Sharpies
Encyclopedia
Sharpies, or Sharps, were members of suburban youth gangs in Australia
, most significantly from the 1960s and 1970s. They were particularly prominent in Melbourne
, but were also found in Sydney
and Perth
to lesser extents. Sharpies were known for being violent, although a strict moral code was also evident. The name comes from their focus on looking and dressing "sharp".
s; due to their sheer numbers, they were often perceived as being untouchable by the police
. Sharpies were sometimes associated with excessive violence, regularly taking part in fights and minor thefts of beer
and money
.
Their dress and dance styles were strongly influenced by the British
ska
, mod, and skinhead
subculture
s, and many of the early sharpies were in fact British immigrants, recently arrived as Ten Pound Poms
. Common clothing items included Lee
or Levi
jeans
, cardigans, sweater
s, and T-shirt
s—often individually designed by group members—with which they would try to outdo other sharpies by creating the best patterns, colours, and detail.
The sharpies' subculture faded out partly due to mistrust and violence between different gangs, as well as due changes in society. With the rise of the Saturday Night Fever
disco culture, the sharpies had to adapt their ways to fit in with the new social norms
of the youth of the time. Apart from disco, some drifted into the live punk/new wave scene which sprouted from the UK and arrived in Melbourne from around 1978 onwards. La Femme, a band consisting of former Sharps attracted many ex-sharpies in its following with this new genre of music and fashion of the time.
Note: There is no relationship with S.H.A.R.P.S Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice
as this subculture began in 1987 although what they did have in common is that Sharpies were also anti-racist in that its gang members were from all nationalities.
around 1963, and the first wave of gangs or "boys" until the late 1960s were predominantly from Broadmeadows, Camberwell
, Collingwood
, Fawkner/Coburg
, Fitzroy
, Jordanville, Oakleigh
, Port Melbourne, Prahran, Preston
, Sandringham
, St Kilda
and Sunshine
.
The haircut was short back and sides, cut often and usually parted. Fashion was southern
European style from businesses of local post war immigrants. Trousers, shirts, suits and shoes were made to order. Trousers were initially slightly flared, but were succeeded by baggy 22" bell bottoms, known as "flags". Tops included Crestknit polo shirts, cardigans made by Venito which were plain coloured, trenchcoats or woolen overcoats. Pork Pie hats were also popular. Top shoemakers favoured by Sharps were Kosmano's in Collingwood, Mediterranean in Kensington or Acropolis and Venus, both in Richmond. Initially, the style were 'Points" but Cuban heeled "Chisels" became the shoe of choice.
Sharpie girls during this period were knowns as "Brushes". Their taste in clothing included knee-length pleated skirts, round-necked dresses or twin sets (matching round neck jumpers and cardigans). They generally wore pearl earings and necklaces. Shoes were patterned much like the boys, but flat heeled.
Mods were an enemy of sharpies, and their gang brawls were reported in the newspapers during 1966.
Live bands followed by Sharps during this initial period were Axiom, The Browns, Billy Thorpe
, Chelsea Set, EasyBeats, Max Merritt
, Masters Apprentices, Normie Rowe
, Purple Hearts
, The Loved Ones
and The Twilights.
By 1969, the original sharpie subcuture was coming to an end, but there was a second wave of sharpies from 1970 to late 1972, many of whome were younger siblings of the original sharpies.
Influences included the UK skinhead
craze of the late 1960s, Richard Allan's
Skinhead series of books and the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange
. Gangs in this era were mostly from the original haunts, but also came from Burwood
, Greensborough
and Malvern
.
During the 1970s revival, the clothing and style were stripped back and more aggressive looking - boots, braces and a flat cap. During this period, the Conte cardigan from Thornbury
become part of the wardrobe, which was soon followed by Sam's Knitwear in Coburg. Known as Connies the cardigans were first bought off the shelf, but it wasn't long before sharpies started to bring in their own designs, patterns and colours. During this period, Connies were worn slim fit. Venus shoes were still popular, and would be until the sharpie era ended. Laceup boots became popular, especially Dr. Martens
and Fat Mac's with 1/2" soles, which would pave the way for platform boots a few years later. Hairstyles evolved from the short back and sides to short on the top and long at the back, "dolly cut" style.
