A former women-only nightclub in Surry Hills, a Darlinghurst club frequented by drag performers and a bookshop that provided information during the AIDS crisis have gained local heritage protection.
The City of Sydney approved the listings for the former Ruby Reds, the former Taxi Club and The Bookshop on 29 June 2026. Amendments to the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 took effect on 9 October, recognising the buildings’ longstanding associations with Sydney’s LGBTIQA+ communities. Each property has a different history, spanning nightlife, entertainment and access to literature at a time when dedicated spaces and resources were not always readily available.
Where Sydney’s Nightlife Found Its Own Spaces
At 273 Crown Street, Ruby Reds became one of Sydney’s best-known early lesbian venues after opening in the late 1970s under entrepreneur Dawn O’Donnell. The nightclub was established specifically for women, offering a bar and dance floor at a time when lesbian social venues were relatively uncommon. Men could enter as guests of female patrons, while the venue featured disco-era entertainment, including mirror balls and colour-changing dance floors. Ruby Reds was followed by other venues associated with Sydney’s lesbian and gay nightlife, including Querelle, Boogie Room, Pastels, Headquarters and Trade. The building, originally constructed as part of a pair of mid-19th-century dwellings, underwent commercial alterations during the 1920s.
At 40–42 Flinders Street, the former Taxi Club developed its LGBTIQA+ associations through a different clientele. Established at the address in 1956 as the Grosvenor Club, it initially served taxi drivers. Its 24-hour liquor licence later attracted performers from the Les Girls revue, which opened in Kings Cross in 1963, giving them somewhere to gather after their shows. The club subsequently became associated with Sydney’s gay, drag and transgender communities. It remained in operation until 2012, when it closed following voluntary administration, ending more than five decades at the Flinders Street premises.
More Than Books On Oxford Street
At 207 Oxford Street, The Bookshop became a longstanding source of gay and lesbian literature, journals and publications, as well as a meeting place for readers. The premises first housed Exiles Bookshop in 1979 before becoming The Bookshop in 1985. During the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, it provided information and support, offering published material that was otherwise difficult to obtain through mainstream outlets.
Les McDonald and Wayne Harrison co-founded The Bookshop, with McDonald continuing to operate the business until his retirement in 2024. Its premises form part of a Federation-era commercial building group dating to approximately 1911. The three listings followed heritage research commissioned by the City of Sydney as part of its Oxford Street LGBTIQA+ social and cultural place strategy.
The broader study identified 32 sites with historical connections to the community and recommended updates to heritage records for 14 existing listed properties. The newly listed buildings are now subject to individual heritage protections under the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012. Future development proposals will need to account for their recognised historical, social and architectural values, while existing land zoning remains unchanged.
Published 23-October-2026
