Description
Growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1950s and 1960s was an adventure, and at times dangerous for a kid of migrant parents. It was considered a slum area and the close-knit community had more than its fair share of ratbags, drunks and crooks. For Chris Bennett, a cheeky and boisterous kid, the streets of Fitzroy led to trouble with authorities and exile from his home and family. These same streets, along with other haunts, saw him mucking about in the Fitzroy baths, racing and crashing a homemade billy cart, standing in the outer of the Fitzroy Footy Ground barracking ‘Carn the Roys’, catching yabbies in the Exhibition Gardens and jumping off Kanes Bridge into the Yarra River. This memoir is about an ordinary Roy Boy who experienced some extraordinary events that helped shape his life.
Check out Christopher Bennet’s website here!
Paperback, 350pp, 2023
ISBN: 9780645712902
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
Office & Library: Weekdays 9am-5pm
Peter Woods, Past President Fitzroy History Society –
An intriguing and detailed story. (Peter Woods. Past President Fitzroy History Society)
Mike Long –
A cracking read from beginning to end. Chris brings forth the sounds and smells of Fitzroy and the surrounding suburbs, transporting us back to another era of Australian migrant history. Upon reaching the end, we’re left eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Chris’ life. A sequel opportunity perhaps?
David Lyons –
I thoroughly enjoyed Chris’s story. His writing style paints a delightful mental picture of what it was like to be a “Roy Boy” at the time, and reminds us that great pleasure can be found in exploration of the world around us, without an Ipad in sight.
Kathryn Lyons –
Chris’s narrative is very engaging, and I felt I was right there with him as he talked about his childhood experiences.
A thoroughly entertaining read, especially for those of us who can relate to the late 50’s and early 60’s.