It ranks us as one of the oldest continuously published mastheads in the English-speaking world. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved, and the pivotal role our newspaper - and now digital sites - have played in making our communities better places.

In a piece I wrote in April to mark this achievement, I stressed that the Herald had a responsibility to regularly "take stock of what it means to be a cultural leader; of the commitments that are required to take part in the events that shape and define us, in the key moments that transform our city, state and nation.

"All at the Herald understand deeply the burden of expectation that exists as we deliver these ideals.

"It is a pressure that flows directly from our pledge to subscribers and readers, and those individuals and organisations we report on - to be relentless, and fair, in all that we do."

These sentiments are extraordinarily powerful tonight. In the evening, exactly 38 years ago, hundreds of gay and lesbian men and women gathered near Taylor Square for the first Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a peaceful parade down Oxford Street.

Along the route, supporters were encouraged to take part in the Mardi Gras, which had an official police permit - and scores of people flowed from bars and clubs to be part of the throng - which swelled to more than 2000 people - as it moved to Hyde Park where speeches were planned.

Sadly, as is now well established, police intervened to cut short these ceremonies, but only so far as to see the participants move on to Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross.

It is here that things turned ugly - and police, many of whom removed their numbered badges, used excessive and indiscriminate force to make arrests.

On Tuesday June 27, 1978, the Herald published the names, occupations and addresses of the 53 people arrested.

This publication had the devastating effect of subjecting those named to discrimination and harassment.

After a subsequent court hearing, we additionally published, on August 29, the names, addresses and occupations of 104 people arrested at an adjacent event on August 27.

This publication resulted in further widespread discrimination against those listed.

While it was routine to publish court attendance lists, these particular actions were a stark illustration of the harsh reality of the time - that the media was part of a broad array of political and social institutions that perpetuated the oppression of lesbians and gay men.

We can not take back the harm that our publications caused, nor erase the pain and suffering that flowed from the Herald's transgressions at that time. We cannot wipe away the discrimination and harassment that came after those publications, albeit in keeping with an ignorant reporting convention.

But we can, through me as editor-in-chief of the Herald and as a senior executive of Fairfax Media, finally take ownership of those errors and sincerely apologise to you here tonight, and to your friends and families.

I am confident our processes and procedures are today rigorous and sufficient enough - but more importantly, enlightened and respectful enough - to ensure this stain on our publishing record is never repeated.

This apology was a long time coming.

It was open to me to make it in 2015, when it was first brought to my attention.

I regret to say that then I relied too heavily on the notion that the Herald was simply following convention at the time.

While this is undoubtedly true, my assessment then was too simplistic and overlooked the searing harm those Herald decisions caused.

In March, on the cusp of the Mardi Gras, the Herald published an apology and made an official media release in solidarity at other efforts to correct the misdeeds of the past, most notably the full NSW parliamentary apology.

This evening, as editor-in-chief , I go one step further and personally apologise and say sorry. The Herald is genuinely sorry for what it did.

I am proud to say that, today, the Herald embraces and celebrates diversity and solidarity.

We are a beacon for supporting equal rights for all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or religion. We support marriage equality - and equality for all.

The Herald celebrates, and is a proud supporter of, the important achievements of the people who created the June 1978 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which led to the repeal of the notorious Summary Offences Act in 1979, the inclusion of homosexuality in the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act in 1982, the decriminalisation of male homosexuality in NSW in 1984, the effective community response to the HIV epidemic, and the huge annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras event.

We are an inclusive masthead that fiercely believes a more cohesive society will come from supporting, and understanding, diversity in all forms.

I appreciate your understanding and support. And I wish you well for what promises to be a great weekend of reflection and, hopefully, celebration - and for a positive future for all.