Growing Up Poor

By Sarah Ferguson, Mary Fallon and Greg Wilesmith

Updated September 25, 2012 14:55:00

Growing Up Poor

Growing up poor in modern Australia: this week Four Corners asks children what it's like being poor in the midst of plenty.


We hear from the adult world all the time about what poverty is and how to fix it, but rarely from the children who experience it. Nobody likes to admit they're poor but children from five families allowed Four Corners into their lives to show us the world from their point of view:

"My parents get paid on Friday right, so during the week they probably have money. Wednesday, Thursday or sometimes Tuesday, you know, what are we supposed to eat?"

At 12, Jessica has a bleak view of her future:

"A good job, like where you get like heaps of money. I'd be like a decent mum, like a husband with no violence and everything, so it could be a happy family, you know, but like that would never happen..."

These are children living in areas of concentrated disadvantage where the adult world can be a scary place:

Hayden: " dad, he got bashed, he got sliced with a knife."

Some remain optimistic despite the chaos around them:

Dale: "Anything is possible when you put all your heart into it. Just try your best. I've been saying that a lot haven't I?"

The question arises, why isn't more being done to break the cycle of disadvantage? Will this generation of Australia's children be given more to hope for than their parents?

"Growing Up Poor" - reported by Sarah Ferguson and presented by Kerry O'Brien goes to air on Monday 24th September at 8.30 pm on ABC 1. It is replayed on Tuesday 25th September at 11.35 pm. It can also be seen on ABC News24 at 8.00 pm on Saturdays, on ABC iview and at



(Footage of Brooke Corbey from 'Growing Up Poor' plays)

KERRY O'BRIEN, PRESENTER: In a nation of plenty poverty has many faces. Brooke Corbey is one of them.

Welcome to Four Corners.

I want to start tonight with some statistics, real ones, each one a person. According to the latest figures, 2.2 million Australian live below the poverty line. More than 600,000 children under 15 live in households where no-one has a job.

So what do we draw from that? I guess, that in one of the wealthiest countries on the face of the earth, with an economy that's largely flying high and unemployment quite low, we still can't crack Australia's significant cycle of poverty.

Over decades we've heard a great deal from politicians and policy makers about what needs to be done. Bob Hawke once actually promised to end child poverty. The people we've heard from least are the innocent voices of poverty, the children.

And for tonight Four Corners has chosen to hear those voices, in words that will wrench your heart, from an outer Sydney community called Claymore that was established 30 years ago. Children who have had no say in the misfortune that is shaping their destinies. They echo a picture that can be found in similar neighbourhoods across Australia.

They describe their lives to Sarah Ferguson.

(Footage of Claymore is shown)

SARAH FERGUSON, REPORTER: As social experiments go, Claymore was a disaster.

In the late 1970s the New South Wales government built this public housing estate on the city's south-western fringe, and filled it with more than 3,000 people from Sydney's poorest families.

The planners had created a welfare ghetto.

Today it's one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Australia; it also has the highest proportion of young children anywhere in the country.

(Footage of children playing and a school plays)

In less than 1.5 kilometres, there are 1,500 children.

VICKY: There's heaps of fights in Claymore.

SARAH FERGUSON: Why are there so many?

VICKY: Because it's Claymore. This is Claymore.

HAYDEN: Usually the only time cameras come down here is when something bad happens.

SARAH FERGUSON: We came to Claymore to ask the children here about their lives.

JADA: Why is the helicopters surrounding all of Claymore. Is it a police helicopter?

JACOB: People don't want to move in here because they know what kind of people live around here and everything.

CONNOR: We're moving out of here.

SARAH FERGUSON: And what kind, well what kind of people do live around here?

JACOB: Junkies! And they think they're all tough and they yell at ya.

SARAH FERGUSON: And to ask them how they see the adult world?

ALANAH: She wasn't a mother to me or anyone else so I don't think she has a role of being my mother.

DALE: He's broken my heart a bit too many times. Like when I was like really, really young. When you make promises to someone that's really, really young it's hard for them to forget it. And when you break that promise it's kind of like imprinted into their brain forever.

SARAH FERGUSON: Five families allowed us into their lives: this is their story.

(Footage of Jessica Burns painting her nails in the kitchen plays)

JESSICA: You can watch me do this if you want? There we go.

SARAH FERGUSON: Twelve-year-old Jessica Burns has spent the afternoon doing her nails.

JESSICA: I didn't go to school today.

And I didn't go to school yesterday because I hurt my hand.

SARAH FERGUSON: Today Jessica had lost her school bag.

JESSICA: I wasn't going to go to school without my bag, and without books and a pen because I was just going to get in trouble for that.

SARAH FERGUSON: The Burns family have lived in public housing in Claymore for 13 years.

(Footage of the Burns family in their kitchen plays)

HAYDEN: Mum, you (inaudible) are going to be in a movie.

SARAH FERGUSON: Jessica has an older brother and a little sister.

(Jessica goes out into the backyard)

JESSICA: Hayley! Move!

SARAH FERGUSON: Neither of her parents work. Like many families in Claymore their income comes from Centrelink.

