The Purple Onion: one of Sydney’s most significant early gay venues
Finding stories of queer people in the NSW State Archives Collection often requires researchers to ‘read against the record’.
For much of the state’s history, same-sex relationships, diverse gender identities and queer lives were rarely documented openly in official records. Instead, traces of these experiences may be found indirectly – in court proceedings, police reports and other records created by government. Although these records were created for administrative purposes and often reflect the prejudices and legal frameworks of the period in which they were made, ‘reading against the record’ can offer glimpses of hidden, marginalised or otherwise omitted experiences and contribute to a richer and more complex understanding of history.
Files relating to licences for theatres and public halls
NRS-15318 Files relating to licences for theatres and public halls documents the licensing and regulation of theatres, picture theatres, public halls, schools of arts, dance halls and other entertainment venues throughout NSW. The series was created by the Chief Secretary’s Department as the agency responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Theatres and Public Halls Act, 1908. The Act established a comprehensive system for licensing and inspection of venues, with a particular focus on public safety, fire prevention, building standards and crowd management. Files may contain applications and renewals, correspondence, inspection reports, seating plans, architectural drawings and details of alterations to buildings.
The story within the record
On the evening of 24 September 1963, two police constables, Lythall and Worely, entered the open front door of the Purple Onion Coffee Shop at 83 Anzac Parade in Kensington.
In the hallway they were approached by a man who said, ‘We are not open yet’.
‘Your advertisement outside says that you are open from 8.30pm’, responded the constables.
‘We are a bit late tonight, the boys are still in rehearsals … We won’t be open for about an hour. Are you chaps from the Police?’
‘Yes, we are from the Vice Squad.’
Dormerick (Dormie) McIvor introduced himself. ‘I am running the show, come in and sit down.’
Lythall and Worely took note of the preparations being made to open the ‘show’. They moved through a hallway and ‘into a room in which was placed a number of tables and chairs and at one end of the room a stage was constructed and shielded by curtains’. They observed that ‘in this room were a number of male persons making adjustments to microphones and speaking devices’.
They asked McIvor if ‘these chaps’ were part of the show or customers, to which he responded, ‘They are in the show, and they are trying to get things in order for the first show’. The constables then asked what the entertainment consisted of. McIvor replied that it was called ‘a revue’, with ‘all male artists appearing as female impersonators, they mime songs and do some sketches’.
McIvor told the constables that the restaurant was closed on Mondays. The floor show ran from 10.45 on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. On Thursday through Saturday, there were two floor shows (10.45pm and 12.30am). Sunday night was described in the restaurant’s brochure as ‘Party Night’ from 8pm to midnight, with one floor show. The cover charge was 12 shillings and sixpence per floor show, and included a cup of coffee. Lythall included a copy of the Purple Onion’s menu in his report; emblazoned on the back are the lines: ‘If you enjoy it tell your friends’ and ‘Make the “purple onion” your rendezvous’.
The report Lythall and Worely made of their visit to the Purple Onion on 24 September would be used by senior members of the Vice Squad to argue for the proclamation of the venue as a ‘public hall’ under the Theatres and Public Halls Act. As the Inspector of Police stated in ‘urgent’ correspondence to a member of the Legislative Assembly, such a proclamation would allow for ‘very strict policing of the regulations under the Act’ and would result in ‘either the premises being closed or a cessation of the causes of the complaints’.
Following Lythall’s report, police returned to the Purple Onion on 12 October. They quizzed McIvor on whether he was going to continue charging an entry fee, and then informed him that they ‘had received a number of complaints regarding the noise of the music in the early hours of the morning and the behaviour of your patrons as they leave the premises’.
Detective Sergeant Heys, in his report from Vice Squad headquarters, was
...of the opinion from observations I have made, that the patrons whilst on the premises are well conducted and the floor show is well presented. However, it is a male ballett [sic], consisting of six performers who are dressed as females, singing and dancing. It is the type of performance that a certain type of male person would want to watch and enjoy and remain until the last performance, no matter the time of finishing. The amplified music is much too loud.
The police were successful in their request, and the Purple Onion was proclaimed a ‘public hall’, making it subject to regulations under the Act.
In 1967, police again entered the premises. Purple Onion performer Ken ‘Kandy’ Johnson had taken over the venue from Dormie McIvor. With the introduction of decimal currency, entry was now priced at $2. When asked if the $2 charge was a cover charge, management made firm denials, claiming: ‘They charged two dollars for the cup of coffee but nothing for the entertainment’. Police were adamant that the $2 charge for coffee – an exorbitant amount at the time – was indeed a charge for entry to the show, making it a violation of the Act. Included in the file is the nightclub menu, along with the two torn tickets ‘for a cup of coffee’ purchased by police.
The Purple Onion was one of Sydney’s significant early gay venues. The club became renowned for its drag revues and cabaret performances and is considered to be one of Sydney’s first gay nightclubs.
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