The Bookshop Darlinghurst, a Home for Sydney’s LGBTQI+ Community, Is Closing After 43 Years

Since 1982, The Bookshop Darlinghurst has been a beacon for the LGBTQI+ community. On its shelves, lesbian and gay fiction titles get prime spots. There’s also the usual bookish fare – general fiction, autobiographies, travel guides, a hefty performing arts section, as well as hard-to-get titles from up-and-coming Aussie authors.

But after several decades of support for – and from – the queer community, The Bookshop is closing in December.

Owner Charles Gregory, who took over in June 2024, had planned to move the shop to a larger location in a new development across the street, but building delays pushed back the move and put a strain on the business.

“These delays have meant the shop has missed out on vital peak trading periods … while rent of the shop itself, and other expenses, climbed considerably. The financial strain … combined with a quiet winter of trade has simply become too great,” said Gregory in a statement.

“I am really sorry I couldn’t continue on the legacy that was started by so many people like Les McDonald, Graeme Aitken and Noel Lee, each of whom either started the business, or who have worked tirelessly in it for the last 30 years,” Gregory tells Broadsheet. “It wouldn’t be what it is without them, and I just wish I could have lived up to that legacy.

“Oxford Street though has been changing for a long time... The Bookshop is no longer in a position where it can sustain itself … It sucks, it really fucking sucks.”

The Bookshop will stay open until December for shopping and community events.

“Between now and Christmas, I will aim to continue to serve the community with the same spirit [and] keep stocking the titles that matter,” Gregory’s statement continued. “The Bookshop Darlinghurst has been more than a store. It has been a meeting place, a refuge, and a beacon for queer literature … I invite everyone who has loved this space – or who has yet to discover it – to visit before we close the doors.”

Visit The Bookshop Darlinghurst at 207 Oxford St, Darlinghurst between now and Christmas.

@bookshopdarlo