(Footage of the Burns family in their backyard)

JESSICA (falling off fence rail): Whoa! Whoa!

SARAH FERGUSON: Caroline Burns sometimes struggles to make ends meet.

(Caroline Burns hanging out washing)

CAROLINE: You know sometimes we have to go the second hand shops but - and I'm not fond of second hand shoes, but you can go to the new section. So and they've got some nice stuff there and it doesn't it doesn't bother me really.

JESSICA: She does have enough money sometimes, but just like, 'cause her pay day's on Friday and if something is in the week and it's like too much money for example, I don't know, like $100 or some s**t, I don't say anything, I don't bother.

SARAH FERGUSON: Sometimes Jessica misses out.

JESSICA: It was a 'scursion and I really wanted to go. And then, I was going to ask, but I didn't. Because I thought like maybe they needed the money for something else.

CAROLINE: I hate having to say no. I really hate having to say no.

SARAH FERGUSON: Jessica's brother Hayden is 14. He's having his own troubles at school.

HAYDEN: Heaps, bullying, heaps.


HAYDEN: Well, you know, just the way I look, the way I dress. It's the way I am, who I am. Sometimes I just wanna go up to 'em you know, whack. But I can't, you know, I wish I could.

(Footage of Brett Burns in the garage)

SARAH FERGUSON: There's tension in the family too. The children's father, Brett, has moved out of the house into the garage after arguments with Caroline.

HAYDEN: He says, well he said he would never leave us. So yeah, he was he was always there for us so he'll always be there for us, no matter what. Because my Dad can teach me a lot of things, he taught me a lot of things but he's still not finished yet.

(Jessica in her room with the dog)

JESSICA: Oi you chat! Get out! Go! Get lost you stupid puppy. Get out of my friggin' room. Go! Ha, ha, sucked in.

HAYDEN: Vicky, have you seen Chloe?


SARAH FERGUSON: Jessica's best friend Vicky has arrived.

HAYDEN: F**k! Did you see her at school today?

VICKY: Stop swearing!

HAYDEN: 'Cause she's threatened to run away.

VICKY: What did she do, threaten that she was gonna run away?

JESSICA: Come on let's go for a walk to the tree.

VICKY: With your school uniform on?

JESSICA: Yeah. I didn't go to school but. Did you go to school?



VICKY: I have tonsillitis.

JESSICA: I didn't go to school yesterday or today.

VICKY: You went yesterday.

JESSICA: No I didn't.

VICKY: Oh, no, you didn't, you were sick.


SARAH FERGUSON: Both girls have been skipping school recently.

VICKY: You better come to school tomorrow.

JESSICA: Yeah I have to. You better come the next day.

VICKY: Thursday, yeah, I got to.

I went to school for one period and then I got sent home.

JESSICA: What, when today?

VICKY: Yes. I had to clean the fricking PE shed.

SARAH FERGUSON: The two girls say they want to get jobs after they finish school.

But they know that a lot of older girls here get pregnant while they're still at school.

(Vicky and Jessica playing in a storm water drain)

VICKY: Not that on it ...

JESSICA: It has a bin in it.

VICKY: Not that one, that one.


VICKY: Yuck.

JESSICA: Do you want to go first?

SARAH FERGUSON: In Claymore the rate of teen pregnancies is five times the national average.

(To Jessica and Vicky): What happens to school if you have a baby when you're 16?

VICKY: Nothing.

JESSICA: You can still go to school.

VICKY: Yeah, you can still go to school.

JESSICA: With the baby.

SARAH FERGUSON: But it, but doesn't it make it harder?


JESSICA: No, not, well no, not really.

The teachers ask them the question: do you wanna stay at school or do you wanna leave? And then they say 'but I don't wanna leave my baby', they can say you can bring your baby to school if you want to.

VICKY: It's just that it's their decision.

JESSICA: Nut just you have to leave it there, leave your baby at home for some days.

VICKY: Yeah.

(Footage of Jada in her backyard doing her homework)

SARAH FERGUSON: Just up the road, 8-year-old Jada is home from primary school.

(To Jada): Where do you normally do your homework?

JADA: I don't do my homework.


JADA: Because I don't normally have that much pencils to do it.

SARAH FERGUSON: Jada rarely misses school

(To Jada): Do you like doing work?

JADA: I love doing maths but.


JADA: Yeah, maths.

(Footage of Laura in her kitchen)

SARAH FERGUSON: Jada's mother, Laura, is a single mum bringing up three children on welfare.

More than half the families in Claymore have only one parent.

Laura was 15 when she first became pregnant.

LAURA: Honestly, I was fully prepared to adopt her out. But when I had Jada it was just, yeah, there was no doubt in my mind to keep her and go from there.

SARAH FERGUSON: She sees no reason why Jada can't succeed.

LAURA: There's a lot of labelling. My opinion is if you want something that bad, you'll go for it. You're past is your - you know, you could have parents that are drug dealers and drug users. That doesn't mean you're going to be one.

SARAH FERGUSON: Laura has two children of her own: Jada and 7-year-old Jordan.

She's also cares for her 15-year-old sister, Cheyenne.

