Rainbow footpath for Surry Hills

By ALLISON HORE

A pathway in Surry Hills is set to be transformed into a vibrant rainbow to commemorate the vote to legalise same-sex marriage in Australia almost three years ago.

The 90-metre path will run alongside an area of Prince Alfred Park now known as “Equality Green” as a tribute to a public gathering of tens of thousands of people awaiting the result of 2017’s same sex marriage plebiscite. 

The plebiscite would legalise same-sex marriage in Australia by amending the Marriage Act 1961 to allow marriage between 2 persons, regardless of their gender. After the result came back a decisive “yes”, with more than 61% of the votes, the gathering became a celebration.

Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who was present for the Prince Alfred Park celebration, said the path is “a permanent tribute to the moment when more than 30,000 Sydney-siders gathered together to hear the results of the marriage equality postal survey in 2017”.

“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,” she said.

The idea for the rainbow path was first proposed by The Surry Hills Creative Precinct in 2019.

“I thought it was a fabulous idea when the Surry Hills Creative Precinct suggested we paint a bright rainbow on Equality Green,” the Lord Mayor said.

President of the Surry Hills Creative Precinct, Leigh Harris, said Surry Hills “has long been at the vanguard of diversity and inclusivity” and the path and Equality Green are reflective of that.

The rainbow pathway follows the permanent installation of a rainbow crossing in Darlinghurst last year curving across the intersection between Bourke and Campbell streets just off Taylor Square.

The City of Sydney will be accepting feedback on the proposal until Sunday the 29th of November.