Taylor Square Explained

Taylor Square is a public square in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Taylor Square is located beside a major road junction, at the intersection of Bourke, Forbes, Oxford and Flinders Streets. Taylor Square is also on the border of the suburbs of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills

Description

Taylor Square sits at the intersection of Bourke, Forbes, Oxford and Flinders streets above the tunnel section of the Eastern Distributor. The square is named after Sir Allen Taylor (1864–1940), a timber merchant, ship builder and Lord Mayor of Sydney who was responsible for the widening of Oxford Street during his tenure.[1]

The area formerly bound by the traffic of the three streets is popularly known as "Gilligan's Island" because of three large palm trees that once occupied the strip, but have since been subsequently removed.[2] The opening of the Eastern Distributor in December 1999 also entailed the realignment of traffic flow in the area. Direct vehicle access across Oxford Street via Bourke Street is no longer possible.

The locality is a centre of the city's nightlife, especially for its LGBT community. Two permanent tributes are the large rainbow flag and rainbow crossing, built in 2014 and 2019 respectively.[3]

Darlinghurst Courthouse is an imposing sandstone building on Taylor Square. It was designed by architect Mortimer Lewis (1796–1879) in 1844 and has a Greek Revival style façade. The central block is adapted from an 1823 design in Peter Nicholson's The New Practical Builder.[4]

The first temporary rainbow crossing in Australia was located between the southern and northern ends of Taylor Square on Oxford St and was first installed in February 2013 for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and then removed in April 2013.[5] [6] [7] The temporary crossing was inspired by two rainbow crossings that were created in time for the 2012 LA Pride Parade and were located alongside the LA Pride Parade route on Santa Monica Boulevard.[8] [9] [10] A new permanent rainbow crossing was installed in 2019 adjacent to the southern end of Taylor Square, and was updated in 2024 to include the progress pride flag.

The square also features a large water fountain built into the pavement. This was part of a $5.25 million upgrade, in 2003, including lighting and a grass terrace. The fountain is currently being reviewed for upgrade and repair by the City of Sydney Council.[11]

Qtopia

In 2024 the substation and toilet block located at the northern end of Taylor Square became a part of the Qtopia Sydney campus.[12] The toilet block was first built and opened to the public in 1883 until its closure in 1998.[13] It has further been commented that "The public toilet was also a popular beat in the heart of gay Sydney for decades until its closure...".[12]

The substation and the toilet block together with the main Qtopia building at 301 Forbes Street Darlinghurst, across the road from the northern end of Taylor Square, form the locations that Qtopia uses to hold exhibitions and performances related to Queer stories in Sydney.[14] [15] [16]

History

Taylor Square was the site of the public execution of John Knatchbull for murder in 1844, with a crowd of 10,000 people reportedly in attendance.[17] [18]