A new generation of sharpies emerged 1973, peaking two years later. Many of them were unaware of the original 1960s sharpie beginnings, but came up with a new look. It became the number one teen fashion around 1974/75. The subculture appealed to those of all cultural and racial backgrounds. Suburban Sharpie gangs were was based on territory rather than ethnicity. Many first-born teens of post-war immigrants of Italian, Greek and Eastern European backgrounds mixed it with Anglo-Australian and Aboriginal, as well as those of British, Celtic, Turkish, Chinese and Yugoslav descent.
The Connie became skin tight, one size too small, which matched the high-waisted flared jeans of choice, Staggers by Joseph Saba
, meeting at the belly button. Baggies were also high-waisted, snug around the hips and very flared. Straight-legged canvas jeans by Lee
or Levis
were also popular, as well as jean overalls. For tops, the Crestknit from the 1960s continued to be worn. An essential item for all Sharpie gang members were matching T-shirts, super-tight and with the gang's name in felt-type iron-on letters. Braces were also part of the uniform, button-on or with clips. In the winter, the checked or tartan patterned Lumber Jacket with sheepskin lining was worn.
The hairstyle evolved into very short cropped on top and thinned out tails at the back. These were often bleached and later dyed with a colour in contrast to the top. Some went for the David Bowie
/Ziggy Stardust look. Popular was the K-Tel
Hair Magician styling kit for do-it-yourself haircuts. For girls, the hair was generally longer and popular was the "dolly cut" Suzi Quatro
style.
Preferred music was hard rock
, but glam rock
also had a major influence. Sharpies in this era had the most obnoxious style of dance, more for shock value rather than elegance. Australian bands followed by sharpies during this period included Lobby Lloyd and the Coloured Balls, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Buster Brown
, Stevie Wright Band, AC/DC
, Hush
and Skyhooks. Many of these bands played for teenage audiences at local high schools or at town halls on the weekends, and the concerts were attended predominately by sharpies. The pub rock circuit was very strong during this era. Bands favoured by Sharps from overseas included Alice Cooper
, Alvin Stardust
, David Bowie
, Gary Glitter
, Kiss
, Mott The Hoople
, Slade
, Suzi Quatro
and Sweet
.
Gangs during this period included the Blackburn South
Sharpies, Box Hill
Sharps, Brunswick
Sharps, Cheltenham
Sharps, Clayton
Sharps, Coburg
Sharps, Dandenong
Sharps, Eastern Sharps, Eltham
Sharps, Fitzroy
Sharps, Frankston
Sharps, Heidleberg Sharps, Holmesglen Sharps, Melbourne Sharps (which originated from the Flinders Street Sharps and the City Square Sharps who formed City Sharps due to the crossover of friendships which was soon changed to the Melbourne Sharps), Prahran
Sharps, Richmond
Sharps, St Albans Sharps, Sunshine
Sharps, West Road Sharps and the A.N.A. Sharps and Anderson Rd Sharpies from the Broadmeadows area.
The decline in sharpies began from around 1976/77 onwards, with dwindling suburban gang numbers dropping, resulting in the consolidation of many of the gangs around Melbourne. Some headed to the city to continue with the Melbourne Sharps, which ended by early 1978 but other gangs during this period including the Bayside Sharps, United Sharps, Sharps & Co., Thomastown Sharps and Westside Sharps. By 1980, other gangs formed were the Eastside Sharps, Southside Sharps & the City Louts. Sharpie gang culture was also being pushed aside by newer & stronger ethnic based teen gangs from Middle Eastern cultures including the Lebanese Tigers, the Black Dragons and the Turkish Lions whose members predominantly hailed from the inner western and outer northern suburbs. Probably the last remaining Sharpie gang, the Victorian Sharps, disbanded by 1982.
Gangs would often form out of school groups, congregate in local shopping centres or shopping strips as well as teenage hangouts such as pinball parlours or coffee bars/hamburger joints with jukeboxes and pinballs. Transport was generally by the Melbourne train
and trams
. They used inner-city tailor
s in suburbs like Richmond
, Brunswick
, and Thornbury
to source their stylish clothes, rather than relying on international or designer label
s. In a 2002 interview, a former sharpie stated that despite the sharpie culture being quite violent — especially as they crossed other gangs' territories on the public transport
network — the altercations were restricted to inter-gang rivalries.
around the Sydney Town Hall
, and frequented dances at the Wesley Mission Centre in Pitt Street, along with gangs from Liverpool
, Bankstown
, and Blacktown
. In southeast Sydney, a gang from the La Perouse
area (called La Pa by the locals) were known as the Lapa Sharpies. Lapa Sharpies were atypical as they were mainly young Indigenous Australians
, and did not mix widely with the other sharpie gangs.
