It's here, and it's defiantly queer. Sydney’s newest museum is committed to sharing the history and culture of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ communities. Following plans for the museum being launched at Sydney WorldPride, the opening in February 2024 couldn’t have come soon enough.
Situated just off Oxford Street’s pink mile in Sydney's historic gaybourhood, Qtopia Sydney hosts up to 17 thought-provoking exhibitions at any one time. The most extensive centre for queer history and culture in the world, Qtopia is also a hub for live theatre with two dedicated performance spaces.
Visit this colourful cultural hub to learn the ropes of Sydney’s queer communities of the past and present – from queer First Nations legacies that pre-date colonisation, to our bad-ass protectors, the Dykes on Bikes, why the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence don the habit, and what really went on in an underground toilet block after the gay bars closed up for the night.
The museum campus is spread across four reclaimed Darlinghurst buildings, and the centrepiece is the old Darlinghurst Police Station. The most significant location for both its size and its historic significance, the heritage-listed station building was used as a lockup for gay men in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as the peaceful gay rights protestors who were violently arrested on a fateful night in 1978, which led to the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras rally in 1979.
If you find yourself asking why we even need a LGBTQIA+ museum in this day and age, the answers are quite literally written on the walls (as well as in the everyday instances of homophobia and transphobia that persist). The museum’s curators have worked tirelessly with researchers, historians, archivists, media organisations, private collectors and other museums to create a deeply-considered pastiche of the triumphs, struggles and euphoria of the community.
The museum’s immersive exhibitions are guided by five major themes – Human Rights, Sexuality & Identity, Media Representation, First Nations stories, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the experiences of gay men are a largely centered, but considerable efforts have been made to include and empower diverse identities and intersecting communities.
Just months after opening to the public, Qtopia was recognised at Time Out Sydney’s inaugural Arts & Culture Awards, taking out the People’s Choice Award for Best Museum Exhibition with The Underground. Accessed by a set of stairs outside the main museum building, this cheeky adults-only exhibition has overtaken the infamous public toilet block below Taylor Square – which was a popular gay hook-up spot up until it was boarded up in 1988. Impressively curated, with a combination of historical objects and new art works bathed in neon lights, The Underground commemorates an unavoidable element of local gay history. Let's just say, George Michael would be proud.
What does it cost to visit Qtopia Sydney
Qtopia Sydney is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10.30am–4.30pm, hours may vary due to public holidays. Museum entry is $15 (or $10 concession card holders and under 18s), and children under 10 can visit for free (see website for details about which exhibitions are family-friendly). On Sundays, entry for everyone is FREE, courtesy of the City of Sydney. Find out more at qtopiasydney.com.au.
How to get to Qtopia Sydney
The museum campus is spread across four buildings in Darlinghurst, and the main hub is just off Oxford Street near Taylor Square. Bus lines 200, 311, 333, 396 and 440 stop nearby, and both Kings Cross and Museum Stations are about 15-minutes’ walk away. Street parking is largely ticketed. Find out more over here.
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