To Bogan or not to Bogan!??

[piccolo]

Okay I'm looking for general opinions about areas SOR and whether you think they are "bogan" areas or not. I met a friend who's home at the moment, he lives in Duncraig and when I asked him about certain areas SOR, he said "bogan bogan bogan" . So now I don't know what to think!! My OH is potentially looking at a job in Henderson so I'm trying to find a nice suburb within driving distance. We are a young family of 3 who have had our fair share of living beside Irish bogans here in Dublin!! So that really is NOT what I'd want for our new life in Oz if you get me.

[gobbyjock]

Look at the end of the day come over,have a look around and make your own mind up - SOR is a huge area, this gets trotted out every time someone asks someone (who always seems to live NOR and who knows a friend of a friends Auntie who once lived in Rockingham 30 years ago). It`s like saying every town in Hampshire is posh or every town in Yorkshire is poor. You have some lovely newer suburbs such as Baldivis and Secret Harbour, nearer to the city you have Succes, Murdoch and Leeming to name but a few. If he is looking at working in Henderson then living SOR would probably be easier for travelling to and from work - all depends on how much of a commute he wants to do and what sort of a budget you have.

[ali]

I'm in Leeming 15 mins away from the city and am SOR it's takes us almost an hour to drive to Mandurah ... with heaps of suburbs in between, then there's the hills to consider - lovely suburbs there too.

[PerthPomToBe]

I live in Atwell, SOR and I love it! All the best people live SOR!! lol.

[basicweb]

i live in Rockingham and there are some fab areas, award winning beaches and good transport links. I'm not bogan either! come over get in your hire car and drive around the suburbs, you will get a feel of them and be able to make your own mind up.

Tracey

[RobynMargarat]

I have lived in this area for more than 20 years, and when I wander around other parts of Perth , some of the older suburbs Balga, Westminster, Bayswater, Belmont, Kwinana, might look liker Bogan areas, but what constitutes a bogan area?
This article appeared On the Perthnow website in 2009....ROCKINGHAM, one of WA's most maligned locations, has cracked a mention on a list of Australia's Top 10 Bogan suburbs.

The sleepy coastal suburb, which has grown into a city, is loved by locals, but is constantly the butt of jokes which denigrate its reputation as one of the "bogan capitals'' of WA.
Detractors cite the city's unemployment rate, driving habits and lifestyle, including a perception that it has a higher percentage of young single parents than other nearby urban areas.
And the story has fired up PerthNow readers, with more than 100 people posting comments, some proud of their Rockingham heritage, others scathing of the place.
For example, John of Perth, had this to say: "I dont understand why some of the people who have commented here think that being a Rockingham bogan is cool. Its simply not. Bogans represent the worst of Australia - loud mouthed, tacky, ignorant and generally white trash, whose sole focus in life is getting a big plasma tv and a large sound system. Quite frankly, Rockingham needs to excised from WA - and made into a nice little island by itself, where the bogans can inbreed and fawn over each others' cars.''

.


But Jim, of Warnbro, had this to say: "I live 200metres from the best beach in WA in a quiet leafy street. All for less than the price of a crappy little unit in Subi. I can wear shorts and thongs in the pub and eat a decent meal for less than $20 surrounded by normal people with not a preening snob in sight. Long live Rocko.''

Satirical columnist The Punch has corralled its contributors, many of whom hail proudly from the wrong side of the tracks, to pencil the following shortlist - which is obviously open to challenge. In no particular order our top 10 bogan suburbs are:

