‘Bush camp’? The Topp Twins and Antipodean camp

This article extends Nick Perry’s concept of Antipodean camp – that there is a camp style common to settler popular cultures of Australia and New Zealand – by also considering possible differences between the two cultures and by re-emphasizing camp’s relation to gay and queer cultures. The Topp Twins, lesbian, anarchist, variety entertainers, are discussed as an act that both extend and challenge Perry’s ideas and the traditional association of camp and gay male culture. The article finishes by considering the degree to which they articulate a particularly New Zealand style, which I refer to as ‘bush camp’.