Meet Your Vendor
interview by Anastasia Safioleas photo by Michael Quelch
PROUD UNIFORM PARTNER OF THE BIG ISSUE VENDORS.
18 FEB 2022
SELLS THE BIG ISSUE AT CORNER PITT AND MARKET STREETS, SYDNEY
05
Bevan
I’m an Indigenous man. My mum’s Wiradjuri from Brungle Mission. I hate saying this, but I was born in Queensland. Why do I hate saying it? Because I’m not a cane toad! I’m a footy freak, a South Sydney fan! I was born in Redcliffe and they’ve got a footy team joining the NRL – the Redcliffe Dolphins. But I’ll never change teams. No way. I grew up in Sydney. I was really smart at school, but I went to a lot of schools and I got kicked out of a lot of schools. Everything was too easy and then I got bored and started mucking around and getting other people in trouble. I went from Year 5 to Year 7 – I skipped Year 6 – and my sister was pissed off because she was 16 months older than me and I started high school the same year as her. I didn’t finish high school, but I’ve done a lot of study. I want to do a diploma in youth service work next. I became a ward of the state when I was 12 or 13. When they let me out I became transient and then old enough to go to prison. I was in and out of prison and when I wasn’t in prison I was on the street. I was on the housing list for 23 years before I finally got my place in 2018. Rainbow Lodge are a group who help Aboriginal men and they helped me get my house and deck it out. I haven’t used drugs in nearly three years; that’s a big thing for me. It makes me feel so happy. I used to shave and brush my teeth in the shower. And the last time I got out of jail, I said to myself Why are you always brushing your teeth and shaving in the shower? And I realised it’s because when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like that person – I didn’t want to look at that person – so I decided to change and become the person I like. I’m about to start mediation. I was molested. All I care about is being able to let go of all that bullshit because all that bullshit was why I was using drugs. How I haven’t died by now is beyond me. I should have been dead 50 times. I’m lucky, I’m here. So hopefully everything works out fine for us. This is probably my fifth time selling The Big Issue. I just love doing it. I love seeing people smile, even if I don’t get money – I don’t care. To see someone walk past grumpy and I make them smile, that works for me – I’m a pretty laid-back character like that. I always catch the ferry home and sit on the front deck. I love when the water hits me in the face and I know I’ve had a good day. Even if I’ve only had a $25 day, it’s the same feeling. Then when I get home I think, You know what, I haven’t sat at home all day waiting around to die like these people think I’m going to do. I’m doing everything I can – training, swimming, riding my bike… I’ve just got to get off the cigarettes. They’re going to kill me, and I don’t want to die.