CHEYENNE (on the phone): I was trying to find out one person who did tick me off.

SARAH FERGUSON: Cheyenne has just been suspended from school.

CHEYENNE (on phone): She kind of got in my way, so I pushed her flat and I just pushed her out of my way because if I knew at, if I knew if I didn't keep going and I turned for her the police would have been involved because the way, how angry I was sir.

(Talking to Sarah Ferguson): Living with my mother was not the best, me and my mother fought like cats and dogs. And my father, he was just not the best person to be round. Bad examples, bad role model - whole nine yards.

LAURA: Cheyenne wanted to start fresh. Cheyenne wanted - she'd made mistakes where she was and she wanted a fresh start.

CHEYENNE: It's pretty tough. She's got my problems y'know, she wants to deal with hers, her son's and Jada's altogether, mix them all together, we're just... We've got so many things that are stacking on top of each other and sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming for her. But I try my hardest to stay out of trouble.

(Footage of Cheyenne and Sarah Ferguson walking around Claymore)

SARAH FERGUSON: Staying out of trouble in Claymore can be difficult.

CHEYENNE: The boys here, the young teenage boys, from 10 up, try to prove themselves to everybody, the older boys. And they get drunk, they smoke a bit of weed and they burn houses down.

The day before I was suspended my friends was going to burn the whole back thing of my school. I told him 'nah, I'm scared of fire' and he didn't burn it down, he just left it.

(Footage of burnt out house is shown)

SARAH FERGUSON: Cheyenne is scared of fire because when she was five her home burned down and killed two of her brothers.

CHEYENNE: Yeah after the house fire, losing my brothers, I can't stand it.

SARAH FERGUSON: And how many people got out alive?

CHEYENNE: It was me, my mother and the twins- the younger siblings.

My brothers did get out alive, but it was either leave them alive like vegetables or turn off the machines. So my father made, my real father, made the decision to start turn off the machines because they can't, they couldn't live, they can't ... their favourite thing to do was play football.

(Footage of Cheyenne and Jada in the backyard looking at photographs plays)

SARAH FERGUSON: Cheyenne finds it hard sometimes to control her behaviour; like the day she was suspended.

CHEYENNE: Everything just overwhelmed me and I went ballistic. I threw, kicked bins, swore at teachers...

JADA (handing Cheyenne chocolate): Here Cha, Cha.

CHEYENNE: Thanks Baba.

...I ended up storming, chucking tables across things, pulling a chair out from under a person. She deserved it though. I wouldn't have done it if she didn't deserve it. Swearing at teachers.

Don't ever do that Jada, by the way.

SARAH FERGUSON: Eight-year-old Jada wants to do well but there is a certain amount of chaos in her world.

JADA: Is it a police helicopter?

SARAH FERGUSON: Do you see them often here?

JADA: Police helicopters? Last time there was a lady, she was kind of naked, not that much, she had bras on and undies, and her husband had, you know how boys have them short undies, they had them. They looked out of the window and there was a police helicopter and there was police everywhere in the street.

(Footage of Jacob and his friends playing on their scooters plays)

SARAH FERGUSON: On the other side of the suburb, 11-year-old Jacob is with his friends from Claymore Public School.


SARAH FERGUSON: These boys have a strict curfew.

JACOB: We come back in five 'till the lights turn on. (Points at lights).

SARAH FERGUSON: But, but there are lots of other kids staying out much later?

JACOB: That's how the stuff all gets on fire. It's mostly teenagers and kids lighting stuff on fire.

SARAH FERGUSON: Where are the people that are supposed to be looking after them?

JACOB: In the house drunk.. Who knows?

SARAH FERGUSON: Jacob has a big family.

(Jacob in his room)

JACOB: There's Erin, Alanah, my mum, Katelynn, Connor, me, Mitchell - all the kids, yeah.

(Footage of the family in their house)

CHILD 1: Mum are you going to divide them up.

CHILD 2: (asks question, inaudible)

KRISTEN BLAKE: There it is underneath the chip packet.

CHILD 1: Where can I charge this Damien?

SARAH FERGUSON: Kristen Blake is a single mother caring for five children.

(Footage of the family in the living room)

She has two children of her own at home, including 5-month-old Katelynn.

She also took in three of her sister's children.

(To Kristen Blake): What was the situation with Amy and the children? Why did you step in?

KRISTEN: A lotta drug problems, drug addiction, mental problems. She would bring her paranoia out onto her children. She wouldn't let the kids play outside, she would keep them confided in the one room, not even allowed to go upstairs. She shaved Alanah's head as a child so that nobody would rape her.

SARAH FERGUSON: Alanah is now 14.

(To Alanah): Were you scared when you were living there?

ALANAH: Yeah 'cause we had like other people watching us, not just her, people we didn't know, friends that gave her drugs. We had her watching us.

KRISTEN: It was Alanah mainly who was affected with what happened because she was three nearly four and she would have to mother Jacob. And if it wasn't for her he wouldn't have been fed. Whatever was in the cupboard is whatever she fed him, you know.

SARAH FERGUSON: As far as the three children are concerned Kristen is their mother now.

