We're excited to announce Queerways: Retracing Queer Yarra has been shortlisted for a Victorian Community History Award. 

The preservation and sharing of Victoria’s past is being celebrated with the Victorian Community History Awards shortlist showcasing everything from new history books to community walking tours.

Some 21 publications and nine projects have been shortlisted for 10 prizes ranging from $500 to $2,000. All are also in the running for the $5,000 Victorian Premier’s History Award to be announced at the Melbourne Arts Centre on 21 October.

Queer-ways: Retracing Melbourne’s Queer Footprint is a walking tour profiling important historical sites and stories linked to Melbourne’s queer community in the City of Yarra.
The tour starts at a landmark mural in Little Smith Street, Fitzroy, detailing some of Melbourne’s queer history, including a depiction of the marriage of Edward de Lacy Evans – one of Australia's first documented transgender people – to Mary Delahunty in 1856 at St Francis’ Church in the CBD.

Tour creators LUCIANO and Georgia Keats and voices from Yarra’s queer community take listeners on journeys across sites such as the rainbow footpath on the corner of Smith and Gertrude streets, the Courage statue in Napier Street and the Royal Exhibition Building, where the Aids Quilt was unfolded in 1999. The walking tour was launched as part of Melbourne Pride 2021 with the mural on Little Smith Street (side of Evie's Bar and Diner). The walking tour was commissioned by Yarra City Arts with support from City Heritage, Community Partnerships and Yarra Libraries. The Victorian Community History Awards are presented by Public Record Office Victoria in partnership with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and funded by the State Government. 

“Without knowing our past we can’t know where we are going, so it’s fantastic we can recognise these projects and publications that bring Victoria’s colourful history to life.” Minister for Government Services Danny Pearson.

Congratulations to the Queerways team LUCIANO and George Keats for all their hard work and creative innovation, as well as the wonderful community who shared their memories of Queer Yarra including Angela Bailey from the Australian Queer Archives, Bryan Andy from OutBlack, John Hall from Thorne Harbour Health, Bumpy Faville from Kings Vitoria, Sally Goldner AM and James McKenzie from 3CR. 

To find out more about the project and take the tour head to the Queerways website