Sharpies: The Early Years, 1967-1969
“WHEN THE PURPLE HEARTS FIRST CAME DOWN TO MELBOURNE IN 1967, WE WERE A LONG-HAIRED BLUES BAND. WE STARTED PLAYING AT THE CIRCLE BALLROOM IN PRESTON AND I STARTED NOTICING THESE STRANGE PEOPLE. I’D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THEM AND THEIR DISTINCT STYLE! THEY HAD SHORT HAIR AND WORE BAGGY TROUSERS AND CARDIGANS; THE GIRLS WORE KNEE-LENGTH PLEATED SKIRTS, TWIN SETS AND PEARLS.” –LOBBY LOYDE
IN EARLY 1968, WHEN I WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD “MOD” WORKING AT THE MELBOURNE GPO (POST OFFICE), I BECAME MATES WITH A YOUNG LOUT FROM PRESTON. HE HAD SHORT HAIR AND ATTITUDE! ONE LUNCHTIME, HE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO COME OVER TO THE “SEVEN LITTLE TAILORS” SHOP ON ELIZABETH STREET. HE WAS GETTING SOME “FLAGS” MADE.
“FLAGS?” I THOUGHT. “WHAT THE HELL!”
WHEN WE GOT THERE, I FOUND OUT THAT “FLAGS” WERE A NECESSARY ITEM OF CLOTHING WORN BY A MELBOURNE-BASED GANG SUBCULTURE CALLED “SHARPIES”. THEY WERE TROUSERS–BAGGY TROUSERS–MADE OF WOOLEN MATERIAL IN “HOUNDSTOOTH” OR CHECK DESIGN WITH DULL COLOURS AND REAR POCKET FLAPS. I WAS INTRIGUED. I WANTED TO KNOW MORE!
MY NEW MATE INFORMED ME THAT ALONG WITH FLAGS, THEY WORE ITALIAN FINE KNIT CARDIGANS AND JUMPERS MADE BY COMPANIES LIKE “VENITO”, NO STRIPES, JUST PLAIN COLOURS USUALLY MAROON OR BOTTLE GREEN. MODS WERE STARTING TO SOUNDS A BIT “OLD HAT” NOW. I WAS HOOKED! ITALIAN LEATHER SHOES, CHISEL TOE, CUBAN HEEL, WERE THE OTHER REQUIRED ITEMS OF CLOTHING AND A “CRESTKNIT” POLO SHIRT TO TOP IT OFF! SHARPIE GIRLS WERE CALLED “BRUSH” AND WORE FAIRLY DRAB OUTFITS COMPARED TO THE BOYS: TWIN SETS, PLAINT SKIRTS, FLAT SHOES, ETC.
A FEW MONTHS LATER, I WENT TO A DANCE ON FLINDERS LANE CALLED “TRAFFIK” TO SEE “THE LOVED ONES”. AND WHO WERE HANGING AROUND OUTSIDE, LEANING ON LOWERED “HD” AND “EH” HOLDENS WITH “TASMAN” MAGS? SHARPIES! I LATER FOUND OUT THAT MOST DANCES HAD “SHARPIE BANS” SO THEY WOULD STAY OUT THE FRONT “PICKING” THE LONG HAIRS OR TRYING TO CHAT UP SOME MOD “CHICKS”. FUN!
A FEW WEEKS LATER, I WENT WITH A FEW MATES TO GLENFERRIE OVAL TO SEE THE HAWKS PLAY AND THE SHARPIES WERE EVERYWHERE! DRESSED TO IMPRESS! 3/4-LENGTH WOOLEN COATS, FLAGS, SOME WITH “PORK PIE” HATS, ALL WITH ATTITUDE! IT WAS MORE ENTERTAINING WATCHING THE CROWD THAN WATCHING THE GAME! THIS WAS HOME GROWN, NOT TEDDY BOYS, MODS OR HIPPIES, ETC. THIS WAS MELBOURNE–FANTASTIC!
