Canning Place, North Melbourne, C. 1932
In the early 20th century Melbourne was rife with street gangs, colloquially known as ‘pushes’. Some were guilty of little more than ‘larrikinism’: annoying people in streets, throwing pebbles at horses and cars and pick pocketing. Others took to theft: attacking hotels and shops in crowds to steal alcohol, clothes and money. A few were guilty of more serious crimes: the likes of Squizzy Taylor dealt in drugs and sly-grog selling, prostitution and violent crime. More common though were low level gangs of youths who took to the streets to fight each other and menace locals.
Melbourne’s gangs displayed a contempt for police and regularly fought officers, showing a frightening tendency towards violence. They hid in the lanes and alleys of lower class suburbs like Collingwood and Carlton, where the sprawl of run down cottages and labyrinth like streets provided a haven for petty crime and violence. Gangs and street-bands formed a central part of youth culture in many of these areas; pushes identified themselves with names and symbols, and fought for their reputations - From Vagrants and Murderesses. Notorious for sly-grog selling, prostitution and violent crime.