Typical dress of the male Sydney sharpies was either running shoes or shoes with a white leather upper and no socks, jeans or straight-legged high-waisted trousers
, polo shirts, and braces
. Female sharpies—or "sharpie chicks"—commonly wore shoes with long socks, short skirt
s, and polo shirts with braces. Sharpies were opposed to the Sydney surf culture
, and the focus of their violence were "Hairs", which referred to surfers, hippies, or anyone with long hair.
Sharpies can be contrasted with today's "Lad" subculture in terms of behaviour and numbers, except the dress is slightly different, with sporting brands such as Nautica, Polo, Nike and Adidas being the brands of choice, typical dress usually pairs a Nike Dri-Fit cap with Nike TN Airmax running shoes and tracksuit pants and polo shirt of the aforementioned brands. A bumbag or fanny pack of one of these sporting brands is often worn, or a small backpack, once again usually of a sporting brand.
, Rockingham
, Armadale
, Kelmscott
, Lynwood
, and Thornlie
joined skinhead and sharpie gangs. Many of these young people were children of recently arrived British migrants working at the BP
Kwinana Oil Refinery
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, most significantly from the 1960s and 1970s. They were particularly prominent in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, but were also found in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to lesser extents. Sharpies were known for being violent, although a strict moral code was also evident. The name comes from their focus on looking and dressing "sharp".
Sharpie culture
Sharpies would often congregate in large numbers, regularly attending live bands at town hall and high school dances and early discoDisco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
s; due to their sheer numbers, they were often perceived as being untouchable by the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. Sharpies were sometimes associated with excessive violence, regularly taking part in fights and minor thefts of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
and money
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
.
Their dress and dance styles were strongly influenced by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, mod, and skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
s, and many of the early sharpies were in fact British immigrants, recently arrived as Ten Pound Poms
Ten Pound Poms
Ten Pound Poms is a colloquial term used in Australia to describe British subjects who migrated to Australia after the Second World War under an assisted passage scheme established and operated by the Government of Australia.The scheme, a follow-on to the unofficial Big Brother Movement,...
. Common clothing items included Lee
Lee (Jeans)
Lee is a brand of denim jeans, first produced in 1889 in Salina, Kansas. The company is owned by VF Corporation, the largest apparel company in the world. Its headquarters is currently in Merriam, Kansas, just outside of Kansas City, Missouri...
or Levi
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
, cardigans, sweater
Sweater
A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
s, and T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s—often individually designed by group members—with which they would try to outdo other sharpies by creating the best patterns, colours, and detail.
The sharpies' subculture faded out partly due to mistrust and violence between different gangs, as well as due changes in society. With the rise of the Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
disco culture, the sharpies had to adapt their ways to fit in with the new social norms
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
of the youth of the time. Apart from disco, some drifted into the live punk/new wave scene which sprouted from the UK and arrived in Melbourne from around 1978 onwards. La Femme, a band consisting of former Sharps attracted many ex-sharpies in its following with this new genre of music and fashion of the time.
Note: There is no relationship with S.H.A.R.P.S Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice
Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice
Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice are anti-racist skinheads who oppose neo-Nazis and other political racists, particularly if those racists identify themselves as skinheads....
as this subculture began in 1987 although what they did have in common is that Sharpies were also anti-racist in that its gang members were from all nationalities.
Melbourne
Sharpies began in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
around 1963, and the first wave of gangs or "boys" until the late 1960s were predominantly from Broadmeadows, Camberwell
Camberwell, Victoria
Camberwell is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Camberwell had a population of 19,637....
, Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Fawkner/Coburg
Coburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
, Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
, Jordanville, Oakleigh
Oakleigh, Victoria
Oakleigh is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and is located 14 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Monash. At the 2006 Census, Oakleigh had a population of 6,876....
, Port Melbourne, Prahran, Preston
Preston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
, Sandringham
Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Sandringham had a population of 8693.-History:...
, St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
and Sunshine
Sunshine, Victoria
Sunshine is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia lying 11 to 13 km west of the CBD. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, Sunshine had a population of 8,070.-History:...