ALANAH: Sometimes the boys - we did go see her but she didn't show much interest in us. So she stopped coming and we stopped going.

SARAH FERGUSON: Would you like to know her more?



JACOB: 'Cause she doesn't care about us.

SARAH FERGUSON: What makes you think that?

JACOB: 'Cause sometimes when we see here she doesn't, like, to talk to us and all that.

(Connor plays with balls in a blow up pool as family sit around the living room)

CONNOR: Piss off, Alanah.

SARAH FERGUSON: Looking after such a large family isn't easy.

CONNOR: I'll punch you in the face.

ALANAH: Piss off.

(Connor lashes out at Alanah)


KRISTEN: Why are you like this? Come here.

CONNOR: I'm allowed to be.

KRISTEN: No, you're not allowed to be. What's the matter? Baby look at me, look at me please? Look at me darling, what is wrong? Did you get into trouble at school? Then what's the matter, what's the matter mate?

SARAH FERGUSON: Connor, Jacob and Alanah have different fathers. None of them is involved in their upbringing.

(A burnt motorbike is shown)

BOY: F***king awesome bros. Harley bros.

CONNOR: They take the motorbikes and light them up! If I took the motorbike I'd keep it eh? Wouldn't light it up.

SARAH FERGUSON: Jacob's father used to visit him, but hasn't been seen since March.

JACOB: He stopped coming.

SARAH FERGUSON: Do you know why?


SARAH FERGUSON: So what do you think about that?

JACOB: I don't care.

SARAH FERGUSON: Who behaves like your Dad in your life?

JACOB: My uncle.

CONNOR: And our mum.

ALANAH (wiping tears away): She's like our mum and father because we've got no-one there, so yeah.

SARAH FERGUSON: Kristen wants to show her children the importance of having a job. She worked in an aged care home until she became pregnant with Katelynn.

KRISTEN: As long as I can enforce that they have to work, they need to work, then I think I've done a good job.

SARAH FERGUSON: So work's important?

KRISTEN: Yes, definitely. It gives them routine, structure and they want to strive to something; maybe save for a holiday, save for a house.

SARAH FERGUSON: When Katelynn was born, Kristen was desperately ill with a blood clot. She was so sick she almost died. Her extended family realized just how fragile was their life together.

JACOB: We'd have to split up and we wouldn't be together as a family any more.

SARAH FERGUSON: Can you imagine the family being broken up?

ALANAH: Sorry. (Wiping tears away, crying) I could but it wouldn't be the same as it was.

(Emotionally) I was worried for both the boys because I don't know what we would have done.

SARAH FERGUSON: A couple of streets away are Jacob's friends the Corbeys.

There are five boys and one girl in the family. Twelve-year-old Damian is the eldest.

REBECCA: I had him a month before my 17th.

(Footage of Damian playing footy in the street)

I wanted kids early so then I could have my life as well.

SARAH FEGUSON: That was the plan?

REBECCA: Yeah. I didn't plan on having six, but...

(Footage of Rebecca cooking in the kitchen)

I wish (inaudible) would hurry up.


REBECCA: Because I need the other pot.

SARAH FERGUSON: Both Damian's parents are unemployed.

Rebecca used to work while her husband looked after the children.

But she gave up work when that became too difficult for him.

MATTHEW (reading): Will we like it Mrs Spot? Sausages!

SARAH FERGUSON: Matthew Corbey is six.

MATTHEW (reading): Will we like it Mrs Spot? Jelly beans!

That was easy.

SARAH FERGUSON: Brendan Corbey has struggled to find work because he can't read or write. He left school when he was 12.

BRENDAN: Only went to year seven so if they can go to anything further than that, I'll be happy.

SARAH FERGUSON: Do you mind now not being able to read and write properly? Does it bother you?

BRENDAN: Not really. Not at the moment. I mean they help me. But when they're off I'll go out and learn myself, do you know what I mean? I can read and write a little bit but not the big words and stuff like that. What can you do?

SARAH FERGUSON: Damian isn't sure he wants a job when he's older.

DAMIAN: Oh, yes and no. Yes, you get money. And for no, the boss always yells at you if you do the wrong thing.

SARAH FERGUSON: How do you know that?

DAMIAN: 'Cause I saw it sometimes on TV, and mum's did it once. And dad did it. They got yelled at.

SARAH FERGUSON: What do you do if you don't get a job, what will you do?

DAMIAN: I don't know. Probably just stay home.

(Matthew and a friend in the backyard looking at their burnt trampoline)

MATTHEW: Come have a look now. It got burnt off. Look!

SARAH FERGUSON: Two nights earlier someone jumped the fence and set fire to the Corbey's trampoline.

MATTHEW: I nearly cried.

SARAH FERGUSON: It's made Matthew fearful.

MATTHEW: Last night I was cuddling up to dad. I was sleeping with dad.

SARAH FERGUSON: Because you were scared?

(Matthew nods)

The people who live in Claymore say these problems were bound to happen when you build a community this way.

REBECCA: Everyone's in the same situation you know, everyone you know, need money or alcoholics or druggos. You do need to get rid of some of those people and get new ones in.

