23/04/2026
I am proud to see that my former TRADE business building at 273 Crown Street is up for consideration to be heritage listed along with a few other high-profile iconic gay business & buildings around the Oxford Street area.
https://qnews.com.au/former-iconic-oxford-street-lgbtq-venues-proposed-for-heritage-listing/
273 Crown Street - owners info.
1991 to 1995 - Ruby Reds - owner Dawn O'Donnell
1995 to 2018 - Headquarters - owner Paul Fowler
2018 to 2023 - TRADE Club Sydney - owner Dean White.
Why am I proud of this Heritage listing happening?
Because I am the person that saved this business from permanent closure back in 2018 after Headquarters had gone broke and filed for bankruptcy in June of 2018 and they were locked out of the building for countless unpaid bills including rent.
I took over in July of 2018, and I paid the six figured unpaid bills to have 273 Crown Street reopened and remain a gay sop club with a 24-hour liquor license.
Here are some facts for you all-
I created the cash flow for Headquarters to remain open from June 2016 until June 2018 with my countless sold-out CLUB Barcode and Barcode events.
I paid the Headquarters liquor license renewal in 2018 because they couldn't afford to pay the renewal notice and I had a sold-out party coming up at the venue in August of 2018.
These events where equal to Melbourne's " Trough " parties.
CLUB Barcode and Barcode parties run for 8 years at TRADE club in Sydney.
So, Sydney did in fact have lots of s*x on premises sold-out events with large attendances from mid 2016 right up until late 2023 at TRADE that were run by me with Barcode and CLUB Barcode .
TRADE was very successful for 5 of the 6 years that it was at 273 Crown Street.
It was only during the last year after World Pride and after covid and Bunker opening up nearby that the business struggled with numbers.
So did many other Oxford St gay venues e.g. Stonewall Hotel, Arq etc.
I was over it and my father had passed away, and I wanted to move on and let someone else take this difficult role on.
I hosted and I run countless sold-out Trough styled events at my TRADE club.
I will be posting lots of amazing pictures and videos from some of the countless sold-out events and dance parties that I run at TRADE.
If it wasn't for me and if I hadn't of stepped in and helped Headquarters remain open, then Trough X Sydney would not be there now, and the 273 Crown Street building would not be what it is today.
It would properly be a pizza place.
Thank you,
Dean White.
TRADE Club.