AS IT TURNED OUT, NOT LONG DOWN THE TRACK, I BECAME A SHARP MYSELF AT THE END OF WHAT I CALL “PHASE ONE” OF THE SHARPIE REIGN. I GOT A PAIR OF FLAGS MADE BY “MAURICE THE TAILOR” IN CAMBERWELL, GREY “VENITO” V-NECK JUMPER, A PAIR OF “CHISELS” FROM “CUSMANOS” IN COLLINGWOOD, NAVY BLUE TRENCH COAT, AND OF COURSE: SHARPIE BRUSH! AN ORIGINAL MELBOURNE YOUTH CULTURE, AND I WAS PROUD TO BE PART OF IT. LATER CAME THE STAGGERS JEANS, STRIPPED CARDIGANS, HAIR TAILS, ETC. BUT FOR ME, I WAS GLAD TO BE INVOLVED AND HAVE WITNESSED THE “FIRST PHASE OF SHARP”–1967 TO 1969, A PERIOD WHICH NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF!
Chris O’ Halloran
Interesting article you have here!!! after more than 30 years the Sharps era have re ashed why???
A lot of good mate of mine DIE for this cause
Ex sydney sharp 1969 to 1978
Comment by george — January 8, 2008 @ 11:42 am
G’day Sam,great web page! and rare insight into Oz history. I had a sharpie haircut with dyed blonde rat tails in which leads me to my sharpie story! I was at Flinders st Station with a mate Ivan and there used to be a Hamburger/food van there near the stairs, I’ve gone up an ordered a pie, when I was rudely interrupted by about 10 sharpies whom were around 18-20 years old, I was 15 y.o in 1983 at the time, they were as rough as guts with heaps of tatts on there neck arms,ect and one of them was a girl whom looked just as tough as all of them!, one of them poked me in the chest and said, “what gang are you in? none I said, ‘why you got a sharpie haircut then’?, because I want one, I said’, Give us some money? No I said, give us your earring? No I said again-very timidly the whole time, and then came the question that I look back on with great fondness as do all the people I’ve told over the years- “Give us a bite of ya pie then”? [that still makes me laugh 25 years later] when I still said no to the pie request, he then said to one of his sharpie mates ‘Hit him one Bobbsy’ in which he punched me in the mouth, they let me go and I took off to the safety of the Swanston St tram where Ivan laughed at me saying haha you got bashed by Sharpies!! I had a few tears in my eyes, and I don’t reckon I cried because the punch hurt that much it was more because I always looked upto the Sharpies and was more disappointed that they picked on me instead of me been accepted by them :-]
I reckon they may have been the last of the sharpies because I cant recall seeing much of them again, I went home and trim my rat tails so they werent’ so obvious, But long live the Sharpies, and I hope those sharpies are all going well these days and I understand why you picked on me it was because I looked like a sharpie from a rival gang!!
cheers Gerry
Comment by Gerry Walsh — May 13, 2008 @ 8:31 pm
gerry, the good thing is you stood your ground agianst them, that would of took guts.
and btw which sharpies were they?
from where?
catch
Comment by aleks — June 7, 2008 @ 10:05 am
There is a very old ABCTV Four corners story on the mod culture and niteclub scene of Melbourne in the sixties . featuring a very early version of a sharpie who was refused entry to a club , a similar scenario that you have described . T.W
Comment by Tony Wyzenbeek — June 26, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
HI THERE,
THIS “BRUSH” READ WITH MUCH INTEREST YOUR ‘FLASHBACK’ TO 67/69 ….
LIFE AS A “SHARPIE”…..OH THE MEMORIES !!!
I TOO WAS THERE, AND SO GLAD TO BE A TEEN IN THE 60′S. LIVING IN PRESTON, ONE OF THE ‘TOUGHER’ AREAS OF MELBOURNE, SHARPIES WERE WIDESPREAD AND WELL KNOWN HERE.
THE LOCAL DANCE IE. PRESTON TOWN HALL WAS ‘STORYVILLE’.
HERE WE LINED UP TO DANCE 66 ROCK TO ‘MAX MERRITT’ MY PERSONAL ALL TIME FAVOURITE.
WITH PLEATED SKIRT, TOP, PEARL EARRINGS SHORT HAIR AND SANDALS WE DANCED UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
CHURCH DANCES WERE ALSO THE GO, AS WAS SCHOOL FORMALS.
NORTHCOTE HIGH AND PRESTON GIRLS HIGH COMBINING TO DANCE TO THE LIKES OF ‘RAM JAM BIG BAND’….
