I was born in Subiaco. I grew up in Perth with my younger brother John and my mum and dad, until Dad died when I was 12. After that it was just the three of us.
Mum was on the pension, but she always took good care of us, made sure we went to school and always had lunch.
I didn’t mind school, it was alright. I played a fair bit of sport, and I was a pretty good runner and really enjoyed the sports carnivals, until I was diagnosed with epilepsy – then I had to slow down on sport and be a bit more careful in case I had a seizure.
Mum needed a bit of help after Dad passed away, so I ended up leaving school a bit early so I could give her a hand. My first job after I left school was selling The Daily News newspaper. I worked near James Street, before they built the freeway and knocked down all the businesses there – it’s all changed now. Then I sold The Sunday Times in Maylands for a while before I ended up selling The West Australian in the city centre, right where the Underground Station is now. That’s where I met Steve, who was a Big Issue vendor. He told me I should sign up: that’s how I started at The Big Issue and how I got to meet everyone, all the other vendors.
I have been selling on the streets of Perth for so long I feel like I know everyone. A lot of people stop for chats or to say hello. Even Jim, our old boss, stops and buys a magazine now and again.
Working with The Big Issue has really helped me out. Over the years I was able to save some money and use it to go on a holiday with my nephew Robbie, who also used to sell The Big Issue. We went to Bali; the food was great and there was so much good sightseeing and so many interesting animals. That was about 10 years ago. I would love to go back to Indonesia one day – I will need to keep saving.
When I’m not working, I like to watch movies with my housemate. We share the housework and shopping and also like to do some gardening together. I try to relax after work, not worry too much, just enjoy myself. You can’t go wrong with a bit of good music: my favourites are AC/DC and Mick Jagger. Sometimes I even play music when I’m on pitch, especially if there is a band on the cover.
I still need to be very careful with my epilepsy – I have had to take time off from work a few times after hurting myself during a seizure.
My brother has been a Big Issue vendor too, but he is taking a break because of some health issues. We still catch up every week or so; we get lunch or breakfast at the Citiplace Community Centre – the bacon and eggs are the best.
I’m very happy selling The Big Issue – I’m going to keep doing it until I retire. The Big Issue is my family, and I hope one day that I might even be on the cover!
Ron sells The Big Issue at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Interview by Chad Hedley
Photo by Ross Swanborough
First Published in Ed#727