Opened: February 2024
Curator: George Savoulis (Curator September 2023 – April 2024; Curatorial Director April 2024 – June 2025)

The Apology is a permanent, inaugural exhibition that documents the formal apology delivered in 2018 by the NSW Police Force to the 78ers, participants in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978.

The Apology is a permanent, inaugural exhibition that documents the formal apology delivered in 2018 by the NSW Police Force to the 78ers, participants in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978.

Delivered by Commissioner Mick Fuller AO APM, the apology recognised historical injustice and committed to improved relationships between police and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Installed within an original police cell, the exhibition includes a full-size mannequin wearing an original NSW Police uniform and a projected display of the apology text. The apology acknowledged the trauma inflicted during the event, validating the ’78ers’ experiences and signalling a commitment to learning from the past to build trust and prevent future injustice.