.
The haircut was short back and sides, cut often and usually parted. Fashion was southern
European style from businesses of local post war immigrants. Trousers, shirts, suits and shoes were made to order. Trousers were initially slightly flared, but were succeeded by baggy 22" bell bottoms, known as "flags". Tops included Crestknit polo shirts, cardigans made by Venito which were plain coloured, trenchcoats or woolen overcoats. Pork Pie hats were also popular. Top shoemakers favoured by Sharps were Kosmano's in Collingwood, Mediterranean in Kensington or Acropolis and Venus, both in Richmond. Initially, the style were 'Points" but Cuban heeled "Chisels" became the shoe of choice.
Sharpie girls during this period were knowns as "Brushes". Their taste in clothing included knee-length pleated skirts, round-necked dresses or twin sets (matching round neck jumpers and cardigans). They generally wore pearl earings and necklaces. Shoes were patterned much like the boys, but flat heeled.
Mods were an enemy of sharpies, and their gang brawls were reported in the newspapers during 1966.
Live bands followed by Sharps during this initial period were Axiom, The Browns, Billy Thorpe
Billy Thorpe
William Richard "Billy" Thorpe, AM was a renowned English-born Australian pop / rock singer-songwriter and musician...
, Chelsea Set, EasyBeats, Max Merritt
Max Merritt
Max Merritt is a New Zealand-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who is renowned as an interpreter of soul music and R&B...
, Masters Apprentices, Normie Rowe
Normie Rowe
Norman John "Normie" Rowe AM was a major male solo performer of Australian pop music in the 1960s. Known for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Pat Aulton, house producer for the Sunshine Records, Spin Records and...
, Purple Hearts
Purple Hearts (Australian band)
The Purple Hearts were an Australian rock group, formed in Brisbane in 1964. The band consisted of lead vocalist Mick Hadley, lead guitarist Barry Lyde , rhythm guitarist Fred Pickard, bassist Bob Dames, and drummers Adrian 'Red' Redmond and Tony Cahill .It is notable that Brisbane, traditionally...
, The Loved Ones
The Loved Ones
The Loved Ones were an Australian rock band formed in 1965 in Melbourne following the British Invasion. The line-up of Gavin Anderson on drums, Ian Clyne on organ and piano, Gerry Humphrys on vocals and harmonica, Rob Lovett on guitar, and Kim Lynch on bass guitar recorded their early hits...
and The Twilights.
By 1969, the original sharpie subcuture was coming to an end, but there was a second wave of sharpies from 1970 to late 1972, many of whome were younger siblings of the original sharpies.
Influences included the UK skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
craze of the late 1960s, Richard Allan's
James Moffat
James Moffat , was an author who wrote under several pen names.He produced many pulp novels for the United Kingdom publishing house New English Library during the 1970s. Moffat's pen names included Richard Allen, Etienne Aubin and Trudi Maxwell...
Skinhead series of books and the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
. Gangs in this era were mostly from the original haunts, but also came from Burwood
Burwood, Victoria
Burwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is largely the City of Whitehorse but includes the City of Monash in its south west corner. At the 2006 Census, Burwood had a population of 11,886.-History:The...
, Greensborough
Greensborough, Victoria
Greensborough is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule. At the 2006 Census, Greensborough had a population of 20,214....
and Malvern
Malvern, Victoria
Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:...
.
During the 1970s revival, the clothing and style were stripped back and more aggressive looking - boots, braces and a flat cap. During this period, the Conte cardigan from Thornbury
Thornbury, Victoria
Thornbury originalSince the 1960s, the vast majority of Melburnians pronounce the name phonetically. The 'h' is no longer silent, and there is more stress placed upon the 'o'. pronunciation is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north from Melbourne's central business district....
become part of the wardrobe, which was soon followed by Sam's Knitwear in Coburg. Known as Connies the cardigans were first bought off the shelf, but it wasn't long before sharpies started to bring in their own designs, patterns and colours. During this period, Connies were worn slim fit. Venus shoes were still popular, and would be until the sharpie era ended. Laceup boots became popular, especially Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
and Fat Mac's with 1/2" soles, which would pave the way for platform boots a few years later. Hairstyles evolved from the short back and sides to short on the top and long at the back, "dolly cut" style.
