---

Archived by the National Library of Australia,
the Wayback Machine and archive.today .

Read by big money homeless joints who use our free food section for their own publications. 

Anonymous Contact Page 
Disclaimer
​
Free Food Adelaide South Australia.
Free food updated 18 May 2025 
 Please advise of errors. 

Fred's Van regular timetable

When Fred's Van link broken click here

Free showers in Adelaide
Updated 22 March 2025.​

​Free Laundry
Updated 25 February 2025.

Free Dentistry and Homeless-Friendly Doctors 
​Updated 30 September 2023

Free Hairdressing in Adelaide 
Updated 30 September 2023.

Free gift cards, groceries, blankets, money, and prescriptions
​Updated 27 April 2024

Invisible People videos

Unemployed Workers Union Rights Guide

 Adelaide CBD homeless industry statistics

Government informer app
(some use it to send them a bum steer)

Older Adelaide Homeless Journal 2006 to 2019

(above) New joint, quite good, but no coffee. They don't collect personal information for the Eternal Shame File. The image on their leaflet is not representative of those attending the free lunch. The diners are mostly old people. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Remembering the bad old days while camping in Pervert Park at The Paddocks in Para Hills. Woody of Woody and Skip camped closer to the road in a huge complex of tents and tarps. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) An escape route while homeless in Pervert Park at Para Hills. The creek tunnels were an escape route if the perverts became aggressive. They were the filthiest perverts you could imagine and protected by the Salisbury Council. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Tea Tree Gully social media Influencer Sonia Blackwell continues to deliver food on Saturday evenings to people sleeping on the ground or in cars. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Nearly every homeless welfare joint in Adelaide is closed on Saturdays so Sonia Blackwell's free food is especially welcome. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Social Media Influencer Sonia Blackwell says people deserve adequate food regardless of their lifestyle that might lead them to destitution. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) The machinery of government costs billions of dollars, but small efforts by citizens can have more positive impact. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Through the efforts of Sonia Blackwell and others, the number of people living outside in the Modbury area has dropped. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) More industrial garbage dumped in parklands along Kettering Road at Elizabeth South. The government should reduce disposal fees at Wingfield and Dublin to discourage pollution of Adelaide's parklands. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Homeless man raving to himself while sleeping outside church emergency exit doors at Ingle Farm. This is the toll that 24/7 anxiety takes on a person. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Coming soon: Weird stuff at Salisbury Salvo store; Smashing of wood in Poor Lani's free standing Housing Trust house; Tea Tree Salvo free cafe struggling, but still active; Tuesday-at-five improved over the past six years; Cook doesn't believe in salt and pepper on toasted sandwiches; More of Woody and Skip; Faithworks preacher explains why he wears a shirt that says, "I am an Alien" shirt; Jilted man visits house with iron bar; Latest homeless statistics; Latest Hutt Street Centre Annual Report Analysed (financial section and propaganda section); Drug addict at Golden Grove assaults newly engaged couple then someone steals one of their cars; Simp shown door.

Morphett Vale Salvo free breakfast

High-quality Eric was taking orders for free toasters, electric jugs and coffee pod machines. His wife died ten years ago and he’s says it’s about time he cleaned out his house.

Ann, the founder of the free breakfast gave a 12-minute talk on Biblical positive thinking based on a book written by an American evangelist. I didn’t like it. She said they try to serve breakfast to the people as did Jesus. I liked that.

Ann said they started the breakfast in the shed out back then moved into the main building. This was when Rob and Ros Casburn were officers at the Corps before moving to Tea Tree Gully Salvos. Rob said Ann was a jewel or a diamond, I can’t remember the exact words, but he has nothing but praise for her. The attitude of Ann and the other staff is positive and helpful. This is a quality operation.

One diner said he came from an island in the Bass Strait and was neither Tasmanian or Victorian. He served with the military in Iraq as a tank driver with the brother of a Sergeant at the Christie Downs police station. The brother never came back.

An N.D.I.S. Support Worker said she’s not only a contractor caring for clients, but is also an N.D.I.S. client herself. I suggested her client could also become a Carer and care for her. This brilliant idea didn’t seem to get through to her. I had Covid that week.

A Coptic Christian preacher arrived with an optician who had transferred study from N.S.W. to Adelaide. He said the change would add an extra year of study to his training. The optician student referred to the preacher as “Father” despite him being thirty years younger than myself. Their presence made the event even better.

They arrived with two Canadian women. The Covid bug in my brain began to say they didn’t appear Canadian because they weren’t pure white. Luckily, the Woke meme in my mind defeated the Covid bug. Most Canadians aren’t pure white, anyway.

Volunteers served toasted sandwiches with ham, tomato and cheese. One staff member said if we wanted anything different, we could just ask. She also told another volunteer to go into the dining room and meet the people. This is a quality attitude. Even the Covid bug agreed to that.