See also

References

-33.8808°N 151.2169°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Allen Taylor. Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. 3 April 2013.
  2. Web site: Gilligan's Island. 2020-07-31. City Hub Sydney Your Local Independent News. en-AU.
  3. Web site: Crossing the rainbow on Taylor Square City of Sydney - News. 2020-07-31. news.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. en.
  4. Apperly, Irving & Reynolds, 1989.
  5. News: 26 October 2023 . Rainbow crossing at Taylor Square to become more inclusive . 4 February 2026 . City Hub . "The rainbow was installed on Oxford Street in February 2013 to celebrate 35 years of Mardi Gras. It was approved as a temporary artwork until the end of March, but Mayor Clover Moore, and many others, wanted it to stay." . 24 December 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251224015937/https://cityhub.com.au/rainbow-crossing-at-taylor-square-to-become-more-inclusive/ . live .
  6. News: 21 June 2019 . Sydney will soon have a new rainbow crossing at Taylor Square . 4 February 2026 . star observer . 17 December 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251217131308/https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/new-south-wales-news/sydney-will-soon-have-new-rainbow-crossing-taylor-square/169740 . live .
  7. News: 11 April 2013 . Back to black: rainbow crossing removed . 4 February 2026 . star observer . 19 June 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250619135842/https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/new-south-wales-news/back-to-black-rainbow-crossing-removed/102198 . live .
  8. Web site: 2016 . Sydney's Rainbow Crossings . 5 February 2026 . Dictionary of Sydney . Rainbow crosswalks on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood were [Sydney] Lord Mayor Clover Moore's inspiration. These had been painted as part of the 2012 Gay Pride Month celebrations in the USA and they had been such a success that they were allowed to remain in place... ...A budget of $75,000 was initially allocated by the City of Sydney for painting coloured stripes at two existing crossings on Oxford Street with the same hard-wearing and non-skid material used to mark bus lanes... . 6 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206051156/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydneys_rainbow_crossings . live .
  9. Web site: Duvander . Martin . 18 October 2012 . Rainbow Crosswalks: Why I, a Straight Man, Wanted West Hollywood to Be a Little Gayer . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023033818/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-duvander/why-i-a-straight-man-gave-west-hollywood-its-rainbow-crosswalks_b_1982816.html? . 23 October 2012 . 17 July 2013 . Huff Post Gay Voices . A few weeks after this, with the support of the West Hollywood City Council and lobbying from others in the LGBT community and residents of West Hollywood, the rainbow crosswalks sailed through and became a reality, complete with a little glitter mixed into the paint for extra West Hollywood sparkle, and installed just in time for L.A. Pride. The paint was still wet just a few hours before the Dyke March kicked things off..
  10. News: 26 July 2023 . Rainbow Crosswalk . 4 February 2026 . Time Out . The city painted two rainbow crosswalks on San Vicente Boulevard in late 2012, and ever since it seems nearly impossible to imagine the area without them. The intersection with Santa Monica Boulevard marks the longtime (and now likely former) home of LA Pride, as well as a spot along the Pride Parade route and at the gateway to one of the most vibrant gay villages in the world. . 16 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240416170347/https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/attractions/rainbow-crosswalk . live .
  11. Web site: 2020-03-09. Decision - Taylor Square Water Feature Maintenance and Upgrade. 2020-07-31. meetings.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. en.
  12. News: Qtopia Sydney has transformed the Taylor Square substation. 22 April 2024. Jordan Hirst . Q news . The historic Underground Men's Conveniences were built over a century ago at Taylor Square. The public toilet was also a popular beat in the heart of gay Sydney for decades until its closure in 1988. Now as part of Qtopia, The Toilet Block will host adults-only exhibitions exploring Sydney's gay beat, sauna and cruising culture of the 1980s and 90s.. 26 March 2025.
  13. 01700. H03/00281. 14 October 2018.
  14. News: The Substation At LGBTQ Museum Qtopia Sydney Now open. 27 March 2024 . Douglas Magaletti . Star Observer. 26 March 2025.
  15. Web site: Locations. Qtopia . Qtopia. 26 March 2025.
  16. News: Sydney's first queer museum Qtopia opens at permanent site in Darlinghurst police station . 23 February 2024. Declan Bowring. ABC Australia. 26 March 2025.
  17. Web site: An Analysis of the Causes of Death in Darlinghurst Gaol 1867-1914 and the Fate of the Homeless in Nineteenth Century Sydney . pdf of 187 pages. Norrie . Philip Anthony . 2007 . Thesis for Master of Arts (Research) . University of Sydney. page 103: The most famous public hanging at the goal was that of aristocrat John Knatchbull at 7 a.m. on Tuesday 13 February 1844. He was executed for murdering Ellen Jamieson and a crowd of over 10,000 witnessed his death. The last public hanging occurred on 21 September 1852, when murderer, Thomas Green, was dispatched. . 2008-03-14.
  18. News: John . Pelly . History in the dock . Sydney Morning Herald. 31 January 2005 . 2008-03-07 . These public events continued until John Knatchbull - found guilty of murder after the court rejected the colony's first recorded insanity plea - met his fate in Taylor Square in February 1844. The newspapers offered disapproving words about the number of women and children in the crowd of 10,000..

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