Proposed LGBTIQA+ heritage listings in the Oxford Street area
These 3 buildings tell an important story of LGBTIQA+ presence and pride. Help us recognise their heritage significance.
Open for feedback
We’re proposing to heritage list 3 buildings that tell an important story of LGBTIQA+ presence and pride.
Public consultation period to
Why we’re doing this
Following the Oxford Street LGBTIQA+ social and cultural place strategy, we commissioned TKD Architects in 2022 to explore sites within the precinct that hold strong links to LGBTIQA+ history and culture. Previously we proposed 3 buildings for heritage listing.
The study recommended heritage listing 3 more sites:
273 Crown Street, Surry Hills - former Ruby Reds
Sydney’s first recreational venue dedicated to the lesbian community owned by prominent entrepreneur Dawn O’Donnell.
40-42 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst - former Taxi Club
Home of the Grosvenor Club, popular with performers from Les Girls because of its 24-hour licence.
207 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst – former The Bookshop
The site of a long-running bookshop devoted to the sale of gay and lesbian books, journals and publications and an important hub for the community.
What we’re doing
We propose to amend the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 to list 3 buildings as local heritage items.
Historic research and assessments have been carried out to better understand the significance of the properties.
We’re looking for your feedback on the listings.
Planning proposalPDF · 1.79 MB · Last modified
Heritage assessment reportPDF · 9.49 MB · Last modified
Heritage assessment – 40-42 Flinders StreetPDF · 6.36 MB · Last modified
Draft heritage inventory sheet – 40-42 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst – Former Taxi ClubPDF · 1.98 MB · Last modified
Heritage assessment – 207 Oxford Street – The BookshopPDF · 1.98 MB · Last modified
Draft heritage inventory sheet – 207 Oxford, Darlinghurst – The BookshopPDF · 2.08 MB · Last modified
Heritage assessment – 273 Crown StreetPDF · 5.11 MB · Last modified
Draft heritage inventory sheet – 273 Crown Street, Surry Hills – Former Ruby RedsPDF · 1.61 MB · Last modified
How you can give feedback
Consultation closes at 5pm on Tuesday 5 May 2026.
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Complete our survey
You’ll need to log in with a City of Sydney account to complete the survey. If you don’t have an account, it’s easy to create one.
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Email or post your feedback
You can give your feedback by email to [email protected] or post to:
Senior Community Engagement Coordinator, City Engagement
City of Sydney
Level 7, 456 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Please quote ‘Reference: X091578 — Oxford Street, Darlinghurst – proposed LGBTIQA+ heritage listings’
How to have your say
Anyone can give feedback. Your feedback must:
- be in writing and include the development address or application number
- include your contact details (postal or email address) so we can acknowledge receipt
- be submitted during the public consultation period.
We may discuss applications over the phone, but these conversations are not considered feedback.
All feedback we receive will be considered and summarised in reports. We won’t consider anonymous feedback.
Your feedback is not confidential and may be accessed under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). We may use your name or address when responding to concerns about a planning proposal or development application. In some cases, your feedback may be provided to the NSW Government, which manages its own publication process.
If you submit feedback on behalf of an organisation, the organisation’s name will be published in reports unless you request otherwise.
For more details, see our community engagement strategy and community participation plan.
