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Rainbow artwork brightens up Sydney Road
Mural on footpath is a gesture of pride to the LGBTIQA+ community
Mark Phillips
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For an area that prides itself for its diversity, Brunswick has been late in a public expression of support for its LGBTIQA+ community – until now.
While other parts of Australia with a significant LGBTIQA+ population, such as Collingwood, Canberra and Darlinghurst in Sydney, have had “Pride crossings” for some time, Brunswick’s version has only arrived in the past month with a 12 metre long rainbow flag painted onto a section of footpath in Sydney Road.
Merri-bek Council commissioned the artwork at the instigation of Brunswick West ward councillor Ella Svensson who was keen for a permanent and tangible expression of pride for the area’s large Queer community.
She said the rainbow crossing arose from a pledge that candidates were asked to sign during the 2024 council elections.
The mural, which occupies the full width of the footpath outside Michelle Guglielmo Park opposite the Brunswick Town Hall, was completed in May, just in time for the annual Pride Month, which runs throughout June.
It had originally been intended for the other side of Sydney Road, at the entrance to the Town Hall building, but heritage protections meant its location had to be moved.
A second rainbow mural has been painted on the side of the council-owned Glenroy Hub.
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Despite the change of location of the Brunswick footpath mural, Svensson is delighted with the final outcome and hopes it will become a focal point for the LGBTIQA+ community.
“Seeing my community reflected in government choices in how we create our community, how we physically build our community, there’s something that feels very welcoming and connecting about that,” she said.
“It’s nice to see people just sort of stumbling across it. It’s not a particularly big gesture, but just a nice little sparkle on somebody’s day.”
Svensson first sought support from her fellow councillors for two rainbow road crossings in the south and north of the city in February last year.
In her submission to the council, she said that about one-in-four Merri-bek residents identified as LGBTIQA+, compared to one-in-20 of the broader Australian population and she wanted the city to show leadership against persistent discrimination, stigma and exclusion.
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As a young Queer woman herself who grew up in the western suburbs, Svensson knows firsthand what a difference a supportive community can make.
Rainbow crossings could serve as powerful symbols of pride in the LGBTIQA+ community and affirm the council’s commitment to inclusivity and respect, she said in her submission.
“Things are a lot better for Queer people than they were, say, 20-30 years ago, but actually we know that things are getting worse again around the world,” Svensson told Brunswick Voice after the rainbow crossing had been painted.
“We’re seeing the rise of the far right and particularly attacks on Trans and gender diverse people, so I think right now is really more important than ever to reaffirm our support for the Queer community, particularly gender diverse people, because they’re really being used as a political football.”
The council canvassed eight potential locations around Merri-bek for the crossing, including four in Brunswick.
A pedestrian crossing on Sydney Road was quickly ruled out because of the cost and disruption that painting it would have entailed.
The artworks have cost about $20,000 each to install.
Progress towards the rainbow artwork wasn’t entirely smooth.
Last year, Pascoe Vale ward councillor Oscar Yildiz said he believed the money would be better directed to more practical support for young Queer people.
He told the council meeting in April last year that spending up to $45,000 on two rainbow crossings would be a misallocation of ratepayer funds.
“Symbols are important, but they are not enough,” Yildiz said at that meeting.
“A rainbow crossing is a gesture; direct funding to support services is actually real action.
“If we truly want to support the LGBTQIA+ community we should be advocating for real, ongoing investment in mental health, youth outreach, housing security and education initiatives.”
Ultimately the two locations in Brunswick and Glenroy were approved in February this year without any dissenting votes, and Svensson believes it is time to move on from the debate of last year.
“I think unfortunately some councillors decided to once again use Queer people and Queer issues as a political football to get media, to get attention,” she said.
“But really I think in the community this was a fairly non-contentious issue.”
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