Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, media and sports mogul Eddie McGuire and actor Bryan Brown want to end a stigma that’s hurting thousands of young Australians. Pictures: NewsWire/Damian Shaw/Supplied/Tim Hunter.
Famous Australians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, actor Bryan Brown, media personality Eddie McGuire and AFL legend Doug Hawkins have come together to bust a harmful stereotype.
They have joined with several other prominent Aussies to highlight the significant contributions that people who live in, or have lived in, public housing have made to the nation.
It’s all part of an effort by the Victorian Public Tenants Association (VPTA) to combat negative stereotypes surrounding public housing, such as the stigma comes with growing up in these homes.
RELATED: Twist for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rental home sale
Victoria selling off social housing while falling behind Queensland, NSW
Eddie McGuire’s ultra-rare home swap with ex-Allied Chemicals boss Ian Hicks revealed
Apart from its “Public and Proud” profiles of well-known Australians who have lived in public housing, the VPTA is also urging the federal government to fund a national public housing stigma and discrimination reduction strategy.
VPTA chief executive Raoul Wainwright said such a strategy would make a big difference for the thousands of children and young people growing up in public housing.
“I think what Australians should know is that public housing people are just like everybody else,” Mr Wainwright said.
“They are busy trying to live their lives and get ahead.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is proud of his childhood growing up in public housing in Camperdown, Sydney. Picture: Supplied.
He said the goal of the online Public and Proud profiles was to show young people in public housing what they could achieve in the future.
The profiles, on the VPTA website, include advice for young people from the famous Australians who one resided in public housing themselves.
Mr Wainwright’s own recollections of growing up in public housing included doing a law school placement where he gave his residential details to his then-boss.
“When I gave my address he said, ‘Our defendants are from Melon St, Braybrook, not our lawyers’,” Mr Wainwright said.
Eddie McGuire still regards himself as a “Broadmeadows boy” after a childhood growing up in public housing, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Picture: Supplied.
Such views still exist today and could impact young people’s employment and educational opportunities, he noted.
“The stigma stops public housing people from getting ahead, which are exactly the circumstances that created the stigma in the first place – we want to break that cycle,” Mr Wainwright added.
Mr Albanese, who was elected to parliament in 1996 and became Prime Minister in 2022, talked about growing up in public housing in Camperdown, Sydney, as part of his Public and Proud profile.
The PM said his most vivid memory of was “the strong sense of community that we had” with neighbours having him over for dinner when his mother was in hospital for extended periods.
Victorian Public Tenants Association chief executive Raoul Wainwright says the stigma of growing up in public housing can harm young people’s chances of employment and education.
He started working at age 13, selling newspapers after school, and at 15 gained part-time jobs at Grace Brothers and McDonalds.
“I hope that young people who live in public housing today are proud of who they are,” Mr Albanese said.
“They should know that they are as valued as other people growing up in wealthier circumstances.
“I think they should also remember the positive parts of public housing. You are a part of a real community, so embrace that.”
Bryan Brown and his family lived in a public housing, two-bedroom fibro cottage in Sydney when he was younger – and he’s still proud of his roots. Picture: Supplied.
Bryan Brown, star of films including Breaker Morant, Cocktail, Gorillas in the Mist, Along Came Polly, Australia, Kill Me Three Times and Gods of Egypt, recalled his childhood living in social housing with his mother and sister, in two-bedroom fibro cottage in Panania, Sydney.
“I know now that it was hard for Mum to get together the rent money, but she didn’t talk about it at the time,” Brown said in his Public and Proud interview.
“She had jars for the rent, the electricity bill et cetera. I learnt a great lesson in budgeting from her.”
Author and journalist Kirsty Jagger’s book Roseghetto takes some inspiration from her past, growing up in the housing commission estates in Sydney. Picture: Supplied.
Brown recalled one “hairy” incident where he and a friend were chased by a group of boys who threatened to bash them.
“We ran into this house and the bloke was there in the bath. We told him what was going on, he grabbed a gun went out and chased off the gang,” Brown said.
“The main thing was that there was a community of people looking after each other, it was clear that you needed other people.”
The Golden Globe-nominated actor’s advice to young people was: “It isn’t important what kind of house you have”.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in a happy home, it just happened to be a public housing home,” he said.
Former VFL and AFL player Doug Hawkins lived in public housing, in Melbourne’s west, as a youngster. Picture: Supplied.
For former Collingwood Football Club president and Millionaire Hot Seat host Eddie McGuire, growing up in public housing in Broadmeadows aka “Broady”, in Melbourne, remains a point of pride.
“I still regard myself as a Broadmeadows boy, I still regard myself as a Housing Commission person. I look at that with a tremendous sense of pride,” Mr McGuire said.
“For young people in public housing today my message is that education is the answer. Learn about everything that is happening around you and use public housing as your launching pad.”
Business Council of Australia chairwoman Jennifer Westacott, chancellor of the University of Western Sydney, grew up in public housing. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.
Another AFL personality featured in the Public and Proud profiles is Doug Hawkins, who played 350 VFL and AFL games with the Bulldogs and later Fitzroy in the 1980s and 1990s.
He grew up in social housing in Braybrook, in Melbourne’s west, with his sister, mother and stepfather.
“My message to young people who live in public housing today is to back themselves,” Hawkins said.
“Don’t listen to all the negative stuff that you can’t do something, because that’s what we got and it was rubbish.
“It doesn’t have to be about sport, it can be about anything. Set your goal and believe in yourself.”
Novelist Zadie Smith spent her childhood in London public housing. Picture: Dominique Nabokov. Image supplied.
Other Australians featured in the Public and Proud profiles include Business Council of Australia chairwoman Jennifer Westacott, academic and author Tony Birch, and author and journalist Kirsty Jagger.
Best-selling author Zadie Smith, who is not an Australian citizen but often visits the country, has also lent her voice to the campaign, talking about growing up in public housing in London.
Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.
MORE: Victoria faces ‘inevitable’ housing crisis as buyers ditch building new
Revealed: 120+ Melb suburbs now in tax ‘danger zone’
Olympic tradie shortage threatens as next Australian housing crisis
English (US) · 