Mardi Gras past on show
A museum exhibition detailing the history of the Sydney Mardi Gras will open temporarily on Oxford Street during this year’s festival.
The Sydney Mardi Gras Museum, which will run from Wednesday January 30 until the end of Mardi Gras on Sunday March 3, will explore the 35-year evolution of the parade from its origins in 1978 as a protest march for international gay solidarity to its current iconic status as the world’s largest LGBTI festival, as well as a history of the gay rights protests of the 1970s.
The exhibition will include archival footage of previous marches, photos and documents, which will largely be provided by the Australian Lesbian & Gay Archives (ALGA), based in Melbourne. ALGA committee member Nick Henderson will serve as the exhibition’s curator.
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Director David Wilson told the Star Observer that while the exhibition on the corner of Oxford and Palmer Streets is only temporary, Mardi Gras has plans for a permanent museum in another location.
“Aside from showcasing the history of Mardi Gras and the gay community in Sydney, we’re running the exhibition as a kind of taster for a permanent LGBTI museum. It will be only the third museum of its kind in the world, after San Francisco and Berlin. We’ll be submitting a tender for the T2 building in Taylor Square,” Wilson said.
The Star Observer will also have a place, featuring significant moments in gay news as part of the exhibition.
INFO: mardigras.org.au
