In the long, slow summers of his youth, Tony Birch found a sanctuary on the rooftop of his public housing estate in inner Melbourne. With no money for holidays or outings, Birch and his friends spent days by the Birrarung River, swimming and smoking, but it was the nights on the roof that truly shaped them.
The Rooftop Ritual
During the day, the rooftop belonged to the women of the block, who used the laundries and clotheslines while sharing gossip and cigarettes. By mid-afternoon, they retreated to kitchens and factory shifts, making way for the teenagers. As dusk fell, up to 50 youths would gather, bringing transistor radios and large portable boomboxes tuned to the same station, creating a polyphonic blast of music across the estate.
Music and Glamour
They cared little for the Beatles versus Rolling Stones debates or tedious guitar solos. Instead, they craved glam, idolising Marc Bolan, David Bowie, and later Suzi Quatro. The Sunday night pop chart countdown was a highlight, with music echoing into the night until parents called younger teens home, often by shouting from windows.
Under the Starlit Sky
After the music stopped, the remaining renegades climbed onto the laundry roof, lying on their backs in cutdown denim and white singlets. While anxious parents downstairs fretted over unplanned sex and teen pregnancies, these teens engaged in more profound matters. The glittering night sky opened their hearts and minds, with countless stars creating a magical, electric charge that humbled and sometimes frightened them.
Profound Conversations
The atmosphere freed them from emotional inhibitions, allowing open discussions on taboo topics like family violence. They questioned why parents would harm loved ones, never finding answers but sharing their confusion. One girl, known for her toughness, openly cried for her brother killed in a car accident, a moment met with empathy rather than embarrassment.
A Place of Empowerment
Without the language to articulate their circumstances, these marginalised working-class teenagers created a space where they could empower themselves. Returning to their flats at night, Birch would reflect on crushes or a friend's fearless declaration of love, spoken only under the stars.
Tony Birch, author of novels like "Women and Children" and "The White Girl," captures how those rooftop nights offered a glimpse of unity and understanding amidst the struggles of youth in Melbourne.