Like their aunties and uncles used to drink a lot, so they're used to seeing people drink. I just hope they don't carry on with it all.

(Looking out the back door)

CHILD 1: Rainbow!

MATTHEW: Look, there's a rainbow! Woah

SARAH FERGUSON: As dusk falls the Corbey children move inside.

(Footage of the Corbey family eating and the children going to bed)

The younger ones are ready for bed.

(Footage of Brooke in her bedroom)

At this time of day 10-year-old Brooke wishes there was a bit more cash to spare for the household electricity.

BROOKE: I don't have a light in here.

SARAH FERGUSON: So do you get scared at night? What are you afraid of?

BROOKE: It just makes me scared. And mum says we can't have the power on at night, 'cause sometimes it wastes power.

SARAH FERGUSON: And is, is that expensive as well?

BROOKE: Yeah it's expensive.

SARAH FERGUSON: So would you like to have the power on so you could have a light on at night?

BROOKE: (Shakes head, no) 'Cause mum will have to pay lots and lots of money for the bills and that.

(Footage of barbecue)

SARAH FERGUSON: The weekly barbecue put on by local charity MTC is one of the few organised activities for children.

The local youth club here has been closed for a year. Before they're fed, the children pick up rubbish in the park.

MALE MTC VOLUNTEER: Everyone follow Caroline, year four, five. let's go! Just pick up the rubbish.

FEMALE MTC VOLUNTEER (to children as they put rubbish in a bag): Well done guys! Let's go find some more, come on.

Careful of the glass guys!

MALE MTC VOLUNTEER: Thank you for picking up the rubbish. Much love to you young people. Everyone's going to have a feed, you can have seven or eight today.

CHILD: Yeah!

MALE MTC VOLUNTEER: Sausages, hot dogs.

(Footage of children lining up for food)

SARAH FERGUSON: It's safe here on barbecue day. Otherwise the park can be a frightening place for children.

CHRIS: What's her name, people like smoking and taking drugs and smashing beer bottles and stuff.

HAYDEN 2: Oh, they drink.


HAYDEN 2: Beer and they smash it on the road. See all that glass on the road over there?

SARAH FERGUSON: Hayden saw his father being attacked in front of their house.

HAYDEN 2: He got bashed, he got sliced with a knife.

GARY: I was drunk, really drunk. And I went home to get some stuff for my kids 'cause we were at a party and when I came back and I walked up the alleyway, there was a bunch, I didn't see the bunch of people hidin' and they got me from behind.

HAYDEN 2: Then, the ambulance took my dad to hospital. And we went in the back of the van.

SARAH FERGUSON: With your dad or with the police?

HAYDEN 2: With my Dad.

SARAH FERGUSON: Were you scared that he was going to be badly hurt?

HAYDEN 2: We got to lay in the bed with him.

SARAH FERGUSON: In the ambulance?

HAYDEN 2: 'Cause we had 'jamas on. It was very cold.

SARAH FERGUSON: Many of the children we met had stories of random violence, much of it linked to drug and alcohol abuse.

All of them talked to us more about fear than they did about money or missing out.

The obvious question arises: why is so much pain and disadvantage concentrated in one suburb?

It's not as if successive governments didn't know what was happening here.

1n 2010, more than 30 years after the suburb was built, the federal and state Labor governments announced a multi-million plan to demolish Claymore and start again.

(Footage of bulldozers knocking houses down)

Bulldozers moved in last year, 99 houses were knocked down.

Almost 1,000 more were slated for demolition, to be replaced by a mix of private and public housing, radically changing the makeup of the suburb.

But the incoming state Liberal government says no money was budgeted to pay for the re-development.

The project is on hold.

(Footage of boarded up houses is shown)

In the meantime residents say maintenance on their homes has almost ceased. And there are houses all over the suburb boarded up and empty

SARAH FERGUSON (TO JADA): It would be better it would, if there was somebody here wouldn't it? Would you like someone to move in?

JADA: Yeah I would love somebody to. Maybe youse could move in? But as you can see it says 'Warning Western Plains Security Network.'

SARAH FERGUSON: And what, what's that for?

JADA: In case somebody comes and smashes the house up.

SARAH FERGUSON: Does that ever happen?

JADA: I don't know. See how the house is boarded up? See the front room there? The window got smashed.


(Footage of the Burns family in the backyard plays)

(Voiceover): In the past few weeks tensions in the Burns family have been increasing.

Jessica has been getting into fights at school.

JESSICA: I guess that's what Claymore is: a place full of arseholes. And I can't say I'm an arsehole 'cause I practically am. I'm just like them. I'm just, I'm an idiot just like them.

SARAH FERGUSON: Why do you get like that do you think?

JESSICA: I don't know, probably, hanging around the wrong people. Like you can ask my parents, I used to be, I used to be like the nicest kid ever you know. I was so polite before like, yeah.

HAYDEN: Do I have to have dinner, even though I'm full.

SARAH FERGUSON: Hayden is affected too

HAYDEN: At home sometimes I hear my parents arguing and I just get really angry about it. The anger carries around with me. Just every time I get angry just, you know, I stay angry. I stay angry forever and you know when I be happy there's always anger inside me.

