Darlinghurst Nights

Unsolved

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An odd memorial appeared on Kells Lane, Darlinghurst, two months ago. It was a pink upside-down triangle, attributed to The Invisible Man, that said ‘Remembering “Lani”‘ in big letters.

Another Invisible Man plaque appeared this week on Taggarts Lane, Surry Hills, near the Hope Street Mission.

This time, the words are inscribed on a red inverted triangle.

Crispin “Kit” Dye Xmas Eve 1993 Unsolved Plaque by The Invisible Man ’09

In the comments for the Kells Lane memorial, Phil said there are a couple of similar plaques on Gibbons Street in the Alexandria/Redfern area.

They’re near Redfern station and are references to the gay-hate murders of Bill Allen and Richard Johnson in the late 80s in the vicinity of Alexandria Park.

They say:
William Allen 50 Unsolved 29-12-88 Invisible Man ‘09
Richard N. Johnson 33 15/1/90 Invisible Man Plaque ‘09

Both are written on inverted pink triangles with black lettering.

It’s a mystery. Is it memorial, advocacy, awareness raising, art?

By ml. September 10, 2009

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4 Responses to 'Unsolved'

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  1. I was googling around and I came across this: http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Detective-exposes-apathy-in-gay-murder-cases/2005/03/09/1110316095497.html

    sunny

    10 Sep 09 at 10:34 pm

  2. Funny – I saw one of these in Newtown where Australia Street meets King Street on the weekend. An inverted pink triangle about remembering someone who was raped…Juts near the “Guerrilla Gardiner’s” little gazebo there (I wondering if it was something to do with them and then on reading it… figured not

    Kelly

    14 Sep 09 at 2:27 pm

  3. Thanks Sunny and Kelly. Peter A Cross picked up on some Invisible Man plaques in the toilets at Rushcutters Bay a couple of days ago too.

    Cyril Olsen 64, 22 AUG 1992, Unsolved, Plaque by Invisible Man ’09
    John Milicevic, Sun 15 AUG ’93, Unsolved, Plaque by Invisible Man ’09

    If a gay man was bashed, or worse murdered, at a ‘beat’ the police often took the view that the poofs got what was coming to them and never really expended too much energy hunting down the perps.

    Lawyers for the rarely caught accused would use the ‘Gay Advance’ defence, also known as the ‘Gay Panic’ defence and would have horrendous murder charges reduced to manslaughter with minimal sentences because it was considered that any ‘normal aussie’ bloke would be rightly horrified by the actions of a pervert, even if the pervert was just looking at them in a strange way. John Milicevic, named on one of the plaques, was murdered when he was stabbed in the face for allegedly staring at the offender and ‘licking his lips like a faggot’. John was murdered by three men; this was no random act, this was a premeditated act of brutality.

    Seems so far from the middle class, cafe and boot camp culture of Ruschutters Bay now. But then you realise most of these plaques are for things that only happened in the early ’90s – it’s not that long ago.

    matt

    19 Sep 09 at 6:31 am

  4. that’s really frightening stuff.
    i haven’t yet seen any of these memorials, but it is a good idea.

    the last poster speaks some real truths…

    mister g

    14 May 10 at 12:46 am

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