A Darlinghurst park next to a famous gay men's pick-up spot in the 1960s and down the road from Oxford Street will be the initial home of Sydney's first queer museum.
Green Park's bandstand will host various displays documenting the persecution LGBTQIA+ people faced, as well as the response to the AIDS epidemic.
Qtopia Chair David Polson said the exhibits would serve as a memorial for those who lost their lives to AIDS and to those who suffered from persecution dating right back to the start of the colony.
The museum will be open to the public in February 2023 ahead of Sydney WorldPride, an international festival to coming to Australia to celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride.
It is a personally significant site for Mr Polson, who was one of the first 400 HIV/AIDS patients and was treated in St Vincent's Hospital, which included taking part in 28 HIV drug trials.
Mr Polson said he remembered his time in hospital "as if it was yesterday".
"The incidence of seeing skeletal people walking in the corridor, trying to get a bit of exercise or whatever, it was horrible," Mr Polson said.
"But it was also a sanctuary. The Sisters of Charity, who I have undying love for, made sure that we were loved, supported, and cared for with no judgement."
Mr Polson said the Sisters of Charity would feature strongly in Qtopia because of the compassion they showed for people with AIDS.
"They were the first in the world who gave care, support and love to people with HIV/AIDS," Mr Polson said.
Qtopia CEO Greg Fisher said the location was fitting, as it was close to other significant sites for Sydney's LGBTQ community.
Across the road to the east is The Wall on Darlinghurst Road, which was a casual pick-up spot.
"It was a place where people felt safe to go do what they were doing," Mr Fisher said.
The park is also close to Kings Cross and Oxford Street, where gay bars and nightclubs have stood as after-dark safe spaces.
"Up and down Oxford Street for many years [there were] so many different venues that enabled people to come out feeling safe and secure," Mr Fisher said.
City of Sydney committed $283,500 to the project in May.
Mr Fisher hoped the project would be able find a permanent home at the site of the old Darlinghurst Police Station on Forbes Street to "liberate" the building from its dark history towards the gay community.
Many people were locked up and bashed at the station because of who they were, Mr Fisher said.
The building is currently being used by NSW Health as office space, but Mr Fisher said the group have cross-party support for the project and feel they will be able to move into the building following WorldPride.
"We do feel very confident that we will ultimately be in that space because it is of such importance," Mr Fisher said.
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