A new generation of sharpies emerged 1973, peaking two years later. Many of them were unaware of the original 1960s sharpie beginnings, but came up with a new look. It became the number one teen fashion around 1974/75. The subculture appealed to those of all cultural and racial backgrounds. Suburban Sharpie gangs were was based on territory rather than ethnicity. Many first-born teens of post-war immigrants of Italian, Greek and Eastern European backgrounds mixed it with Anglo-Australian and Aboriginal, as well as those of British, Celtic, Turkish, Chinese and Yugoslav descent.
The Connie became skin tight, one size too small, which matched the high-waisted flared jeans of choice, Staggers by Joseph Saba
Joe Saba
Joe Saba is an Australian fashion designer and fashion business owner.He started his fashion business in 1965 with the opening a store in 287 Flinders Lane Melbourne called the Joseph Saba Shirt and Sweater Shop. The Saba store was later in Collins Street, Melbourne. In 1969 he established a label...
, meeting at the belly button. Baggies were also high-waisted, snug around the hips and very flared. Straight-legged canvas jeans by Lee
Lee (Jeans)
Lee is a brand of denim jeans, first produced in 1889 in Salina, Kansas. The company is owned by VF Corporation, the largest apparel company in the world. Its headquarters is currently in Merriam, Kansas, just outside of Kansas City, Missouri...
or Levis
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
were also popular, as well as jean overalls. For tops, the Crestknit from the 1960s continued to be worn. An essential item for all Sharpie gang members were matching T-shirts, super-tight and with the gang's name in felt-type iron-on letters. Braces were also part of the uniform, button-on or with clips. In the winter, the checked or tartan patterned Lumber Jacket with sheepskin lining was worn.
The hairstyle evolved into very short cropped on top and thinned out tails at the back. These were often bleached and later dyed with a colour in contrast to the top. Some went for the David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
/Ziggy Stardust look. Popular was the K-Tel
K-tel
K-tel International is an "As-Seen-On-TV" company, which is most noted for its compilation music albums, such as "The Super Hits" series, "The Dynamic Hits" series and "The Number One Hits" series...
Hair Magician styling kit for do-it-yourself haircuts. For girls, the hair was generally longer and popular was the "dolly cut" Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
style.
Preferred music was hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, but glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
also had a major influence. Sharpies in this era had the most obnoxious style of dance, more for shock value rather than elegance. Australian bands followed by sharpies during this period included Lobby Lloyd and the Coloured Balls, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Buster Brown
Buster Brown (Australian band)
-Singles:*"Buster Brown"/"Rock and Roll Lady" – Mushroom *"Something to Say"/"Let Me In" – Mushroom -References:General Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.Specific...
, Stevie Wright Band, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Hush
Hush (band)
Hush was a 1970s Australian glam rock pop group and became famous during frequent appearances on the ABC show Countdown for live concerts and teenagers, and they would not have come into existence without the superb John Koutts on drums....
and Skyhooks. Many of these bands played for teenage audiences at local high schools or at town halls on the weekends, and the concerts were attended predominately by sharpies. The pub rock circuit was very strong during this era. Bands favoured by Sharps from overseas included Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust
Alvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
, Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Mott The Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
, Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
, Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
and Sweet
Sweet (band)
Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
.
Gangs during this period included the Blackburn South
Blackburn South, Victoria
Blackburn South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse...
Sharpies, Box Hill
Box Hill, Victoria
Box Hill is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Box Hill had a population of 8,616....
Sharps, Brunswick
Brunswick, Victoria
Brunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
Sharps, Cheltenham
Cheltenham, Victoria
Cheltenham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 19 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston to the eastern side of the area's metropolitan railway line and Charman Road north, while the City of Bayside resides over...
Sharps, Clayton
Clayton, Victoria
Clayton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 19 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Monash. At the 2006 Census, Clayton had a population of 14,332.-Overview:...
Sharps, Coburg
Coburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
Sharps, Dandenong
Dandenong, Victoria
Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of...
Sharps, Eastern Sharps, Eltham
Eltham, Victoria
Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Eltham had a population of 17,581....
Sharps, Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
Sharps, Frankston
Frankston, Victoria
Frankston is a suburb within the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area in Victoria, Australia. It is located 40 km southeast of the state capital Melbourne at the southernmost edge of Greater Melbourne, near the beginnings of the Mornington Peninsula...
