Rebbell joined the first Mardi Gras parade as a 16 year old in 1978. While not arrested due to his age, Rebbell was taken into the Darlinghurst Police Station by police. He was kept in the holding dock in the front room of the police station until his family came in to organise his release.
With a remarkable 45-year career in NSW Local Government, Rebbell recently retired, having held prominent roles in records management, libraries and customer service. He served as Coordinator of Records Management at Bayside Council (NSW) and was also the Director and President of NSW Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia.
Rebbell’s passions include champagne, the Monarchy and the arts. He contributes actively to the cultural and philanthropic sectors as a member of the Events & Marketing Committee for the Friends of The Australian Ballet and as a committee member for the Sydney KIDS Committee at the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Since retiring, Rebbell has dedicated his time to community projects, including coordinating a team of volunteers for a World Pride initiative to catalogue and digitise 30,000 photos from the Sydney Star Observer collection, bequeathed to the City of Sydney by Michael Glyn. Rebbell also serves as the social coordinator for First Mardi Gras Inc. and represents First Mardi Gras on the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Committee.
A committed supporter of Qtopia Sydney, Rebbell volunteers weekly on the public floor and is now proudly an Ambassador for Qtopia Sydney, continuing to advocate for LGBTQIA+ visibility, history and inclusion.
