Locations

The Balcony
We begin the walk tour at Carmen Rupe's Le Balcon - a cabaret nightclub on the corner of Harris and Victoria Streets. Today The...
Published: January 2016

Civic Square
Civic Square has been the location for a number of large rainbow gatherings, particularly Out in the Square - an annual rainbow fair which...
Published: January 2016

City Gallery
In 1995 the gallery hosted a controversial retrospective of US photographer Robert Mapplethorpe which was seen by 45,000 people. The same year it hosted...
Published: January 2016

Wellington Town Hall
The Town Hall has hosted numerous artistic, political and celebratory events to do with rainbow communities. In 2011 the town hall was the hub...
Published: January 2016

Circa Theatre (Harris Street)
The corner of Harris Street and Jervois Quay is the former location of Circa Theatre. The Topp Twins performed here in 1983, Harvey...
Published: January 2016

Harris Street
On a night in July 1975 a police officer questioned MP Colin Moyle who was lingering around a well-known cruising spot on Harris Street...
Published: January 2016

Frank Kitts Park Lagoon
In the 1990s the lagoon was the site for Beacons of Hope - a memorial ceremony for those who had died from AIDS related...
Published: January 2016

Waterfront parade route
The waterfront parade route has seen a number of rainbow related parades, including the Love Parade in 2016 and the opening parade of the...
Published: January 2016

Circa Theatre
In 2014 the production Rita and Douglas was performed here by Jennifer Ward-Lealand and pianist Michael Houstoun. It explored the complex relationship between composer...
Published: January 2016

Te Papa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa holds numerous rainbow-related taonga (treasures) including the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt which was gifted to...
Published: January 2016

Overseas Passenger Terminal
The terminal was the site of the first Devotion dance party in December 1991. Like Hero in Auckland, Devotion became a festival with...
Published: January 2016

Waitangi Park
The inaugural Out in the Park will be held here in 2016. The celebration grew out of the annual Out in the Square, which...
Published: January 2016

Bats Theatre
Bats Theatre has seen a variety of rainbow related productions including Confessions of a Drag Queen, Corner 4am and Cuba - a play about...
Published: January 2016

Taj Mahal Toilet
The public toilet opened in 1929 and was part of the regular beat [for anonymous sex]. The site is now a bar/restaurant. In this...
Published: January 2016

Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre has seen many rainbow related performances including Angels in America, Shopping and F**king, Boys in the Band and locally created works Black...
Published: January 2016

Paramount Theatre
The Paramount has hosted the (mostly) annual OutTakes: A Reel Queer Film Festival since the mid 1990s. In 2015 the theatre premiered New Zealand's...
Published: January 2016

Photospace Gallery
Photospace Gallery has exhibited a number of rainbow artists including photographers Mark Beehre and Jac Lynch. In 2015 Jac did a photographic essay entitled...
Published: January 2016

Body Positive Drop-in Centre
Body Positive, a peer support organisation for people living with HIV AIDS, established a Wellington drop-in centre on the corner of Courtenay Place and...
Published: January 2016

St James Theatre
The Topp Twins, Douglas Wright, Michael Parmenter have all performed at the St. James. The theatre is also the home of the Royal New...
Published: January 2016

Courtenay Place Mens Toilet
Built in 1911, the underground public toilet was part of the regular beat [for anonymous sex]. The toilet had two sets of stairs...
Published: January 2016

Te Aro Park
The park has been the gathering point for many rallies and protests. In the mid-1980s it was the scene for a large pro homosexual...
Published: January 2016

The Opera House
Alley - Jack Body's opera about Rewi Alley premiered at the Opera House in 1998. The theatre has also hosted the Queen of the...
Published: January 2016

Lower Cuba Street
Lower Cuba Street has seen a number of rainbow-related events. In the mid-1980s there was a pro-homosexual law reform march and in 2015 the...
Published: January 2016

Michael Fowler Centre
The Michael Fowler centre is our last tour location. It is the home venue of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Audiences have heard...
Published: January 2016