Meet Your Vendor
Chris Z
SELLS THE BIG ISSUE IN SOUTH POINT, TUGGERANONG, CANBERRA
interview by Melissa Fulton photo by Rohan Thomson
PROUD UNIFORM PARTNER OF THE BIG ISSUE VENDORS.
05
26 MAR 2021
I am a born and bred Goulburn boy, a Big Merino boy. I moved to Canberra when I was going into Year 9. I’ve got my mother and father, my oldest brother, I’ve got myself and another younger brother and my sister. We’re very close, all of us. I couldn’t really be handled at school – I was wagging and going off the rails and not paying attention and running away and that – so when it came to schoolwork I didn’t really know much about reading and writing in a book. My teacher came up with a program just for us – I think there were about six or seven of us boys in this special class. We used to clean out horse stables and do gardening and I went up to Shepparton in Victoria for two weeks and done a bit of dairy farming. It was really good. It taught us how to work and do the right thing – get out there and do stuff in life. My hobbies are landscaping and yard work. I really love gardening. I’ve got a bit of everything going in my mum’s garden at the moment. I’ve got pumpkin, potatoes, seedlings all going and bulbs too, the real nice bulbs with the yellow flowers, daffodils, roses, ivy. I like to keep it maintained and look after it. I’m really close to my mum. I’ve got my own place but I try to stay with her as much as I can and look after her. I don’t want nothing to happen to her. I like walking my dog around Canberra through the parks here. I’ve got a little terrier; her name’s Molly. She’s a rescue dog – she’s had a harder life than probably all of us. I don’t bring her on pitch because she can be a bit protective. She stays with my mum when I’m selling. She’s bonded with me like mad, so when I come home she’s so excited she starts chucking backflips and doing the wobblies. We walk her around the lake and play ball and frisbee with her. When I’m really down and out, she’s always there for me. I’ve been in a few relationships but they’ve just gone downhill on me. I just got outta one in October last year. I’ve still got feelings for the lady but I’m just trying to get through. It’s been a bit of a struggle but that’s why I go out and sell The Big Issue every day – get out there and do what I do. I’m out here trying my best for my own business. I just keep moving forward. I keep my head up and keep working. I’m the type of person that likes to talk face‑to‑face, have a conversation. I’ve got a fair few people who stop and have a yarn to me, who appreciate what I’m doing. The extra money I make from selling The Big Issue covers a lot for me, food-wise or whatever I need in life. I went and bought myself a whole heap of clothes. I bought a new pair of sneakers, and all the things I need for myself. It means the world to me, doing this. Thanks to all my customers and my community for their support and for buying the mag off me every two weeks – I can’t thank them enough.