JESSICA: I think, I don't know for sure but I think that's the reason why I'm always like p'eed off at everyone. And I'm, I'm always like quiet at school, that's why, because I'm sad and I just don't want to show it. Like what am I supposed to do?

And then when other crap is like, like happening at home and school, soon I'm just going to blow, you know. I'm just going to start having fights.

SARAH FERGUSON: Brett Burns hasn't spoken much to us since we've been filming with his children but today he opens up.

Brett Burns used to beat his wife and the children saw it.

BRETT: Like I think anyone that sits there and says, 'oh, my kids are tough, they can handle this', you're a fool, hah, you're kidding yourself. It's not the case.

They might not let on that it's botherin' 'em. but deep inside it's botherin' 'em and always will, every child.

So but the thing is you've got to see it and then you've got to fix it. So it's not worth it. I don't know. It takes five seconds to give yourself the shits and then belt someone and it takes years and years to fix the problem.

SARAH FERGUSON: As a child Brett himself witnessed frequent domestic violence. He talks about it as though it were a virus.

BRETT: It's already, already gone through me dad and me. I definitely don't want it to go another generation.

I've even told Jessica. I said, you know, I, Jessica's the main one I worry about. I sort of teach her and that's what I said, 'if you get someone like that,' I said, 'get out straight away. Don't ...'

SARAH FERGUSON: Someone like, you mean, someone like you?

BRETT: Like I was. I said 'get out straight away, don't hesitate.' Yeah.

SARAH FERGUSON: Earlier this year Brett noticed that Hayden was avoiding him.

BRETT: He got so, so withdrawn and that. And like I'd come home from work and it's like, the minute I walked in the door, Hayden would just like get up and go upstairs.

I thought 'no, this has got to stop.'

HAYDEN: He just said sorry and that, you know. And all that things. He said it would never happen again; never, ever happen again.

BRETT BURNS: He said, 'oh you didn't do nothin' to me.' I said, 'no Hayden', I said, 'wrong'. I said, 'I did mate.' I said, 'what I've done to you is probably just as bad as what I've done to your mum.'

SARAH FERGUSON: Domestic violence is a central and repeated theme in Claymore. It has a profound effect on many children.

(Footage of Dale walking down a street)

Twelve-year-old Dale is one of them.

DALE: Dad kept on, like every night, he just kept on having fights with mum. Sometimes they were physical, sometimes verbal.

SARAH FERGUSON: After school each day, Dale walks to a friend's house in Claymore to meet his mother and sister, they travel home from there.

Last year Karen moved the family out of the suburb.

DALE: 'Cause I used to get really scared at like loud noises and just people yellin'.

SARAH FERGUSON: Dale grew up full of fear.

DALE: I used to be afraid of the dark because I always thought someone would just be waiting for me.

SARAH FERGUSON: He learnt to block out the adult world by playing video games.

DALE: Well there can be some good games, which kind of draws you into it. And like they keep you, they, it can keep you in your own world, like where, where nothing bad happens and all that.

SARAH FERGUSON: When Dale couldn't shut out the noise, he hid.

DALE: Hid in my room under the blankets and just thought happy thoughts.

SARAH FERGUSON: What did you think?

DALE: Being in a really, really big house with, with lots of puppies and my whole family there - my cousins, my uncles, my aunties - like everything was perfect.

KAREN, DALE'S MOTHER: He has said to me, like you know, 'why do all these bad things happen?' And I've said 'Well, if bad things didn't happen, then you wouldn't really know what a good thing was.'

And as much as we've had a bad run of things, our life could be much worse.

SARAH FERGUSON: Karen has just started a training course to enable her to find work for the first time.

She wants Dale to see her working.

KAREN: A lot of kids don't have a family member who's worked, and a lot of it, it's generational where most people haven't worked. You know, their grandparents didn't work and their parents don't work and then their older brothers and sisters don't work, so that's normal.

DALE: A child takes on, like the personality of the people around them. So if a child is with good people, they'll turn out good but if they're with bad people, they'll turn out bad.

(Footage of performance at Eagle Vale High School, plays)

RAPPER: Do you wanna do that song one last time? Boys press the keys ...

(Rap starts)

SARAH FERGUSON: Claymore's high school is in the neighbouring suburb of Eagle Vale

Today there's a performance for former rock star and School Education Minister, Peter Garrett

They've chosen the song, 'You Never Had It So Good'.

(Footage of group performing 'You Never Had It So Good')

Garrett is opening a $1.7 million performing arts centre at the school.

PETER GARRETT, EDUCATION MINISTER (talking to Eagle High School children): We have total confidence and faith in you, in the teachers in this school and the community schools. And total faith and confidence in the students at these schools that can be whatever they want to be, that they can realise their dreams and their potential...

SARAH FERGUSON: His message to the students is to aim high.

PETER GARRETT: Quite often you'll hear people say that it's too hard or it can't really be done. Or 'well maybe you can jump up on stage here or in Campbelltown or the western suburbs of Sydney, but what makes you think you could be on TV and make a career out of it or travel around the world.'

Well the fact is that you can.

