Streets to the Strip

The world’s first self proclaimed “Bogan Arist” ...

and proud of the fact!

Born and bread on the streets of Lalor Park on the rougher side of a suburban area of the greater Blacktown area ...

Born Blacktown hospital taught a lesson or two at Blacktown Boys High School ... rough enough for any young blooded man back in the late 80’s ...

I moved to Kings Cross when I hit 18 years armed with Alex Beaumont’s bar coarse certificate a bow tie and a cumber-bun my dad got for me ...

I had the mission in mind for getting 6 months experience in Sydney pubs/clubs and heading over seas ... London , Ibiza , Rotterdam the list goes on ...

The older boys in the Cross were well aware of its allure and the tendency of The Cross to give a young lad like myself a little taste of the venom that pulsates beneath the surface ... and has many a young man fallen too far and yes some all the way into the underbelly of this town ...

which for me at the time was obscured by the pretty ladies, loud music and the city lights ...

Coupled with a chip on my shoulder that would cast a shadow on Ares Rock ... I was ready and up for whatever come my way . Well I thought lol ...

I had asked all round the Sydney Cbd area at any and all pubs/clubs I passed along the way . Handing my certificate and resume wherever I went ... walked into The Grand Hotel where I bloke said “head up the cross mate , they’ll give ya a go” ... so I did.

Kings Cross Hotel gave me a a start that very night 10pm - 8am ...

After walking around the city’s streets all day and about 6 hours or so on the bloody train back and forth ... and my spit polished dress shoes more fitting for a funeral/someone’s wedding and oh yeah ... that fuckin cumber-bun and bloody bow tie that brought a cheeky grind to the Licensees face ...

a bloke on the platform at Blacktown train station when I was coming back in to the Cross got to ask where /what /why I was wearing “that getup” ... as he put it.

When I proudly told him where I was about to go to work he blurted out in laughter “well, this’ll be the last time you were that” ... not in a way to get my back up but I could tell he thought I was good value ...

Or something he genuinely was interested and got rewarded with a belly laugh ...

With that I was in The Cross Sydney’s formidable red light district ... and loving it !

Didn’t take me long and I got a day job as a Cellar-man at

The Darlo Bar a couple of blocks up the street and a small room for rent above ... I was set .

I remember to this day with fondness I might add ... the kind sternness in dad’s demean-a when he dropped me off in the Main Street of the Cross ... Mum in the car. He said in no uncertain terms “have fun but be careful” ... as he drove away chuckling Mum bright eyed beside him ...

never forget that Moment ...

always makes me smile ...

And so it all begins.........