After months of planning and discussions, the first LGBTQIA+ museum in Sydney will soon open at The Bandstand at Green Park in Darlinghurst.
Not-for-profit group Qtopia intends to launch the LGBTQIA+ museum in November 2022, with a showcase that pays homage to the history of the Queer community, ahead of the Sydney WorldPride celebration in February 2023.
The Bandstand is metres away from Ward 17 of the St Vincent’s Hospital, the country’s first HIV/AIDS unit.
Though the former Darlinghurst Police Station on Forbes and Bourke streets was also considered for the museum, The Bandstand has been seen as a fitting reminder of “the journey and obstacles the Queer community has both faced and overcome in recent decades,” according to David Polson, Qtopia Sydney’s Board Member and Chair.
“It’s [close] to St Vincent’s where I, among many, was treated for HIV/AIDS,” he added. “With the support of Sydney City Council, we are thrilled to have obtained this space to share significant facets of Queer history and culture.”
More than 400 HIV/AIDS patients received treatment at St Vincent’s, including the batch of 28 people who were part of the monumental drug trials at the facilityh.
The National Art School near The Bandstand will also become an exhibition space for Qtopia, for additional showcases and displays.
However, the Darlinghurst Police Station is not completely off the table as a bigger and more permanent museum. The LGBTQIA+ community is gaining support to reclaim the site. Currently, the building is an office space for workers of NSW Health.
In May 2022, the City of Sydney funded almost $300,000 to Qtopia’s project to establish an LGBTQIA+ Museum to acknowledge the community’s resilience and support actions to correct past mistakes and injustices as part of the city’s healing process.