Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial


The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial Project was founded by a group of community activists. Over the years they raised funds and decided, with South Sydney City Council, on the site at Green Park in Darlinghurst, in Sydney, Australia. Darlinghurst is considered the heart of Sydney's gay and lesbian population. Green Park is adjacent to the Sydney Jewish Museum, which ensures that the memorial retains its historic meaning.
The memorial was built to honor all gay men and women who have been murdered, tortured and persecuted because of their sexuality. It recreates symbols that were predominantly used throughout the Holocaust; a pink triangle to identify homosexual men, and a black triangle to identify lesbian women.
The memorial is a "pink triangular prism, made of enameled steel, and a grid of black steel columns in the form of a triangle". The two elements form a fractured Star of David, and was designed by Russell Rodrigo and Jennifer Gamble. It was constructed over a period of months in 2000 and its dedication ceremony was on Tuesday, 27 February 2001, when the memorial was handed over to the custodianship of the Sydney Pride Centre. The dedicational speech was by Australian lawyer Marcus Einfeld.