SARAH FERGUSON: But back in their disintegrating neighbourhood where waves of planners and politicians have failed them so miserably, the present can be overwhelming.

(To Alanah): Do you think about your future much?

ALANAH: No I just wanna take one day at a time because I don't know what's gonna happen, in a couple of months or even days.

(Footage of Cheyenne in a car on her way to school plays)

SARAH FERGUSON: Cheyenne returned to school after her suspension, but her future remains uncertain.

CHEYENNE: None of my family finished their Year 10. Only my brother did, that was the only one, and I wanna prove to them ... They've always said my whole entire life 'you're never going to amount to nothing, 'cause if we can't , you can't'. And I just want to prove them wrong. And prove to myself that I'm worth more than what they say I am. I can do it.

SARAH FERGUSON: Difficulties in the Burns household, where the father Brett has been living in the garage, have reached the point of crisis, and his children know it.

BRETT (to Caroline): Just remember to do the King Gee's shirt - wash it separate!

HAYDEN: They're making a big mistake. So, yeah, splitting up and that's a big mistake for me. Big mistake for them. Don't like that.

So they should just both apologise to us. They don't have to apologise to each other, I don't really care about that, but they should apologise to Jessica more for what she's gone through. She's jigging at school and everything.

JESSICA: I dunno. They might get divorced, they might not. 'Cause you know, everybody doesn't, well, most people don't have a happy ending, so...

SARAH FERGUSON: Still only 12 years old Jessica has a bleak view of her own future.

JESSICA: A good job, like where you get like heaps of money. I'd be like a decent mum, like a husband with no violence and everything, so it could be a happy family, you know. But like that would ever happen.

SARAH FERGUSON: Say that again, what did you say at the end?

JESSICA: Like that would ever happen, but like with . . .

SARAH FERGUSON: Now stop, hang on, why wouldn't?

JESSICA: Like with the guy, because like you know, I always pick the bad people.

JADA: Then you go like this.

SARAH FERGUSON: Eight-year-old Jada is still optimistic.

JADA: When I'm older I want to be a teacher. And save up all my money when I'm older,when I'm a teacher and go to places around the world, like my teacher does.

JACOB: You can do whatever you want. You can live the life you want, just need to try.

(Footage of Jacob and Connor searching for four leaf clovers)

SARAH FERGUSON: Jacob and his brother Connor are searching for four leaf clovers.

Having had the worst start to life, they found luck with their new family.

JACOB: I've got all the people I need: my brothers , my sisters, my mum.

SARAH FERGUSON: We asked them what they wanted in the future. They could only think of Kristen.

JACOB: Help her more. Like if we could we would try to give her the money she needs and do stuff for her 'cause she always does stuff for us.

SARAH FERGUSON: Jacob keeps a collection of four leaf clovers in his bedroom.

(To Jacob): What are they going to bring?

JACOB: Good luck.

SARAH FERGUSON: It'd be good to think that state and federal governments could finally agree to fix the problems in Claymore and communities like this all around the country.

To make sure that luck is not all that Jacob and our poorest children have to rely on.

KERRY O'BRIEN: We can tell these kids that they can be whatever they want to be, that their dreams can be realised, but not if they're left largely to do it on their own. That would be a cruel hoax wouldn't it.

Next week on Four Corners, East Timor's battle for its economic life blood. A tiny government versus big oil.

Until then, goodnight.


Background Information


Claymore by Numbers - Read some of the background on Claymore and its community, produced by Four Corners producer Mary Fallon. [PDF 357Kb]

Claymore's Short History - A background on the history, disadvantages and future prospects of the Claymore housing development, by Four Corners producer Greg Wilesmith. [PDF 383Kb]


Claymore has youngest population in Australia | Macarthur Chronicle Campbelltown | 4 Sep 12 - The future is looking bright for Claymore after it emerged that the suburb had the youngest population in Australia.

Audio: Making a difference: the experiences of poverty | RN Life Matters | 9 Aug 2012 - The experiences of life when you are young and reliant on your parents and friends to guide and support you are life shaping. But what about if you're growing up in a home where there are stresses: money's tight, perhaps many people are unemployed, and your home is in a suburb where to go outside is intimidating. Researchers from the University of New South Wales have just released the report from an intensive qualitative study of how young people experience economic adversity.

Children hide poverty to protect parents, study finds | SMH | 8 Aug 2012 - Children from poor families deny their own needs to protect their parents from blame and social stigma, a new study has shown. They claim not to like joining a sports team or going on a school excursion, which they know their families can't afford. ''Their demands were incredibly modest,'' the nation's leading poverty researcher, Peter Saunders of the University of NSW, said. By Adele Horin.

Claymore flagged for massive redevelopment | Macarthur Chronicle Campbelltown | 7 Jun 2010 - Parts of Claymore will be demolished and rebuilt under a new funding partnership between the Federal and NSW governments to create a mix of public and private housing within the estate.

Once-notorious housing estate shows way ahead | The Australian | 24 Jan 2009 - There are only 8km between them but the public housing estates of Claymore and Rosemeadow in Sydney's southwest are worlds apart.