Sharps, Heidleberg Sharps, Holmesglen Sharps, Melbourne Sharps (which originated from the Flinders Street Sharps and the City Square Sharps who formed City Sharps due to the crossover of friendships which was soon changed to the Melbourne Sharps), Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
Sharps, Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
Sharps, St Albans Sharps, Sunshine
Sunshine, Victoria
Sunshine is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia lying 11 to 13 km west of the CBD. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, Sunshine had a population of 8,070.-History:...
Sharps, West Road Sharps and the A.N.A. Sharps and Anderson Rd Sharpies from the Broadmeadows area.
The decline in sharpies began from around 1976/77 onwards, with dwindling suburban gang numbers dropping, resulting in the consolidation of many of the gangs around Melbourne. Some headed to the city to continue with the Melbourne Sharps, which ended by early 1978 but other gangs during this period including the Bayside Sharps, United Sharps, Sharps & Co., Thomastown Sharps and Westside Sharps. By 1980, other gangs formed were the Eastside Sharps, Southside Sharps & the City Louts. Sharpie gang culture was also being pushed aside by newer & stronger ethnic based teen gangs from Middle Eastern cultures including the Lebanese Tigers, the Black Dragons and the Turkish Lions whose members predominantly hailed from the inner western and outer northern suburbs. Probably the last remaining Sharpie gang, the Victorian Sharps, disbanded by 1982.
Gangs would often form out of school groups, congregate in local shopping centres or shopping strips as well as teenage hangouts such as pinball parlours or coffee bars/hamburger joints with jukeboxes and pinballs. Transport was generally by the Melbourne train
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
and trams
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...
. They used inner-city tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
s in suburbs like Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Brunswick
Brunswick, Victoria
Brunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
, and Thornbury
Thornbury, Victoria
Thornbury originalSince the 1960s, the vast majority of Melburnians pronounce the name phonetically. The 'h' is no longer silent, and there is more stress placed upon the 'o'. pronunciation is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north from Melbourne's central business district....
to source their stylish clothes, rather than relying on international or designer label
Designer label
The term designer label refers to clothing and other personal accessory items sold under an often prestigious marque which is commonly named after a designer. The term is most often only applied to luxury items...
s. In a 2002 interview, a former sharpie stated that despite the sharpie culture being quite violent — especially as they crossed other gangs' territories on the public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
network — the altercations were restricted to inter-gang rivalries.
Sydney
In Sydney, sharpie gangs included the Town Hall Sharps, who congregated in hotelsPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
around the Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
, and frequented dances at the Wesley Mission Centre in Pitt Street, along with gangs from Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
, Bankstown
Bankstown, New South Wales
Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...
, and Blacktown
Blacktown, New South Wales
Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
. In southeast Sydney, a gang from the La Perouse
La Perouse, New South Wales
Lapérouse is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The suburb of Lapérouse is located about 14 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Randwick....
area (called La Pa by the locals) were known as the Lapa Sharpies. Lapa Sharpies were atypical as they were mainly young Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, and did not mix widely with the other sharpie gangs.
Typical dress of the male Sydney sharpies was either running shoes or shoes with a white leather upper and no socks, jeans or straight-legged high-waisted trousers
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
, polo shirts, and braces
Suspenders
Suspenders or braces are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up trousers. Straps may be elasticated, either entirely or only at attachment ends and most straps are of woven cloth forming an X or Y shape at the back. Braces are typically attached to trousers with buttons...
. Female sharpies—or "sharpie chicks"—commonly wore shoes with long socks, short skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
s, and polo shirts with braces. Sharpies were opposed to the Sydney surf culture
Surf culture
Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion and life surrounding the art of surfing.The culture began early in the 20th century, spread quickly during the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to evolve. It affected fashion, music, literature, films, jargon, and more...
, and the focus of their violence were "Hairs", which referred to surfers, hippies, or anyone with long hair.
Sharpies can be contrasted with today's "Lad" subculture in terms of behaviour and numbers, except the dress is slightly different, with sporting brands such as Nautica, Polo, Nike and Adidas being the brands of choice, typical dress usually pairs a Nike Dri-Fit cap with Nike TN Airmax running shoes and tracksuit pants and polo shirt of the aforementioned brands. A bumbag or fanny pack of one of these sporting brands is often worn, or a small backpack, once again usually of a sporting brand.
