''Queerstralia'' is an Australian documentary TV series about

LGBT history in Australia This article details the history of the LGBT rights by country or territory, LGBTQ rights movement in Australia, from the colonial era to the present day. Pre-colonialism Whilst identifying as LGBTQ is not uncommon amongst Indigenous Au ...

that aired on

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

in 2023. The three episodes were hosted by comedian Zoe Coombs Marr.

Synopsis

Over three episodes, the series combines comedic and documentary techniques to explore queer history of Australia. Over three one-hour episodes themed around belonging, identity and law, Coombs Marr covers everything from lesbian convict gangs to the gay bushranger

Captain Moonlite Andrew George Scott (5 July 1842 – 20 January 1880), also known as Captain Moonlite, though also referred to as Alexander Charles Scott and Captain Moonlight, was an Irish-born New Zealand immigrant to the Colony of Victoria, a bushranger the ...

; the 78ers and

gay bashing Gay bashing is an attack, abuse, or assault committed against a person who is perceived by the aggressor to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+). It includes both violence against LGBTQ people and LGBTQ bullying. The te ...

at the first

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Sydney Mardi Gras is an event in Sydney, New South Wales attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and overseas. One of the largest LGBT festivals in the world, Mardi Gras is the ...

in 1978, and the AIDS response in Australia. The series features interviews with comedian

Hannah Gadsby Hannah Gadsby (born 12 January 1978) is an Australian comedian, writer, author and actor. They began their career in Australia after winning the national final of the Raw Comedy competition for new comedians in 2006. In 2018, their show '' Nanet ...

, actor

Magda Szubanski Magdalene Mary Therese Szubanski ( ; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian comedy actress, author, singer and LGBT rights advocate. She performed in '' Fast Forward'', '' Kath & Kim'' as Sharon Strzelecki and in the films '' Babe'' (1995) and ...

, historian Dr Yves Rees, activist

Peter de Waal Peter de Waal (born 1938) is an Australian LGBT rights activist and author. He was a foundation member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and participated in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Biography Peter De Waal wa ...

, former

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

player Ian Roberts, feminist and filmmaker

Barbara Creed Barbara Creed (born 30 September 1943) is a professor of Film theory, cinema studies in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. She is the author of six books on gender, feminist film theory, and the Horror film ...

, director

Tony Ayres Tony Ayres (born 16 July 1961) is an Australian showrunner, screenwriter, director in television and feature film. He is most notable for his films '' Walking on Water'' and '' The Home Song Stories'', as well his work in television, including ...

, and others. The episodes were as follows: * Episode 1: The Law * Episode 2: Gender and Identity * Episode 3: Community and Belonging

Cast

Zoë Coombs Marr Zoë Coombs Marr (born ) is an Australian comedian, performer and actor. In 2014, Coombs Marr acted in Gideon Obarzanek’s ''L’Chaim'' which premiered as part of Sydney Dance Company's season ''Interplay''. In 2016, her show ''Trigger War ...

* Ian Roberts * Nayuka Gorrie *

Rhys Nicholson Rhys Nicholson (born 22 April 1990) is an Australian comedian and actor known for being a judge on '' Drag Race Down Under'' from 2021 onwards. Career In 2011, Nicholson featured in the ABC documentary ''GayCrashers'', alongside Joel Creasey, ...

Georgie Stone Georgie Robertson Stone (born 2000) is an Australian actress, writer and transgender rights advocate. At the age of 10, Stone was the youngest person to receive hormone blockers in Australia, which set a precedent that eventually changed the ...

Narelda Jacobs Narelda Jacobs OAM is an Australian journalist, newsreader, and television presenter. Her career with Network 10 began in Perth, Western Australia, in 2000. In January 2020, she moved to Sydney to co-host ''Studio 10'', and also and present ' ...

* Aunty Dawn Daylight * Yves Rees *

Peter De Waal Peter de Waal (born 1938) is an Australian LGBT rights activist and author. He was a foundation member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and participated in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Biography Peter De Waal wa ...

* Todd Fernando * Dino Hodge * Den Altman * Julie Peters * Tony Briffa *

Anthony Brandon Wong Anthony Brandon Wong (born 12 May 1965), often credited simply as Anthony Wong, is an Australian actor, singer-songwriter and acting teacher and coach. His roles include Ghost in ''The Matrix Reloaded'' and ''The Matrix Revolutions''. Career H ...

– narrator

Production

''Queerstralia'' was produced by Guesswork Television Production for the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

. It was presented by

Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...

. The series was hosted by comedian and self-proclaimed "professional lesbian" Zoe Coombs Marr and directed by Stamatia Maroupas Interviews by Coombs Marr and interviewees featured various locations, such as The Peel in Collingwood; The Fox Hotel in Altona; and the Cascades Female Factory.

Release

All three episodes of ''Queerstralia'' were released in 2023. Episode one, "The Law" featured on

Gogglebox Australia ''Gogglebox Australia'' is an Australian reality television program which airs on Network 10. It is an adaptation of the British series of the same name. The series, which is produced by Shine Australia, was originally a co-production between ...

Critical reception

Michael Idato, of ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'', gave ''Queerstralia'' 4 out of 5 stars. Idato commended the series on "deliver nga robust, and nicely irreverent, telling of Australia's queer history". ''Queerstralia'' was a finalist in the Representation of LGBTQIA+ Non-Scripted category in the MIPCOM CANNES Diversify TV Awards.

References

2020s LGBTQ-related television series Australian LGBTQ-related television shows {{Australia-tv-prog-stub