Overview
It has been more than three years since Australia said a resounding yes to same-sex marriage, with results from the country's postal vote survey on marriage equality announced in November 2017 and the corresponding legislation passed through parliament in December the same year. Now, to commemorate the historic event, the City of Sydney has unveiled a permanent reminder — courtesy of a rainbow footpath through Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills.
When announcing the construction of the path in November 2020, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said it was "a permanent tribute" — not only to the vote in favour of same-sex marriage, but "to the moment when more than 30,000 Sydneysiders gathered together to hear the results". The Lord Mayor also said "the path will represent both the progress we have made towards equality and the long way to go before our LGBTIQ communities are free of discrimination".
Stretching across a 90-metre expanse and officially opened to the public today, Tuesday, February 16 (just in time for Mardi Gras), the path features six coloured bands painted over an existing footpath, to resemble a rainbow (obviously). It's curved just like the real thing, too, and is located in the area that was recently renamed Equality Green, with plenty of grass on either side.
Leigh Harris, Mike Galvin, Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully, Orlando Sydney and Alex Greenwich. Image: Jack Begbie for City of Sydney
If you're hoping to head along to snap a photo on the new rainbow path — you can. And you can take Fido along for a photoshoot, too.. Prince Alfred Park is dog friendly and most of it is off-leash.
The revamped, brightly coloured footpath joins Sydney's rainbow crossing in Darlinghurst and the soon-to-appear rainbow walkway at Coogee Beach — so there are multiple spots around town where you can venture to the other side of the rainbow.
The rainbow footpath is located at the bottom of Equality Green, Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills.
Top image: Chris Southwood for City of Sydney.