AS MENTIONED A LOT OF BOXERS BECAME SHARPIES, WE HUNG AROUND WITH SEVERAL.
FIGHTS WERE THE NORM NO MATTER WHERE YOU WENT ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.
I CAN STILL REMEMBER TRYING TO GET INTO A DANCE IN COBURG AND WE WERE TOLD TO ‘ENTER AT OWN RISK’ !!!
‘SWINGER’ WAS COBURG TOWN HALL.
431 ANOTHER POPULAR DANCE
OPUS ALSO A LARGE EVENT.
THERE WASN’T MUCH OF A CHOICE BACK THEN, YOU EITHER BECAME A ‘MOD’ OR A ‘SHARPIE’, THINGS JUST FELL INTO PLACE AS TO WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE.
TO ME IT WAS A ‘MAGICAL’ TIME, AND IF I COULD TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME I WOULD BE ‘THERE’.
I ALSO HAD A NAVY BLUE TRENCHCOAT…THE SIGN OF A ‘TRUE’ SHARPIE.
I STILL LOVE DANCING AND OF COURSE CAN STILL DO 66′ ROCK!!
AND ALSO ‘THE BREAK’..ANOTHER SIMPLE SHARPIE DANCE.
THE YEARS HAVE FLOWN BUT I STILL RETURN….
YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF ‘PRESTON’ BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE
‘PRESTON’ OUT OF THE GIRL, SORRY “BRUSH” !!!!!
Comment by VICKI — May 14, 2009 @ 9:00 pm
HEY VICKI…… GREAT STORY !!! HAVE YOU GOT ANY PHOTOS ? THERE’S GOING TO ANOTHER SHARPIE EXHIBITION NEXT YEAR , YOU SHOULD ROCK UP MATE , HEAPS OF GREAT STORIES TO SWAP WITH OTHER EX LOUTS !! AND SOME NOT SO EX !!! HA HA . CHEERS. CHRIS.
Comment by CHRIS O'HALLORAN — May 22, 2009 @ 11:28 am
hey chris O”h…..amazing reading this stuff..guess a sharpie was one of the many identities i adopted in my rather misspent(hahaha)youth…was”nt too many toorak sharpies getting about either.was lots of fun, and interesting reflecting on those days..different 4sure!..and graham penton lives on..bless you both!.austin
Comment by austin — May 22, 2009 @ 11:15 pm
It was great hearing from you the other night have passed on web address to a few people.Keep in touch
Comment by Dinko — May 24, 2009 @ 9:56 am
HEY AUSTO. GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU…… LOVE THE BIT ABOUT ‘GRAEME PENTON LIVES ON’ FANTASTIC…… SEE ALL YOU BLOKES AT THE NEXT EXPO!!!! OR MAYBE BEFORE THAT IF I CAN ORGANIZE A RE UNION …. CHEERS…… CHRIS.
Comment by CHRIS O'HALLORAN — May 29, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
Fuck the Thomo Sharps they only good for a laugh they all junkies..
Comment by MTS Murder The Snitch — June 9, 2009 @ 9:39 am
MTS Murder The Snitch , your a bitch mate!
couldnt pull a finger out of your ass..
Comment by Rob — June 9, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
now,now boys …..no fighting !!!
Comment by christo — June 11, 2009 @ 7:11 pm
MTS IS RIGHT……ROB’S A GOOSE !!!!!!
Comment by GP — June 11, 2009 @ 7:15 pm
hahaah!
Comment by Rob — June 11, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
hey rob…you’ve already made a complete prick of yourself on the SLACKBASTARD website ,,,, why dont you piss off and leave us all alone… we’ll dig a big hole in thomastown park and bury you in it…. with a big sign WANNABE next to it…ha ha ha…….
Comment by GP — June 11, 2009 @ 9:01 pm
RIGHTO BOYS…OFF TO BED NOW…..YOU CAN CONTINUE YOUR BICKERING TOMORROW. GOODNIGHT.
Comment by O'HOOLIGAN — June 12, 2009 @ 1:37 am
try me brother try me!
Comment by Rob — June 12, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
NOT ‘HEAD JOB ROB’ AGAIN !!!