Albion Park NSW, Dandenong Vic, Kambah ACT, Redcliffe Qld, Wyoming NSW, Salisbury SA, Chigwell Tas, Ipswich Qld, Rockingham WA, Moe Vic make up the Top 10.
but you ask our present Lord Mayor of PERTH, what she thinks of the Bogan word.... in another article on the same website she was want to mention
One of the by-products of the mining boom has been the rise of the Cashed-Up Bogan (CUB) – young men with plenty of cash to splash on muscle cars, beer and drugs," the travel bible said.
"A spate of fights and glassings in bars has caused many venues, particularly in Northbridge, to step up security."
"It would pay to keep your wits about you in pubs and on the streets after dark," the travel companion warned.
The dining out scene is also given a serve for its over-priced meals and poor service.
"Where many of Australia's other state capitals might have a handful of top restaurants charging over $40 for a main, in Perth those prices are fast becoming a norm for any establishment that considers itself above average," the guide states.
"Unfortunately, the experience doesn't always match the outlay."
Perth's cafe scene is given a positive boost with writers encouraging those seeking a "mid-range meal" and free internet access to explore venues around the CBD, Leederville, Mt Lawley and Cottesloe.
"Thankfully, the standard of coffee has improved from the notorious 'western milkshake' days."
However, praise for the cafe culture did not extend to exceptional service or modest prices. It focused more on the ability of venues providing hearty, "morning-after-the-night-before" fare.
Some of Perth's most popular cafes were applauded for their "all-day breakfast for Saturday hangovers", "the large, cooked breakfast will tackle any hangover" and "the bacon-and-egg burgers are oft-prescribed hangover cures."
The guide also points out Perth locals are more interested in travelling overseas than being concerned with happenings east of the boarder.
"Today the West Australian spirit remains nothing if not fiercely independent."
"With flights from Perth to Bali cheaper than those to Sydney, West Australians seem to have less need than ever to invest themselves in the goings-on of the rest of the country," it summarised.
"If it were a separate country, as some of its denizens would prefer it to be, it would be the 10th largest country in the world."
City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi dismissed the bogan tag and was pleased the guide highlighted some new dining trends emerging in the city centre.
"Whilst the new edition does mention the 'CUBs' it also highlights some wonderful budget friendly dining places as well as exceptional fine dining options. I am pleased to see the guide feature some of the smaller eateries that are tucked away in our city's laneways and hidden spaces," she told WAtoday.com.au.

"The chapter also highlights Perth's growing small bar scene including Greenhouse, Ezra Pound and 1907, all places that are adding a new dimension to our city's social scene."
The guidebook business, started in 1973 by adopted Australian couple Tony and Maureen Wheeler, is one of the biggest in the world and its opinions set the standard for backpackers across the globe.

so too different cultures are represented there.. bogan..... Not bodgies and widgies who were part of our culture in the 1950, and 60s...
think of some of your more seedier towns and cities in UK, which we see on news websites... like the burning and setting fire to business in July last year... we don`t really have those sorts of things happening... our news websites report things like Northbridge shenanigans, but I ask you
I even question the mentality of reporting things like that, there are millions of things going on in every suburb and town in this state, and they only sensationalize it because they are too lazy to go out and look for newsworthy articles. I am ashamed of our reporters, that they have to do things like that to get their newspapers and websites, ahead...
shame shame shame..
dont take any notice, come out here and make your own mind up... look at weloveperth, perthevents, whatsonin perth, all sort of other places that report the fun you can have here... leave your prejudices behind, we cant all be wrong..

[piccolo]

Thanks guys...well there's nothing else for it so, I'll just get in the car when we arrive and start suburb seeing! I didn't really think all areas of SOR were bad to be honest.

[ali]

You get some people who take the NOR v SOR divide a little too literally (sadly they do tend to be poms), find your own little piece of Aus where you feel at home no matter where it is.

[gobbyjock]

For me I don`t mind people making informed comments, but when they dismiss such a huge area out of hand it does wind me up. I would never comment on an area NOR because I don`t live there and tbh have not spent any time up there other than the odd visit to friends in Carramar.

[ali]

For me I don`t mind people making informed comments, but when they dismiss such a huge area out of hand it does wind me up. I would never comment on an area NOR because I don`t live there and tbh have not spent any time up there other than the odd visit to friends in Carramar.

I've lived here 5 years and not visited any suburbs NOR other than to take rellies to Hilarys and Mindarie for lunch ... so like you won't comment on areas I know nothing about. I too get a little annoyed with sweeping generalisations about areas.