1978 Mardi Gras walking tour: Hyde Park

575 views · Published 24 July 2018 · 1:01 · Indexed 25 September 2026

Channel: ABC News (Australia) · 2018 · People & Blogs

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Peter Murphy almost lost his life in 1978 during the first Mardi Gras. He recalls the flashpoints of an evening that started with celebration, ended in severe bloodshed, and changed the course of LGBTI rights in Australia forever.

Hyde Park: The Resistance
Only 600 meters from where the march had started, and 15 minutes later, the festival was brought to a holt. The police tried desperately to disperse the crowd and a tussle broke out.
"Let's go to the Cross" was the cry. Around two thousand revellers began marching on to Kings Cross, Sydney's infamous red-light district.

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