Comment by GP — June 16, 2009 @ 8:37 am
idiots!
Comment by Rob — June 16, 2009 @ 4:23 pm
dont worry about em rob…..talks cheap !
Comment by O'HOOLIGAN — June 26, 2009 @ 11:28 pm
your right O’HOOLIGAN talk is cheap!
come to my area,
where actions speak louder than words. HA HA!
Comment by rob — June 27, 2009 @ 9:58 am
STUFF EM !!!!
Comment by O'HOOLIGAN — June 27, 2009 @ 10:16 am
hahahha
let me know when the expos on mate?
thanks
Comment by rob — June 28, 2009 @ 11:34 pm
I don’t look back at any of this with any fond memories. I grew up in Chadstone and had to put up with the wankers from jordy. Most of them on there own where as weak as piss and most of there brushes where as bad as most of the blokes and some of them where as ugly as a hat full of arse wholes.
I had some very good mate that got the rough end of the stick from some of theses blokes and ended up the worst for it now one mate never walked again and another lost the site in one eye and lost a kidney. I don’t see how it can be looked at as one of the better times in Melbourne’s history if you ask me most of the Sharpies should hang there heads in shame for how they acted and what they did to people.
Yes i had my fear share of run ins with some of them and i gave as good as i got. I find it interesting none the less. Maybe we can learn something from the past. Dutch.
Comment by Dutch — July 9, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
FAIR COMMENT DUTCH….. I’VE HAD MATES WHO COPPED A FEW BAD HIDINGS…MYSELF INCLUDED.. IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY OF TEENAGE GANGS,ROCKERS,BODGIES,HOME BOYS,SKINHEADS,MODS,TEDDY BOYS,SURFIES,SHARPIES etc etc. THERE IS ALWAYS A BIT OF VIOLENCE INVOLVED MAINLY DUE TO BOYS BEING BOYS AND ALSO THE USUAL DEFENDING OF TERRITORY WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE CAVE MAN DAYS !!AS WITH THE AGGRO ON MELBOURNE STREETS TODAY THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO WILL GO TO FAR AND SOMEBODY GETS BADLY HURT…ALCOHOL IS USEUALLY A BIG PART OF IT AS WELL….. IF YOU LOOK BACK AT PAST GANGS YOU WILL SEE THAT IT IS THE BOYS WHO DRESS TO IMPRESS.NOT THE GIRLS…LIKE PEACOCKS STRUTTING THERE STUFF AND THIS IS MAINLY WHAT SAM HAS DONE WITH THIS SITE….THE FASHION SIDE OF IT !!!! NONE OF US CONDONE VIOLENCE BUT UNFORTUNATELY AS HISTORY SHOWS ITS ALL PART OF URBAN CULTURE AND A BIG PART OF IT IS ALSO MATESHIP AND A FEELING OF BELONGING !!!! cheers CHRIS.
Comment by OH — July 10, 2009 @ 11:44 am
I have no trouble theses days Chris. I myself have more then moved on from it all. The one thing that always got me though was all the bloke dancing together ? and they use to pick on the poofters for it lol, yes the fashion was a big part of it.
It was a great era to be in, i will give you that some time i wish for some of it back. My daughter is always asking me about what it was like and it was in some ways great to find this site. Dutch
Comment by Dutch — July 10, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
KEEP IN TOUCH MATE….THE BOYS DANCING TOGETHER,YEAH !!! CLASSIC STUFF! BUT THERE AGAIN IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ‘THE BOYS’ WASN’T IT DUTCH. BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE ‘SKINS N SHARPS’ EXPO NEXT YEAR…THAT WILL BE AN EYE OPENER FOR HER…MY DAUGHTER IS SIXTEEN AND CANT BELIEVE THE CLOTHES WE USED TO WEAR !!! HA HA ! JUST COME AND HAVE A BEER WITH US,ITS ALL ABOUT THE GOOD TIMES….NOT ALL THE BAD SHIT. COH.
Comment by OH — July 10, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
Will do when is it and where is at. Yeah mines 20 and gets a laugh from some of it.
