for swearing- incase you have 'delicate' ears.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of some standout sheilas that will make you want to do a deep dive into their stories and also find more examples. A fun celebration of some Australian women.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will admit to reading only two of the chapters, which is a shame.
I'm sure the women were really interesting, but I couldn't stand the millennial tosh the author padded out the information with.

[Azriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible. I will be recommending it to so many people in my life as the stories of these women add so much to history as we know it. Thank you for writing this fun, informative and interesting book!

[Bec]

DNF

The satire didn't work for me

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read about some of the women who were unconventional and didn't take the normal path for them. Some I knew, others I didn't.

I would recommend this to others.

[Mel Sweeney (mels.bookshelf_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a feminist nod to all the badass Aussie women that have shaped our country’s history. The women that pushed against society and rocked the status quo in a time that was rigid to change. This is not your average history book, and it is very funny! It was so interesting to learn about these incredible trail blazers whose achievements were often not celebrated alongside their male counterparts.
Told with impeccable wit and humour, this book is both a feminist fist bump and a humorous and enlightening take on history. The author uses comedy very well to open up conversation on some tough topics about our history and the severe inequalities that were present in previous decades. She does acknowledge that we have come a long way with gender equality in this country, but teaches the reader about the badass sheilas that have made that possible.
I listened to this as an audiobook which was really fun as the author was able to tell her info and jokes seamlessly which made it really enjoyable to listen to. A great fun book that you will teach you a thing or two about some ripper Aussie sheilas.

[Rebecca Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly listened to this one while driving to Melbourne. Some great laugh out loud moments and some OMG really?! questions asked in aghast at what women went through in history. A fun listen.

[Dee-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book (or the subject at least) be part of the school curriculum. Most of the sheroes I had never heard of, but now I will not forget them, especially Mary Ann Bugg and Lores Bonney. There should be a movie or series about these ladies.

[Louise Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny, light hearted, clever addition to a history of Australia, shining a light on women whose stories were previously either lost or overshadowed in traditional history books. Reminded me a bit of “Girt” in terms of writing style and humour.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly hilarious.

Utterly essential.

The things you'll learn and discover in this book will make you want to buy copies for everyone.

I interviewed Eliza about this joyous book, which you can read here:

https://www.thecurb.com.au/sheilas-au...

[Tim Goldsmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read "A history of the World in 21 women", I was excited to read this book with a more antipodean focus. Many of the characters were interesting, but my primary dislike of the book was because of the writing style of the author. Rather than seeking equality or equity for women, Reilly appears to revel in straw-manning and pillorying men, attributing every action to white male privilege & painting every interaction in history as some kind of patriarchal plot.
I'd almost be OK with this simplified and needlessly dichotomous approach to history if it wasn't for the fact that Reilly grounds her writing in a profoundly flawed narrative. On one side, the fight for women's equality is seen as a moral must-have, but part way through the book Reilly then argues that any moral standards we hold to are simply another example of patriarchal society attempting to hold people down. She even makes mind-numbing claims, such as that Nancy Wake is completely justified in wanting to kill many more Germans (not just Nazis) because in doing so she is taking hold of a prerogative that has historically only been to men!
I was saddened that a potentially great novel about many great women was instead turned into an angry piece of propaganda that, if taken too seriously, would put healthy relations between men & women back, rather than forward.

[Maz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Immediate DNF. I really tried. The premise of this book is so good, but there's just no getting past the tacky lib fem buzzwords style of writing. The styling might work in other formats, but it's heinous for a book.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The way the book was written was very annoying and distracting for the reader but I enjoyed reading about interesting historical women. I did finish the book but I was pleased to finish as the author intruded too much into the stories and detracted from the success of the book.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final chapter made up for the rest of the book.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short read but rather “potty mouthed” writing which detracts from the incredible lives and impact of some of these women.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is. SO. MUCH. Information. And the font is soo small.
The author tries to be funny and fails miserably. These woman are amazing enough without your stupid remarks.
Extra star for the photos.

[Jade O'Donohue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Wake:

“Here is a fun anecdote to whip out at the next gathering. Of all the hundreds of thousands of French special operations executives during World War II, there were just thirty-nine women in the Resistance.
Twenty of them were caught and sent to death camps, of whom only three survived.

Even though the stats were against her, Nancy wasn't discouraged from her work. She made the choice to fight the Nazis even though she was rich enough that she could have avoided war altogether. She had the option to run away to the countryside with her husband and take up macramé and bullet journalling until it all blew over. But she was keen to get tits-deep in combat. She begged her husband for finances and the more he discouraged her, the more trigger- happy she grew.
Academics will say this came from selflessness, but anyone who's met a private school girl knows that selflessness is only skin deep.”

[Tigereno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scored 3.5*
A great collection of some under appreciated Sheilas who definitely changed the course of history and should be taught to school kids. The colloquial language, swearing, and slang got a bit much after awhile and felt like I was listening to the bogan rantings of some lady at the pub. In saying that, I quite enjoyed the book and it was good reading a less formal history book that could be easily read by any Aussie born in this century.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's creative style of insulting historical people. A history book I didn't want to put down. A transparent reaccounting of forgotten women and their achievements. The book didn't try to make each woman seem like someone you would have liked as a person, but you would respect what they achieved from the way they changed the world for women.

[Steven Kolber · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the face of it, a rather dull idea, write about women who done good, but injected with such linguistically innovative and genuinely hilarious repartee that this was hard to put down. Really great fun, looking forward to the sequel, when we hit the underground famous Sheilas!

[Nyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come for the history lesson, stay for Eliza's hilarious commentary.
I've read a few non-fiction feminist history books. They can be a bit dry. Not Sheilas though, funny and interesting from start to finish.
Highly recommended.