Making a difference: building on children's perspectives on economic adversity | UNSW Social Policy Research Centre | Current - Investigating children's perspectives on the nature and impacts of economic adversity in the family, at school and in the community will provide a better understanding of how policy can make a difference to children's lives. The resulting improvements in service design and delivery will generate substantial economic and social benefits in areas that align with the designated national research priorities. Report is due to be released soon. Read more.

Making a Difference: Building on Young People's Experiences of Economic Adversity | Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW | Aug 2012 - One of the first Australian studies to consider the real experience of economically disadvantaged young people. Chief investigator, Professor Peter Saunders from UNSW's Social Policy Research Centre, said the report goes behind poverty statistics, which only focus on the adult experience of economic disadvantage. Jennifer Skattebol, et al. [PDF 1.91Mb]

Social inclusion in Australia: How Australia is faring | Australian Social Inclusion Board | 9 Aug 2012 - How Australia is faring tracks Australia's progress against a range of social inclusion indicators. The report highlights that while we're a thriving prosperous nation with high rates of employment, good health and high educational attainment, there are still people who are at risk of being left behind.

Families, Incomes and Jobs (Vol 7) | Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research | 2012 - Download the seventh Statistical Report of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. [PDF 1.85Mb]

Unequal Opportunities: Life chances for children in the 'Lucky Country' | The Smith Family | 2011 - New research throws into question whether Australia really is the 'lucky' country - the land of the 'fair go' where children are able to reach their potential regardless of their background. The report is the first in a series that looks at factors influencing children's life chances in Australia. Read more. [PDF 923Kb]

Claymore Urban Renewal Project: Social and Health Impacts Report | Landcom NSW | Jun 2011 - This report has been prepared, using a social impact assessment approach, as part of the Environmental Assessment for the Claymore Concept Plan... The report looks at social impacts from the perspective of existing Claymore residents (most of whom will be rehoused), future residents (who will include private sector purchasers) and surrounding communities. [PDF 1.60Mb]

Australian Early Development Index | Community Profile Campbelltown | Mar 2011 - The AEDI Community Profile contains important information about early childhood development outcomes. The profile provides community-level AEDI results and contextual information for the whole community. Read the community profile of Campbelltown, NSW. [PDF 986Kb]

Dropping off the Edge | Jesuit Social Services & Catholic Social Services Australia | 2007 - Dropping off the edge contains statistics and consistent information about every population centre in this country on more than twenty different disadvantage factors, but also an analysis of that data which provides an insight into the way in which social disadvantage can become entrenched, if not addressed in an integrated way by government authorities. By Emeritus Professor Tony Vinson on behalf of Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia. Read more.

Review of child poverty | UNSW Social Policy Research Centre | Apr 2003 - This review addressed five main questions concerning the concept of 'child poverty': How should we define child poverty? Should it be a focus of policy concern? How should it be measured? What causes it? What policy strategies can be used to combat it? By Bruce Bradbury.

ACOSS Poverty Report | Australian Council of Social Service | Oct 2011 - Approximately 2.2 million people, or 11% of Australians lived in poverty in 2006 - the latest date for which statistics are available - compared with 10% in 2004 and 8% in 1994. Download the report. [PDF 235Kb]


Anti Poverty Week | 14-20 October 2012 -

Anglicare Family Support - Anglicare Sydney provides a wide range of family support services across the greater Sydney area to the Blue Mountains and south to the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and the Shoalhaven. Call 13 26 22.

Barnardos Australia - Barnardos' strategy is to support children who may be suffering from, or who are at risk of, abuse, neglect, homelessness or poverty.

The Benevolent Society - An independent, non-religious, non-profit organisation driving positive social change.

Catholic Social Services Australia - Catholic Social Services Australia is the Catholic Church's peak national body for social services in Australia.


Families Australia is a national, independent, member based, not-for-profit organisation which works to promote a national policy environment in which the needs and interests of families, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, can be heard and addressed.

Mission Australia - Working with government, corporate Australia, churches and the wider community, Mission Australia is determined to overcome disadvantage across the nation.

Red Cross - Whether it's a major natural disaster or a personal crisis in your own home, Red Cross is there to give immediate and practical help.

Save the Children Australia - From emergency relief to long-term development, Save the Children secures a child's right to health, education and protection.


UNICEF Australia - Charity donations and gifts for world's children's charity.

YMCA Australia - The YMCA is a community based charity that delivers programs and services to help build strong people, strong families and strong communities from over 500 YMCA centers across Australia.


Poor Kids | 29 Sep 2011 - Three children tell what it's like to grow up poor in modern Britain.

The Last Chance Motel | 21 Sep 2009 - What do you do when you've lost your job, lost your home and you have three kids to feed? Watch program on Flash Video Presentation.

Saving Claymore | ABC Compass | 18 Aug 2002 - Worried residents of Sydney's fringe suburb Claymore join together to regain the streets from troubling influences. Read the transcript of Geraldine Doogue's report from 2002.

Tags: housing, domestic-violence, drugs-and-substance-abuse, family-and-children, poverty, welfare, unemployment, urban-development-and-planning, education, housing, parenting, family, australia, nsw

First posted September 20, 2012 11:05:00