Comment by Dutch — July 10, 2009 @ 7:22 pm
SOME TIME NEXT YEAR,KEEP AN EYE ON THIS SITE,YOU’LL GET PLENTY OF NOTICE MATE…… I REMEMBER THE OLD MATHEW FLINDERS DAYS…BANDS FREE ON SAT. ARVO IN THE LOUNGE…A SORT OF NEUTRAL TERRITORY HA HA, BUT WE WOULD KEEP OUT OF THE BAR BECAUSE NOT BEING A LOCAL WE KNEW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN !!! WE SAW GEOFF DUFF PERFORMING ONE SAT. AND ONE OF THE SHARPIE CHICKS ATTACKED HIM….BLOODY FUNNY !!! I AGREE WITH YOU THAT SOME OF THE MOLES WERE TOUGHER THAN THE BOYS !!! I ALSO REMEMBER WHEN SOME OF THE LOCAL BOYS JUMPED ANGUS YOUNG WHEN HE WAS WALKING VTHROUGH THE AUDIENCE PLAYING TNT AND HE ENDED UP WITH A BROKEN FINGER… AC/DC NEVER DID GO BACK TO THE MATTHEW…FUNNY THAT !!! AND THEN THERE WAS THE SOUTH SIDE SIX AND THE VILLAGE GREEN HOTELS BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY !!! CHEERS.
Comment by OH — July 10, 2009 @ 11:58 pm
Ah the Flanders now it well. I was there the nigh Duffy got whacked. I was pissing my self. What about the Waltzing Matilda?? some good nights there as well. I will keep an eye out
Comment by Dutch — July 11, 2009 @ 12:08 am
HEY OH, SAW ONE OF YOUR ‘SHARPS UNITED’ T SHIRTS ON THE WEEKEND HOW MUCH ARE THEY CHAMP ?
Comment by GP — July 13, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
$20….. cheers.
Comment by OH — July 15, 2009 @ 8:32 am
HI CHRIS THANKS MATE GOT IT HUNGING UP ON THE WALL;I WOULD HAVE GOT BACK 2 U SOONER BUT ; IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FULL MOON DEALING WITH THE X FLYING AROUND ON HER BROOM AGAIN . YER CHRIS I B IN A COPY AS WELL MATE THANKS AGIAN BRO
Comment by JOHNPAUL — July 24, 2009 @ 6:38 pm
NO WORRIES JP…… OH.
Comment by OH — July 27, 2009 @ 10:25 am
whot about moomba and the myer music ball and the free gigs thay had there. whot a buzz that was good times the larst one i went 2 fuck there were sharps from just about every hood in melb.hard days but fuck had fun doing shit.S.U.
Comment by JOHNPAUL — August 17, 2009 @ 1:01 am
Up in country Victoria, the sharpie culture was still alive and well as late as 1978. They wore tight high rise jeans, cardigans that were also tight, swore a lot,smoked heavily (Drum being the fave, Only men smoke drum!) picked fights, played pinballs, ate chiko rolls, had love bites, rode black fixwheelers, and if they had a car, it would usually an old Holden (FC, FB, EH, HR being the favourites)or an early Falcon(XK,XL,XM or XP). The ideal sharpie car? Black paint, driving lights, lowered, CB radio, stereo, extractors, fat tyres(BFGoodrich)and early type of mags(Hotwires, Kidney shaped five hole, dragways, or earlier Tasman mags, chromies or just plain widies)I think quite a few were rough kids but from quite comfortably well off suburban and well established families with nice modern homes and late model cars. They sort of rebelled against their parents strive for middle class status. They preferred to be ‘tough, cool, rebellious, and charismatic’ Quite a lot were into boxing, or karate. They fought for their turf and they fought to get and keep their girls. This is long before internet, videos, and modern life as we know it.Asking my brother who was older than me by eight years, he is of the view that the sharpie culture here was mainly from around 1975 to 1979, peaking in 76 77. In Melbourne they became much bigger much earlier, perhaps 1972 to 1978, peaking in the early to mid 1970s. I think sharps were into “poofter bashing” The Cravalli st gang from East Preston, the Prahran sharps, West Side Sharps and the Blackburn South Sharps were the ones that come to mind.
By the way,I remembered them being referred to Sharps by the boys, and Sharpies by the girls. See the Dragon Film clip Get That Jive to see a girl dancing sharpie style.
Comment by Leo — November 11, 2009 @ 4:14 am