Sydney to Transform the Former Darlinghurst Police Station Into An LGBTIQA+ Museum

Did you know that there could soon be an LGBTQIA+ museum in Taylor Square? The heritage-listed building which used to house the Darlinghurst Police Station on Forbes and Bourke Streets is being eyed for the project by Qtopia.

Qtopia, a not-for-profit organisation advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, recently received a $285,000 grant for the museum. The group has plans to mount exhibitions in the museum that will chronicle the AIDS crisis in Australia in the 1980s, the legal laws supporting LGBTQIA+, and the profiles of some of Australia’s most outspoken queer advocates.

The museum will also have a venue for hosting talks, lectures, and artistic performances. The plans will also likely include a cafe or bar.

In the 70s and 80s, members of the gay and lesbian communities were locked up at the Darlinghurst Police Station, including the protestors during the 1978 rally that led to the establishment of the very first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Qtopia and advocates like Ita Buttrose and Michael Kirby have been working out the site’s transformation as an LGBTQIA+ museum with the local council. Currently, the old Darlinghurst Police Station serves as the administrative office of NSW Health. However, Qtopia has also been discussing the project with health minister Brad Hazzard.

“While this building contributed to injustices suffered by many LGBTIQA+ people, transforming it into a significant community resource will support the healing of past injustices, address past wrongs, and celebrate the community’s resilience,” the Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in the decision to support Qtopia’s plans.

“Museums and cultural spaces play a central role in how we remember the past and interpret the present. Qtopia will be a place to celebrate the glamour, confetti and outrageous fun of parades and parties, but also to reflect on hard-fought gains and unite in the ongoing fight for equality.

“As one of the most LGBTIQA+ inclusive communities not just in Australia but around the world, Oxford Street is the perfect home for a museum that celebrates the history and culture of the LGBTIQA+ community,”

“Qtopia Sydney’s proposed museum aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for the public to celebrate, remember and learn more about the rich history of Sydney’s LGBTIQA+ community.”

Qtopia hopes that the museum will open in time for the Sydney WorldPride 2023.