Heritage festival: birth of the Golden Mile

Join heritage expert Matt Devine, Dr Shirleene Robinson, and Producer and DJ Gemma for a lively conversation about the shapeshifting history and heritage of Oxford Street and the birth of the ‘Golden Mile’.  

Originally built in the early 1800s along an Aboriginal maroo or muru (walking track), the road to South Head became, by the late 19th century, a major commercial thoroughfare linking Hyde Park to Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Once a narrow, congested shopping street, Oxford Street was widened in the early 20th century and transformed into a fashionable boulevard. From the 1960s, it evolved again as a focal point for Sydney’s LGBTIQA+ communities. 

Matt Devine is a registered architect and heritage specialist working in strategic planning at the City of Sydney. His work focuses on recognising and celebrating the relationship of the LGBTIQA+ community to Oxford Street, Darlinghurst while supporting creative and cultural development.

Dr Shirleene Robinson AM is President of Sydney’s Pride History Group and an Honorary Associate Professor at University of Technology Sydney. She is a professional historian and curator with particular expertise in oral history and LGBTIQ+ history.

DJ Gemma has been a pioneering force in Sydney's underground queer dance scene for over three decades, beginning in the late 1970s at the lesbian bar Ruby Reds. She co-founded legendary parties Club Kooky, Club Arak, and Club Bent. Gemma has performed at Sydney Opera House for Vivid, Womadelaide, Mardi Gras, and the Biennale of Sydney and has also been part of #QueerRenegades podcast, Pluto Beat, and Bad Dog x House of Mince. 

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any particular access or communication needs please contact Jana Hawkins-Andersen on 02 9265 9292 or JHawkinsAndersen@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Image: Protest on Oxford Street, October 1989 (Robert French collection – c/o Pride History Group)