How the punks saved a school

This poster was printed in 1980 for a benefit gig that was organized by students of Falcon Street Alternative High (FSAH), also known as the learning community center, that moved from St Patrick’s hall in Church street Newtown to the old Marist brother’s building in Liverpool st Darlinghurst in 1980.
The punk benefit gigs started in 1978 as a way for the students to keep the school open & pay the teachers when we couldn’t obtain any state funding, the bands were friends who had difficulty getting places to play as not many inner city pubs or clubs allowed the punk kids. The earlier gigs were at Garibaldi’s café in Surrey Hills & we hired ferries for gigs on the harbour, we organized a gig every 6-8 weeks. The very first posters were hand written but I soon started screen printing them until the last gig at Paddington town hall in 1981. The gigs at Side FX were recorded by Bruce Griffiths & released on his record Flowers from the dust bin. Despite not being able to pay the bands the kids were all involved in organizing & making these gigs happen down to being the roadies, poster stickers & cleaners, making sure the bands were not out of pocket for giving their time & it was a close creative little scene for a few years with many going on into successful musical & creative careers. I have seen a few romanticized accounts of the early Sydney punk scene, but there were simply many kids failing in the system & our school was run by actors & artists for their kids & any who needed it, it helped many young nurodiverse people find their strengths.
In the punk scene there were many homeless kids, my mother Vee Spak was a teacher at the school & also ran a job club & worked at Darlinghurst community center, often we would go to the Haymarket & get cheap or free produce & we would make big dinners & when the kids came over they always got a feed & were encouraged to play their music. As she had done with the rockers in the early 1960’s, when she ran a milk bar in Kogarah, she stood up to the police to protect the kids & they loved her. She simply kept a safe space & gave many basic life skills & encouraged creativity.
The photos on this poster are 2 of Johnny Reject, top, singer, Chris Cross left, Bedhogs guitarist &
Jim Bedhog, singer. Photographer Monique Szpak, my sister.
Printed at Sydney college of the Arts.