The staff at The Midnight Shift Bar & Club had contacted Google seeking help to update the venues details.

They were told by the contracter that Google does not support gay bars, and that they would remove the bar's listing on Google Maps.

In a Facebook post, Shift Bar & Club promoter, Ash Doran wrote: "I cannot believe what I am hearing."

"In a conference call at the moment with Google as they are advising that they are removing Midnight Shift's Google page 'because it's a gay bar' and Google 'no longer supports gay bars' and they will be doing it to other gay bars."

A Google Australia spokeswoman has since apologised, telling Fairfax: "We're truly sorry that this has happened."

"Gay bars are welcome on Google Maps, as they have always been."