At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 14 May 2025, Council adopted the LGBTIQA+ Heritage Study that identifies places of historical importance to the LGBTIQA+ community.

Council resolved to:

1. Adopt the LGBTIQA+ Heritage Study Part 1 and Part 2 for implementation including:
   • Writing to the Minister for Planning and the Department of Transport and Planning requesting the inclusion of the proposed revisions to the Statement of Significance for HO361 - World Heritage Environs Area: Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens as listed in the Study Part 2.
   • Incorporating the proposed revisions to the Statements of Significance for the four other Heritage Overlay precincts as listed in the Study Part 2.
   • Extending the precinct boundary for HO 333 – Smith Street Precinct, Fitzroy/Collingwood to cover the rainbow footpaths at the intersection of Gertrude and Smith Streets and applying external paint controls under HO 333 to the rainbow footpaths.
   • Incorporating individual heritage overlays in the Yarra Planning Scheme for those places meeting the threshold for local heritage significance as listed in the Study Part 2.
2. Refer consideration of the implementation of site-specific strategies and projects to the 2025/26 annual budget process, including:
   • Improving access to the AIDS Memorial Garden through way-finding signage in consultation with relevant stakeholders, such as Thorne Harbour Health, Melbourne Polytechnic, and the Rainbow Advisory Committee.
   • Installing plaques and/or other fixed interpretation products (e.g. history board and/or QR codes linked to a host website) at places identified within Appendix A of the Study Part 1.
3. Include the succinct place histories and notes contained in Appendix B of the Study Part 1 on a suitable page on the Council website.

We want to do more to recognise places, buildings and objects that are historically important to our LGBTIQA+ communities.

As part of our LGBTIQ+ Strategy 2021-2024, we are working to identify and document locations that are historically important to LGBTIQA+ communities, to ensure they will be celebrated and understood into the future.

We have a compiled list of places, buildings and objects that may have special association with LGBTIQA+ communities.

This work is informed by our LGBTIQ+ Strategy 2021-2024, State Government research, our partnership with Queer-ways Melbourne and community outreach delivered by our Council officers.

How did you help?

We asked you to share your personal insights and memories about places, buildings or objects that are special to LGBTIQA+ communities so we can better understand, protect and celebrate Yarra’s LGBTIQA+ heritage. Your feedback will help us in updating the Thematic History of Yarra and may inform statements of significance used in our heritage listing.

You did this by dropping pins on the map below, to share information on an already identified place, building and object or by nominating an additional place/ building or object which is of historical importance. We also received a series of surveys for those who wanted to contribute privately.

We received almost 200 contributions through our map and survey on places, buildings and objects that are historically significant to LGBTIQA+ communities. Thank you all for providing your feedback.