Hero Parade 1998

Marching girls and boys, the Topp Twins and synchronised lawnmowers dance down Auckland’s Ponsonby Road in this celebration of gay pride. The theme of the 1998 edition of the (nearly) annual 90s street parade was Age of Aquarius, fitting given the heavy rain. The parade went ahead thanks to sponsorship from Metro magazine, after controversy when the City Promotions Committee declined a funding request. The parade attracted 70 floats and roughly 200,000 soaking spectators. Among those watching are Brit comedian Julian Clary, trans icon Georgina Beyer, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and singer Shona Laing.