LGBTIQA+ community leader and health advocate David Polson will be remembered today with a State Memorial held in Sydney.
The memorial will take place at City Recital Hall and will be live-streamed. It will begin at 10:30am Sydney time, which is 8:30am Perth time.
The State Memorial will provide an opportunity for David’s family, friends, dignitaries and members of the public to celebrate the life of the acclaimed activist following his death on 10 February, aged 70.
At the age of 29, as one of the first 400 men diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Australia in the 80s, David Polson was determined not to die.
While many around him did die from the relatively unknown virus, David used his diagnosis as a catalyst for change and advocacy for the following four decades.
Having decided to do everything he could to help medical science find a treatment, David’s commitment to advocacy was unmistakable, marked by the 28 HIV drug trials he volunteered for – arguably the most HIV drug trials undertaken by a person living with HIV globally.
David undoubtedly helped drive Australia’s response to HIV and contributed to positioning Australia as a world leader in fighting the epidemic.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, David attended boarding school, after which he jumped at the chance to pursue his love of theatre and stage by accepting a scholarship offer from Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre.
Following a few years in London, David returned to Sydney in 1981 where, like many actors, he supported himself by working in hospitality – first as a barman at the new five-star Regent Hotel and then in 1984 as the manager of the Don Burrows Supper Club.
After his HIV diagnosis, David was under the care of Professor David Cooper AC at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital, whose research with Professor Ron Penny would lead to the first description of the seroconversion illness, which accompanies initial HIV infection in many people.
After Professor Cooper’s death in March 2018, David took up his vision to establish a space to honour the history of those affected by HIV/AIDS.
In February 2024, Sydney’s first Queer Museum ‘Qtopia Sydney’ opened in Darlinghurst, of which David was the Emeritus Founding Chair.
Qtopia Sydney, the largest Centre for Queer History and Culture in the world, features exhibitions addressing the journey to legislative changes on homosexuality, education on gender and sexuality issues, and a commemoration of HIV/AIDS and gay oppression.
David was an exceptional keynote speaker and passionate about educating to fight HIV stigma and create positive futures for people living with HIV.
He was an Ambassador for the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation and the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.
Awarded Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to community health through HIV education and advocacy” in 2023, David is remembered as a “giant” and “trailblazer” in the HIV community.
He is survived by his sister Ruth Henning, his brother-in-law Evan Henning, his two nephews, William and Edward and his beloved Maltese Cavoodle, Rosie.
To the end David was true to his mantra of H.O.P.E. – humour, optimism, perseverance and energy.
