Located in the old Darlinghurst Police Station, infamous for the brutal treatment of demonstrators in the first Mardi Gras parade in 1978, Qtopia Sydney is situated in Sydney’s historic gay epicentre.
But what’s in a name? What is Qtopia? The name would suggest an amalgam of ‘queer utopia’, a world of queer bliss and imagined perfection. But the location and a quick glance inside the space would suggest otherwise.
Much of the space is dedicated to documenting the struggle of the queer rights movement against oppression in NSW and Australia, as well as the battle with HIV/AIDs beginning in the 1980s. Rightly so but the themes don’t feel all that utopian.
However, the concept behind the museum is to educate and inform people about the past so a deeper understanding of queer history can lead to a better tomorrow for the community.
If you thought Qtopia was basically a history museum in art gallery form, as I did, that notion is quickly dispelled on entering the space. The location in the former police station is quite confined within a series of exhibition rooms so there is limited space for copious amounts of community art.
However, it uses the space well to create an environment dedicated to preserving and celebrating the histories and lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia via exhibitions, live performances, educational initiatives and events.
Good use is made of the infamous holding cells, which are pretty much in their original condition, as examples of not only the story of the mistreatment of the Mardi Gras participants, the ‘78ers, but also of oppression of LGBTQIA+ rights in general. Standing inside the small, cramped cells, you get an understanding of how intimidating it would have been.
On a brighter note, a dedicated space to gender and drag identity offers a colourful insight into the history of trans and gender diverse people centring on costumes from past drag identities, interview footage with First Nations drag figures as well as Carlotta, to name but a few.
The history of HIV/AIDS in Australia is well documented in the re-creation of a room in Ward 17 South in St Vincent’s Hospital, just a few blocks away; the first dedicated HIV/AIDS treatment and care centre in Australia.
Qtopia appears to be carefully curated to cater for those with limited time and who are curious to see what the queer history museum is all about as well as those who would like to spend time getting to know the history and the stories behind the key figures, past and present, in Australia’s queer community.
