1. Themes
  2. A to Z

Society Five

The Melbourne branch of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution, Australia's only national gay-rights organisation in the 1970s, Society Five was formed in January 1971 and adopted its somewhat closeted name some months later. It provided a focal point for Melbourne's gay men and women for a decade, with club rooms at various city sites and a heavily patronised telephone counselling service. It worked for homosexual law reform, but was eclipsed after 1977 by the Homosexual Law Reform Coalition. In 1981 internal divisions erupted and the group collapsed. Its records are held by the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives.

Graham Willett