1978 - The fight for the right to be
Mardi Gras began not as a protest but as a party. Andrew Georgiou talks to original '78ers Ron Austin and Ken Davis to untangle the mythic origins of this iconic event
Like a parlour game of whispers, the true story of the roots of Mardi Gras has often been misconstrued. While many believe the landmark riot of June 24, 1978 started as a protest, the night actually started in the celebratory tradition for which Mardi Gras is now world famous.
"Myself and a group of my friends were sitting around having a chat over coffee when I suggested that we have a street party on Oxford Street at night following the demonstration we had planned for that day," says Ron, now 78. "We wanted to celebrate ourselves and get people on the street to party with us. Our close friend and activist Marg McMann suggested we call it 'Mardi Gras' and from that moment on, it was known as just that."
Although Sydney in the 70s enjoyed a thriving gay scene behind club doors, the decriminalisation of homosexuality by NSW law was still six years away. Many professional gay men and women could not be out in the workplace in fear of retribution. It's ironic to think that the oppressive laws in NSW in fact gave birth to the concept of dressing up for Mardi Gras. "It was extremely difficult for many gay men and women to be seen as 'out' in public, we were illegal and our livelihoods were at stake. So we suggested dressing up as a way to disguise our identity on the night," recalls Ron.
Fronted by a truck garnished in stereo speakers, the party, which had been green lit by police, began at Taylor Square and headed down Oxford Street, enticing patrons from the infamous strip and its venues to join in the celebrations.
The mood was electric and the crowd grew steadily with every step. "I heard one guy say as he marched past me, 'I'm out and I'm going all the way'. That was an incredibly poignant thing to hear and it's hard to imagine what that meant to that man," Ron says with some emotion.
Gay rights advocate Ken Davis, remembers how it went from rejoicing to rioting. "The police decided to revoke permission for the party at about 11pm thus preventing what we had agreed upon - a slow moving street party down Oxford Street."
Instead, police followed the crowd from Taylor Square and the peaceful partygoers were just metres from Whitlam Square when the first of the violence erupted. "The police confiscated the truck and the sound system, leaving over a thousand people leaderless. The crowd quickly grew frustrated that they were now forced to run down the street, not party peacefully."
The police met the crowd with unnecessary force, strategically herding them toward Kings Cross, not to disperse them, but to effect as many arrests as possible. The brutality continued, coming to a peak at Darlinghurst Road, where the 53 arrests took place.
"Many people were very brutally bashed and bailing those arrested out took all night. We had support from both the gay and straight community, many of whom were also arrested. Bail money came from people's savings and next week's rent. There was a tremendous feeling of solidarity," Davis recalled to Time Out.
Further activism had the charges dropped, and despite opposition from many gay businesses, 1979's more organised parade drew a crowd of more than 5000 people.
The event was a landmark for Sydney's gay and lesbian community because it not only cleared the way for the next 29 years of parades, but also for the freedom of expression for gay men and lesbian women across the country. The first official Mardi Gras party was held the following year at Paddington Town Hall directly after the parade. The Outrageous Mardi Gras Party set a tradition in place which would eventually see gay icons Boy George, Chaka Khan, the Village People and Kylie and Dannii Minogue perform during the subsequent three decades.
Through the thunderous cheers of crowds at the parade each year, the voices of those men and women who, in 1978, put themselves on the line for the freedom of an entire community can still be heard. Today, Ron Austin encapsulates that spirit beautifully: "Mardi Gras is an extended celebration of our survival."
Timeline From riot to revolution
1978 There's a riot goin' on
The first Mardi Gras ends in police violence, a riot and 53 arrests
1980 Outrageous Gay Mardi Gras
Paddington Town Hall 700 tickets. Entertainment: The Widgies and Layabouts
1984 We'll Dance If We Want To!
Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park. 8,000 tickets
1989 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Party
The Government Pavilion, Moore Park. 15,000 tickets. Theme: I Am What I Am
1992 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Party
Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 16,000 tickets. Marcia Hines and Legs Galore
1994 We Are Family
Hordern Pavilion, Royal Hall Of Industries, Moore Park. 19,000 tickets. Kylie Minogue and John Paul Young
1997 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Party
Hordern Pavilion, RHI, Dome, Moore Park. 20,000. Chaka Khan and the Village People
1998 20 Years of (R)evolution - the 20th Anniversary.
Hordern Pavilion, RHI, Dome, Moore Park.
Record 27,000. Dannii Minogue, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Sommerville
2001 Out There Everywhere
RHI, Dome, Moore Park. 22,000 tickets. Sheena Easton, Vanessa Amorosi, Christine Anu
2002 Happy Mardi Gras
Hordern Pavilion, RHI, Dome, Moore Park. 20,000 tickets. Bardot, Human Nature and Alcazar
2005 Our Freedom, Your Freedom
RHI, Moore Park. 19,000 tickets. Tina Arena, Darren Hayes and Courtney Act
2007 Objects of Love
Fox Studios. 17,000 tickets. Young Divas, Paul Mac, DJ Boy George
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