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This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in South Australia. As the first state in Australia to reach this milestone, the reform was hard-won, requiring years of sustained effort and support from the community and political advocates.Ìý

To commemorate this landmark event, the exhibition Breaking Barriers: 50 Years Since the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in South Australia is currently on display in the Ira Raymond Exhibition Room at the Barr Smith Library. Drawing on items from University Library Special Collections, alongside loans from major cultural institutions and private collectors, the exhibition celebrates the tireless efforts behind the law reform and reflects on the ongoing journey toward equality and inclusion.

Highlighted as a defining moment in the years preceding decriminalisation is the tragic death of Dr George Duncan, a University of 911±¬ÁÏÍø lecturer, who drowned after being thrown into the River Torrens on 10 May 1972. His death occurred in an area known to be frequented by homosexual men and is now widely recognised as the event that mobilised public sentiment and political will toward law reform.Ìý

In the aftermath of this tragedy groups such as the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and the Gay Activists’ Alliance (GAA) emerged, amplifying the voices of the queer community and advocating for legal and social change. Liberal MP Murray Hill soon introduced a private member’s bill aimed at decriminalising consensual same-sex acts conducted in private. Although the bill passed, it was heavily amended, and homosexual acts remained criminal offences under South Australian law.Ìý

Also featured in the exhibition are photographs and memorabilia from the inaugural Gay Pride Week held in 1973. Among its events that year was 911±¬ÁÏÍø’s first Gay Pride march, the Proud Parade, which led protesters through CBD streets in a bold public statement of visibility, pride, and resistance.

A key moment in the exhibition reflects on the breakthrough finally achieved on 17 September 1975 with the passage of Attorney-General Peter Duncan’s private member’s bill, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Act. This reform successfully decriminalised homosexual acts and marked a significant step on the path toward legal equality and recognition.

The years that followed brought both challenges and victories in the ongoing journey toward understanding, respect, and inclusion. Campaigns for marriage equality, gender-diverse rights, right to change legal gender, and the recent ban on conversion therapy show how the fight for rights and recognition has continued, evolving beyond the rights of homosexual men in South Australia to address the rights of all LGBTIQA+ communities.Ìý

When: Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Ira Raymond Exhibition Room, Barr Smith Library, North Terrace Campus
FREE entry

Presented by University Library, Breaking Barriers: 50 Years Since the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in South Australia will be on display until Friday 10 October 2025. For full exhibition details, please visit the exhibition page.

Photo credit: Nelson Da Silva