Starr, Andrew (aka Dawn Service)

 

Andrew Starr/Dawn Service (1963-)

Andrew Starr, also known as Dawn Service, is a Sydney-based drag queen, known for her dominatrix style and drag performances at the Stonewall on a Sunday afternoon. Andrew grew up in Hobart, Tasmania, and was arrested during the blockade of the Franklin River in 1982. At the age of 21, he moved to Sydney where he met his life partner Janet Morice. Dawn Service emerged later in Andrew's life, while undertaking a PhD examining the construction of heteronormative masculinity at the Gowings Men's store on Oxford Street. In this interview, Andrew recalls his early life in Tasmania, his life and the drag scene in Sydney. In 2024, Dawn Service led a community float in the Mardi Gras Parade dedicated to legendary drag queen Polly Petrie.

Photo: Supplied/Andrew Starr

 

Oral history recordings

 

Automated transcripts of our oral history interviews are available to researchers on request. For access, please contact us, stating the name of the interviewee, date of interview, and your purpose of use.

SPride History GroupHobart, Tasmania, Franklin River Blockade, Sydney University, Magnetic Island, QLD, Janet Morice, Drag Qeens, Sydney Town Hall, Patchs, addiction, PhD, UNSW, Gowings, Oxford Street, San Fransisco, The Castro, Consellas, Stonewall Hotel, Midnight Shift, The Arc, Drag for Dollars, Polly Petrie, Lip synching, Marlene Dietrich, Cabaret, Liza Minelli, Dawn Service, Brenda Lee, Napolean, Miss 3D, Loquacious Fish, The Universal, The Old Bank, The Exchange, Balmain Town hall, Imperial Hotel