“I’ve been sleeping rough off and on since I was 13. I’ve slept on the side of highways, I’ve slept in Hyde Park, in the middle of Kings Cross, Fortitude Valley (in Brisbane) and the Civic Centre down in Canberra.”
Sleeping rough is not only hard because of the conditions but also because of the way people treat you – “a lot of people look at a homeless guy and say ‘he must have a drug habit’, but the habit I have is probably $400 a week on dog food”.
Despite this tough lifestyle Gary is one of the Big Issue’s larrikins. Accompanied by his two dogs, Stacey whom he rescued from a dumpster seven years ago, and her daughter Missy, he has made Newtown/Enmore his new home.
His cheeky selling style has clearly endeared him to the locals. “I wasn’t there for two weeks, when I came back I had a whole lot of people jump on my back saying where the heck have you been? They had been worried about me.”
“You get away with saying things like ‘excuse me mate, your girlfriend’s hot’. That’s how I’ve always sold. You’ve always got to be a bit cheeky, can’t be a sourpuss.”
Although he has worked at the Big Issue for 11 odd years he still hopes to get a full-time job. “If I get a house, I’ll get a job. You can’t really walk into a place with two dogs and a backpack asking for a job.”
