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The boy with op shop fever

Broadcast 
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The boy with op shop fever(Supplied)

Tony Birch grew up in inner city Melbourne in the 50s and 60s.

His grandmother taught him to waste nothing. He and his siblings would scour the streets for bottles, lead and copper to sell., and for wood from demolished houses to use for firewood.

His grandmother even ran a sly grog shop on Sundays to make extra money.

One day, Tony was sent to spend Christmas with a nice middle-class family in a leafy suburb.

When they insisted he stay on with them, he began plotting his escape.

Further information

Tony's short story collection Dark As Last Night is published by UQP

Credits

Broadcast 
Human Interest, Poverty, Housing Policy, Public Housing, Rental Housing, Government and Politics, Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander), Community and Society
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