Overview
It has been 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 is planning to create a permanent reminder — courtesy of a rainbow footpath through Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills.
Announcing the news, Lord Mayor Clover Moore called the proposal "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". She continued: "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, the path will feature six coloured bands painted over an existing footpath, to resemble a rainbow (obviously). It'll be curved just like the real thing, too. And, it'll be located in the area that was recently renamed Equality Green, with plenty of grass on either side.
Inspired by an idea from the Surry Hills Creative Precinct, the path is at the proposal stage at present — and the City of Sydney is currently asking for community feedback until 5pm on Sunday, November 29.
Damian Shaw / City of Sydney
The revamped, brightly coloured footpath will join Sydney's rainbow crossing in Darlinghurst — so there'll soon be multiple spots around town where you can venture to the other side of the rainbow.
Top image: City of Sydney.