Santa Con is coming to town! After 18 years as a vendor on Melbourne’s Bourke St Mall, Con is bringing the joy as our Christmas cover star.

Below is an edited version of Con’s vendor profile, first published in Ed#292.

“I’m 55 now. I came out from Cyprus when I was nine,” says Con, who is the third eldest of nine. “I spend a lot of time with family.”

Con started his career selling The Big Issue on Bourke Street Mall back in 2006, but his fame on the streets of Melbourne date back far longer. “I enjoyed school, and went to work in a potato-chip factory,” he says. “It shut down and from 1991 I sold The Herald Sun in a booth in the city. Then, the booth was shut down and I was looking for work again. I knew of The Big Issue though a vendor who sold nearby.”

Con found his way to The Big Issue office, and was soon reconnecting with his customers and enjoying selling the magazine. “Even on the tram in to work, people recognise me and want to get their copy,” he says. “I’ve got customers who I’ve known for years. They now get the magazine from me. At the paper, there was pressure to sell. I enjoy selling The Big Issue because there is less pressure. I like the interaction with people and consider them as friends. It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

Interview by Peter Ascot
Photo by James Braund