Drag show at Perth’s Adelphi Hotel raised money for needy children

YOU could be forgiven for thinking that this beaut newspaper photo shows one of Perth’s first drag shows. Well, if you thought so, you’re not too far wrong. In fact, headed, “Masculine Manneqins”, in the Daily News in July 1947, the image was taken in the Adelphi Hotel, Perth. The men “emulated the female species” and gave “a fashion parade” to help the Crippled Children’s Society. The image is captioned: “Invading the Adelphi Hotel last night in unusual garb, these Perth men put on a fashion parade to help the W.A. Crippled Children’s Society. At the cost of putting on make up and, in some cases, sacrificing their moustaches, they did their best to emulate the female of the species. Shown (from left to right) are: Messrs. W. Hall, G. Hack, W. J. Lucas, P. B. Healy, F. King, F. Ruse and R. Dix.

Adelphi_Hotel,_Perth,_3_July_1936
The Adelphi Hotel, Perth 1936. Picture: State Library of Western Australia.

The Adelphi Hotel was located at the corner of St Georges Terrace and Mill Street in Perth. The grand hotel was built in 1935 and demolished in 1967. Built as a hotel for gold miner and Perth hotelier Gordon Dunleavy, everything was on a grand, luxurious scale. Margaret Pitt Morison, Western Australia’s first female architect, designed the interior. The hotel was sadly demolished and replaced by Parmelia House, a 19-storey office building.


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Categories: Perth Hotels, Western Australia hotels

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