In the late 1970s and early 80s, Sydney’s Darlinghurst was the place to be for queer fun, sex and joy – all bubbling alongside a measure of danger.

Packed bars, late-night gyms, house music, new friendships and the thrill of seeing and being seen. For many, this was the place to connect, to belong, to “grow up under the mirror ball.”

In the first episode of this three-part series, historian Leigh Boucher steps into that world of parties, cruising, chosen families and hard-won freedom — a queer neighbourhood alive with possibility.

But as the music plays and the nights stretch on, whispers of a mysterious illness begin to circulate.

To understand how that powerful, fragile world of Darlinghurst felt and moved, Leigh talks to ordinary people who lived there and built the “gaybourhood” from the ground up.

How might their stories help us to a fresh understanding of a history we think we know?

Voices

Narrator: Regina Botros

Historian: Leigh Boucher

Interviewees: Pierre Touma, Sara Lubowitz, Bruce Carter, Gary Dunne, Lizzie Griggs, Tess Ziems and Frank McCabe.

Archive: Dr Jim Curran and Dr Ron Penny (courtesy of Gaywaves, 2SER)

Archive voice actors: Sam David Harris and Michael J Ryan.

Radio news and current affairs archive from Gaywaves, 2SER.

Credits

This special History Lab Original series was created on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.

Produced, written and narrated by Regina Botros, in collaboration with Macquarie University historian Leigh Boucher.

Story development by Leigh Boucher and Michelle Ransom-Hughes.

Interviews by Leigh Boucher.

Research assistance from Eli Branagh.

Story and script editing by Sarah Gilbert.

History Lab is a UTS Impact Studios production, in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS.

Support

This podcast was made with the support of the support of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and is part of the Foundation's Darlinghurst Public History Initiative, a collaboration with UTS' Australian Centre for Public History and Impact Studios.

Thanks to Macquarie University for its support of this series.

A special thanks goes to the staff and management of City Gym, Darlinghurst, for their generous hospitality.