A new photographic exhibition titled Be Seen captures the diverse lives of queer individuals connected to the North Sydney area. Created by artists Anna Hay and Sophie Willison, the project delves into how LGBTQIA+ experiences are shaped by memory, identity, and relationship to place.
Portraits and Stories
The series features a range of subjects, each photographed at locations meaningful to them. Their stories highlight personal journeys, community bonds, and the significance of the North Sydney region—on the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal people—as a backdrop for queer life.
Soph Li Rong Tan at Berry Island Reserve
Soph Li Rong Tan shared that Berry Island holds dual significance: her grandfather used to visit for bushwalks and play, and as an adult embracing her queerness, she brought her partner there for their first anniversary picnic.
Steven Hankey and Peter Bryant at the Pickled Possum
Steven and Peter met in the 1990s at Helix, a weekly gay social night at the Pickled Possum bar. Steven noted, 'It was designed for North Shore people who didn’t cross the bridge as often.'
Claire at Home in North Sydney
Claire describes her apartment as a 'queer sanctuary.' She fondly recalls the 2023 WorldPride march over the Harbour Bridge, which started in North Sydney—a walk she had never done before.
Nata at Berrys Bay Lookout
Nata, a refugee, spoke about the challenges of being queer in immigration detention. 'North Sydney area is a real home for me... it’s part of my journey to become an Australian citizen and to be myself.'
Callum Domeney, Eloisa Justa, and Leonora Coenraads at Home
The housemates cherish their queer living space. Eloisa said, 'Living in this queer home is so nice... it feels very much like family.'
Kimberly O’Sullivan Around Blues Point Road
Kimberly recalled that North Sydney felt like 'another country.' Balls Head Reserve was an unofficial dyke picnic spot where lesbians would gather in carloads, often with dogs.
Lucy, Bronte, and Frankie at Home in Cammeray
Bronte and Lucy, who had their baby at North Shore Hospital, expressed a desire to connect with other same-sex parents in the area, as they currently know no one like them.
Solomon Frank at Explosives Reserve
Solomon founded a queer bushwalking club called Power Botany to cultivate community outside nightlife spaces—and jokingly called it 'an elaborate Ponzi scheme to meet my husband.'
Mariana Messias Campos at Her Mother’s Home in Mosman
Mariana, from an immigrant household, spoke about the taboo of being queer in Latinx culture and the difficulty of navigating those intersections on the North Shore.
Anonymous at the Coal Loader, Waverton
An anonymous subject, not out to family in Hong Kong, reflected on the radical nature of queerness there and speculated that their great-grandmother might have been queer, living with a 'best friend' until death.
Exhibition Details
Commissioned by North Sydney Council for Pride Month 2026, the exhibition runs from 15–30 June at In Transit gallery in North Sydney, NSW. The project celebrates the lived experiences of queer people in the region, offering a visual archive of community and resilience.