Perth
In Perth, youths in areas such as MedinaMedina, Western Australia
Medina is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Town of Kwinana.Medina was the first of the Kwinana suburbs to be named after ships. The Medina arrived at the Swan River Colony in July 1830 with 51 passengers on board...
, Rockingham
Rockingham, Western Australia
Rockingham is a suburb and primary centre in Western Australia south-west of the Perth city centre and south of Fremantle. It has a beachside location at Mangles Bay, the southern extremity of Cockburn Sound. To its north stretches the maritime and resource-industry installations of Kwinana and...
, Armadale
Armadale, Western Australia
Armadale is a suburb within the City of Armadale, located on the south-eastern edge of Perth's metropolitan area. The major junction of the South Western and Albany Highways, which connect Perth with the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia respectively, is located within the...
, Kelmscott
Kelmscott, Western Australia
Kelmscott is a southeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Armadale, and it is located southeast of Perth along Albany Highway....
, Lynwood
Lynwood, Western Australia
Lynwood is a southeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Canning.-History:Lynwood was first settled by Henry Willett of Willett & Co, who was granted Canning Location 21 on the Canning River and settled in the area in June 1832...
, and Thornlie
Thornlie, Western Australia
Thornlie is a large outer suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 18 kilometres south-east of Perth's central business district. It is part of the City of Gosnells local government area. The Canning River runs through the northern side of the suburb...
joined skinhead and sharpie gangs. Many of these young people were children of recently arrived British migrants working at the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Kwinana Oil Refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
.
Sharpies in popular culture
- Sharpies (1974) is a film by Greg Macainsh
- Photographer Rennie EllisRennie EllisReynolds Mark "Rennie" Ellis was an Australian social and social documentary photographer who also worked, at various stages of his life, as an advertising copywriter, seaman, lecturer, and television presenter...
has included portraits of sharpies in his works - Magda SzubanskiMagda SzubanskiMagda Szubanski is a British-born Australian actress, comedian, television presenter, radio host and author.Szubanski's career began while she was studying at university and she progressed to television sketch comedy, as both a writer and performer...
, in her early years as a comedian on The D-GenerationThe D-GenerationThe D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
and Fast Forward, played a character who dressed in sharpie style, and performed a sharpie dance which bears a strong resemblance to skankingSkank (dance)Skanking is a form of dancing practiced in the ska, ska punk, hardcore punk, reggae, and other music scenes.The dance style originated in the 1950s or 1960s at Jamaican dance halls, where ska music was played. British mods and skinheads of the 1960s adopted these types of dances and altered them... - Queeny (1994), Deep (1997), and Suburban Warriors (2003) are short films by Rebecca McLean related to sharpies
- Blackburn South Sharpies' member Greg Robertson curateCurateA curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
d Sharpies, a photographic exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary ArtMuseum of Contemporary Art, SydneyThe Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia is an Australian museum solely dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art, both from across Australia and around the world...
in Sydney in 2001–02, and also as part of the 2002 Melbourne International Fashion Festival - Blackburn South Sharpies' member Larry Jenkins also photographically documented this gang
- The Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
featured sharpies in a 2002 episode of George Negus'George NegusGeorge Edward Negus is an Australian author, journalist, and television presenter. He previously presented 6:30 with George Negus on Network Ten, until it was axed by the Network on 19 October 2011.-Education:...
New Dimensions In Time - Photographer Carol JerremsCarol JerremsCarol Jerrems was an Australian photographer who produced the image Vale Street. She documented the counter-culture spirit of Melbourne in the 1970s...
studied the sharpie subculture - Levi released "Levi's Black Sharps", a denimDenimDenim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
range inspired by sharpies - Top Fellas: The Story of Melbourne's Sharpie Cult is a 2004 book by Tadhg Taylor on Melbourne's sharpies
- Rage: A Sharpie's Journal Melbourne 1974–1980 is a 2010 book by Julie Mac on Melbourne's sharpies
- Once Were Sharps: The colourful life and times of the Thomastown Sharps is a book by Nick Tolewski, written by Dean Crozier
- A resurgence of interest in the Sharpie sub-culture in recent times included Skins'n'Sharps Exhibitions in 2006 (Dante's Gallery, Fitzroy) and 2010 (Kustom Lane Gallery, Hawthorn) and a dedicated website Skins'n'Sharps http://skinsnsharps.com
External links
- Deep - short film by Rebecca McLean that features sharpies