‘Queer Connections’: Celebrating Port Phillips Rich History

“It was a wonderful time, freedom, creativity but also liberation and anger. The solidarity of the community was inspiring,” says Maddison. New South Wales-based photographer, Ruth Maddison, has a series of photographs from the 1980s Women’s Ball in St Kilda on display in an exhibition entitled ‘Queer Connections’.

The City of Port Phillip is a buzz with the glitz and glam, trailblazers and entertainers that have shaped their LGBTQIA+ community. An ongoing exhibition ‘Queer Connections’ has been running in the Carlise Street Art Space to celebrate all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

From the 2nd of February to the 26th of April you’ll be presented with an imaginary evening throughout some of the most iconic venues in the city of Port Phillip from Palace de Dance in the 1920s to the Prince of Wales’ Pokeys of the 1970s.

St Kilda Town Hall which is home to the Carlise Street Art Space was host to a Women’s Ball in July 1985. The Ball was an event for all women, with nearly 2000 women filling the night with music, drinking and dancing.

“The Women's Ball was a beautiful celebration, it felt very free to be in that space. It’s amazing to see these photos live on through the generations to be a witness to that time,” says Maddison.

The city of Port Phillip was home to a host of queer-friendly spaces. The Pokey’s show at the Prince of Wales ran from 1977 to 1992 with elaborate costumes and choreographed shows. They prided themself on being a one-of-a-kind place with Doug Lucas in his drag persona as a host for the evening.

‘Mandate’ in Carlisle Street was the first exclusively gay disco, which operated throughout the 1980s and was one of the earliest venues to advertise itself as gay-owned and gay-staffed.

The subtle nod to the queer history in the city of Port Phillip can be seen as you wander through the streets. Buildings that used to be the home for communities to come together. These stories and images of the time are on display for us to learn and grow from, to keep legacies alive.