Searching for our history in photos

The Pride History Group has appealed for photos of the first eight Mardi Gras parades, to be published in a book covering the turbulent early years.
The researchers have been documenting the recollections and photographs of people involved in the events of the time, particularly the rough birth of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on the streets of Darlinghurst and Kings Cross in 1978.
Funded by the City of Sydney, the book will cover the attempt by lesbians, gays and trans people of the time to achieve equality.
Pride History Group president John Witte said the group had completed 28 interviews and now needed photos of the parades, the workshops and personalities involved from 1978 to 1985.
“The Cronulla gay group has given me photos of other groups, such as the Pollys entry from 1982, and some from Acceptance and Boomerangs,” he said.
“We really don’t have any images from 1979 or 1981 though. We’d like to see photographs of people preparing for the parade, the floats, crowds, dance parties, and also some of the organisers of the early Mardi Gras. We just have no record of the movers and shakers of the time.”
Please contact John at [email protected] or 9558 9419. Please also forward photographs to Sydney Star Observer at [email protected].