A peculiarly Canberra landmark, the Rainbow Roundabout on Lonsdale Street in Braddon is a much-loved and photographed feature of our capital.
Painted in 2017 to celebrate the ACT recording the highest ‘Yes!’ vote of any state or territory in the marriage equality survey, it also became the site of the YES!Fest street parties in 2018 and 2019 and came to symbolise modern Canberra.
In recent years though, the marks from a burn out at the 2022 Summernats could still be seen creeping through despite a clean up for WorldPride and it seemed like celebrating Canberra’s LGBTIQA+ community and its wider progressive movement had become, well, less of a priority.
So it was a very nice surprise to discover that the roundabout had received a fresh lick of paint over the summer break, courtesy of the City Renewal Authority, whose CEO had actually suggested getting rid of it not that long ago. A third of has been painted with the colours of the trans flag as well as black and brown to reflect queer people of colour, signalling that the city is still taking its ‘Capital of Equality’ slogan seriously.
A spokesperson from the Office of LGBTIQ+ Affairs says, “The Rainbow Roundabout stands as a visual affirmation of the ACT’s dedication to fostering an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status. It serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing journey toward equality and acceptance. Representation matters and the Rainbow Roundabout is one of the ways we can continue celebrating and valuing LGBTIQ+ communities.”
– Danny Corvini
