Gang Culture and Sharpies in Australia

[LaurieHolden]

Watched Gangs of New York where during the 19th Century, notorious real life gangs exisited.
The 'Five Points' district took its name because it marked the intersection of four streets which came together to form an irregular intersection with five corners. (just like Victoria Park! Only difference is we were united, Side by Side...) The Five Points seeded numerous gangs, The Plug Uglies, The Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/new-york-gangs

These gangs thieved and killed while controlling the Five Points, which received little attention from authorities because its residents were the poorest and most vulnerable population in the city. This meant that gang activities went unchecked and frequently erupted into bloody riots between rivals. The area was said to be one of the deadliest places on Earth with a homicide rate of one murder every night.
The first street gangs of New York City were typically divided among ethnic and economic lines, representing the growing animosity between those of Irish and non-Irish backgrounds in Lower Manhattan. Each gang was easily distinguishable by their "uniforms."

Australia, much like NYC, is home to a variety of different religions, values and ways of living – diversity is woven into the very fabric of our own brand of multiculturalism. But, in recent years, we have seen factions or sub-cultures proliferate across the country, and with it division of lifestyle and opinion as a brand.

This got me thinking about 'gang culture' here in Australia. We're regulalry reminded of 'Sudanese' gangs in Melbourne, and 'Eshays' in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast, but over the years we've had bogies, mods, and the one I find most fascinating, The Sharpies. Like the Gangs of NYC, each sub-culture is distinguishable. Even popped collar, deck shoe wearing land sailors have their own sub-culture.

I found this read and along with the YouTube footage of the day compelling. Special mention to Michelle and Ferret's appearance on 'New Faces' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=simatCov_SM&ab_channel=jamesparth

The Zeitgeist of Australian Sharpies
https://www.zani.co.uk/zani-culture/item/3307-the-zeitgeist-of-australian-sharpies

https://www.rennieellis.com.au/search?q=sharp

Surely Nicks has a few old Sharpies, or those with memories of the Sharpie culture of the day.

[stui magpie]

I grew up in the bush, no sharpies up there, nor gangs of any kind really.

[Skids]

We were the 'surfs' long hair, flannos, boardies. We weren't a gang as such, more a lifestyle.
There were gangs of 'Rocks'. They were mainly denim, DB wearing thugs and the skinheads were up and about in a pretty big way. We were targeted by these 2 gangs on occasions.

I'm talking late 70's early 80's in Perth.

[Woods Of Ypres]

sharpies were before my time, I've had few older blokes tell me a few stories but it sounded pretty far from the activities you would associate with a 'gang'. sounded to me more like a culture than a gang.

I grew up in Melbourne's outer east in the 90's, 'gangs' were based on ethnic groups. off the top of my head, Dandy Turks, Oakleigh wogs, Knox Nips, Cambo Klowns, all bullshit really. teenager stuff. you may have got mugged for your Nokia 5110 on the train. a few died that I knew (drugs, suicide) but most of them grew up, got jobs, had families.

[watt price tully]

When I was really young (not long ago) there were bodgies and widgies.

In my teens (70’s more or less) there were skinheads and the Jordie gang (Jordanville) had a reputation for being up to no good 😊 who used to gatecrash parties on a Saturday night.

That’s more or less the extent of my gang knowledge except for one experience at Balaclava station when I thought me & 2 mates were about to get our heads smacked in (we were 16 & on the way after school to footy training) when some skinhead 13 or 14 year olds on the other side of the train platform were trying to set alight a very young school kid in a private school uniform. We asked them to refrain from their attempted pyromania.

Within seconds our side of the platform was surrounded by a swarm of skinheads with a much older, stronger, scarier and dentally challenged thug approached and said do u wanna fight? The skinny fire lighter kid pointed to my mate Paul then pointed to the thug and said “he called you a liar”. Paul responded by saying “I’ve never met you before so it wasn’t me”


At this time our train arrived and a station master and another railways employee asked to see everyone’s tiks. We were the only ones with tickets and were saved I reckon by the trusty station master.

True story..

[watt price tully]

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Sharpies and Skinheads travelled the train lines as they were under the driving age as a rule. I lived on a train line, Sth East suburbs so whenever we headed into town with mates we'd make sure no eye contact was made with these thugs. Jordy Sharps were the worry on our line.

My next door neighbour was a sharpie, I've had continual professional contact with her up until last year. Absolute fruitcake, conspiracist - Chem trails, banks are going to return interest paid, Andrews has billions of dollars personally tucked away and don't mention Covid.

They were all cowards, safety in numbers and fwits.

[LaurieHolden]

[stui magpie]

^
Which part of the Riverina?

The only adults I ever saw with Tatts growing up were Bikers, Truck Drivers and the occasional bloke who'd served in the navy.

[LaurieHolden]

[stui magpie]

Ah, right up North. Been there once.

[partypie]

I remember the skinheads and bikies of western Melbourne in the mid 70s. At one stage thebikies wanted revenge on the skinheads who were putting wire across the roads they travelled on. There was some type of war involving a hired van and water pistols filled with acid. Some of the bikies who were quite young ended up in jail. It was a shame as they were quite nice fellows who I think were led astray by someone old enough to hire a van. The Moran boys dressed like skinheads, even in the 80s. They were quite horrible even then.

[Pi]

Some sharpies in action 1975

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kROXXuD3Cr0

at 1.55 we apparently see the guy who goes on to be Ferret in fast forward 15 years later.

[piedys]

[Skids]

Hahaha. Did a whole lot of running back then. We were almost always outnumbered.
Was certainly an inspiration for the boys to take up boxing and other forms of self defence.