1980. Gay Scene: Sydney’s first Gay Mardi Gras party
Sydney’s post-parade Mardi Gras parties have been the stuff of legend for many years: for example, in the mid-80s decorations of the immense dance hall included a full-size light aircraft suspended from the ceiling and a pile of smashed up cars on the dance floor.
At my first Mardi Gras party, in 1987, the entire hall was filled with an artificial snowstorm to accompany a ‘Stormy Weather’ music sequence.
These spectacles have been made possible by the fact that, since 1982, the official Mardi Gras parties have been held in large exhibition halls on the site of what was originally known as Sydney Showgrounds. But the history of the Mardi Gras parties goes back a little further than this.
In 1979 smaller parties were organised in local pubs to raise funds for Sydney’s Gay Solidarity Week activities (the precursor to Mardi Gras). At that time this Week was held in June to coincide with Stonewall commemoration activities elsewhere in the world. Organised by a special ‘Task Force’ of the Gay Solidarity Group it culminated in a parade down Oxford Street. By 1980 it was felt that a lot of the energy of the parade was being lost due to the absence of a specific post-parade event. And thus the first post-parade party was born.
Advertised as a fancy-dress ‘Festive Ball’ it took place in Paddington Town Hall with two bands – ‘Widgies’ and ‘Layabouts’. It’s immense success – 700 people in attendance and almost 100 others turned away – sold everyone on the value of a post-parade party. But Sydney’s Mardi Gras was still in the throes of development: a key issue at that time being the debate on whether or not to move it to the middle of Australia’s summer.
The debate wasn’t just about the weather: opponents argued that it would lose its historical political connection with Stonewall if it were moved to February. Advocates argued that a summer Mardi Gras would attract more supporters. Underlying these arguments was also the debate about whether Mardi Gras should be about protest (the June advocates) or celebration (the February advocates).
When the decision was made to move the event to February, a specific Mardi Gras organising committee was established, completely separate from the Gay Solidarity Group. And the party became a key vehicle for the celebratory element.
The first Mardi Gras party organised by the ‘official’ Mardi Gras committee was held at the Sydney Showgrounds on 27th February 1982: 4,000 tickets were sold. By 1989, numbers had risen to 15,000. However, it was not to be until 1990 that the posters advertised the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (and that is a separate story in itself).
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