This year, First Nations people will once again lead the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, highlighting their proud history and ongoing fight for equality.
While it's become tradition for the First Nations float to lead the parade, it wasn't always the case. Back in 1988, when the float was first included, it was delegated a position later in the procession. The float, lead by Aboriginal South Sea Islander Malcolm Cole, was named 'The Aboriginal Boat' and saw Cole and his seamen re-enact the arrival of the First Fleet.
As described by J. Stapleton in the Sydney Morning Herald at the time, the float depicted “the tall, striking figure of dancer, Malcolm Cole, dressed as Captain Cook with a black Sir Joseph Banks and two black sailors beside him in a boat pulled by a white man."
"It is enough trouble being black, let alone gay," Cole told the publication.
"That is why I am determined to put this float in the Mardi Gras."
Quite fittingly, the float won the Special Parade Award for 1988.
For further information on past parade entries visit the Interactive history of First Peoples entries in the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade.
You can watch rare archival footage of the 1988 float below:
The Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras 2020: Live Stream will be available to watch here from Saturday, 29th February 2020 at 07:35 PM.