There were 22 morning diners for what was an enjoyable two hours despite being sick as a dog, but theoretically past the infectious stage.

Free breakfast Morphett Vale
Salvation Army, 186 Elizabeth Road, Morphett Vale. Ph 8382 1600. Coffee, toast, baked beans, scrambled eggs, tomatoes. No I.D. required. Cereals, toast spreads. Tues and Weds 9:30-11:30am. Entry through front side door or earlier via back door that says “closed”. Free bread and nick-knacks in reception. No breakfast during school holidays.

Early 20 May 2025

(above) Numerous mounds of dirt covered in pine needles in a grove near Noarlunga. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) But one mound of dirt has a window behind which a homeless man has been living. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Months later, the bunker has been abandoned and fallen into ruin. I waited three months after the refuge was abandoned before publishing these images. And while such scenes exist, corrupt Anglicare Corporation knocked down 16 good donated units then left the land vacant for the past three years. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

When a benefactor becomes a predator?

Craigmore Christian Church now expects a five-dollar donation for a crate of old vegetables and meat. Not a bad deal, but it was previously free. They’ve told clients recently that the expected donation will soon be seven-dollars.

The food is collected from supermarkets and delivered to the church by Hands and Feet. The dilemma is this food was previously free when people collected it from supermarket rubbish bins. And it’s still free at most other places even when it comes from Hands and Feet who charge the churches three dollars per client.

Craigmore Christian Church say the crates of food are worth $100 so even seven dollars seems a bargain. But the food is often decomposing and even causes gastric illnesses.

The fact that Hands and Feet are not a charity increases the dubious nature of charging money for old food given to them free by the supermarkets. Hands and Feet were formed as a means of spreading the Christian gospel. I’ve been to a multi-church gathering where they talked about slowing down the movement of clients to give church workers more time to spread the Word of Jesus.

Most churches absorb the $3.00 per client charged by Hands and Feet. An exception is Gateway Baptist at Albert Park and now Craigmore Christian Church.

But by increasing the cost to clients of free food given to Hands and Feet, the churches are at risk of becoming impediments in the recycling of food from the supermarket rubbish bins to poor people. Like the Mafia setting themselves up in a supply chain.

Clients have responded to Craigmore Christian Church with their feet with numbers as little as ten on Wednesdays.

Craigmore Christian Church Wednesdays
213 Yorktown Road. Craigmore. Ph (08) 8255 5668. Old vegetables, meat and bread at 9:30am no longer free. They expect a donation of three dollars and expect this to rise to $7.00.

Early 19 May 2025

(above) Fibreglass saunas and old tyres being dumped in multiple homeless camping areas in the Elizabeth area. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

On the Street

Towards Home recruitment staff are active in the Noarlunga area. They and their associate “non-profits” require homeless people to sign away the privacy of their lives in exchange for being pushed up the rental housing waiting list.

They’ve been consulting a middle-aged homeless man for nearly nine-months. He suffered an aneurysm and has huge difficulty speaking and walking. He was living on the streets, but is crashing at a mate’s house temporarily. He is the most positive person at our free food joint and is visited by two Towards Home employees each week. They have a place available to him, but there is some problem with photo identification. Shouldn’t this have been worked out earlier in their involvement with this good man?

*

A retired scientist and volunteer in a homeless service place in the Noarlunga area said lots of personal information comes into the building, but very little leaves it.

*

A leading volunteer at a free food service say they operate continuously through holiday periods after one couple cancelled a suicide pact over Christmas after discovering a free food joint still open. All the others had closed down.

*

A Yatala security guard said he got $26 an hour so he switched to Police Security and got $34 an hour. Then he got cancer and retired. Now he’s a high-powered unpaid worker in an Op Shop where he may be doing the best work of his life.

*

Dracula’s Sister from the Elizabeth drug scene said going to prison was the best thing she ever did. She been on the Housing Trust waiting list for twenty years then made the right decision of committing a crime and spending time in the slammer. Upon being sprung, she qualified for released prisoner housing and got a multi-bedroom house almost immediately.

To make herself safe in her new home, she drilled holes in the doors and window frames where she placed knitting needles to discourage thieves and attackers.

*

Mini-May had a row with Tina. She went to the nursing home of Tina’s one-legged mother to take her for a drive. Tina’s mother had switched nursing homes. This was difficult as management tried to stop her from moving.

Tina’s son is a police officer. Mini-May is the chief suspect for the slashing of Old Carol’s car tyres. Mini-May works at a free bread table at a free food joint. It’s a complicated moral landscape and tolerance and respect are the best operating tools.

All three go to the Peterswool Road free food joint at Elizabeth.

*

Diane hasn’t been seen for awhile. She went with Jeff, but they broke up after he called the police on her for an alleged assault. The police weren’t interested. This story may be completely untrue as it came through the “Chinese whisperers” network.

*

A friend of a Regis Nursing Home resident at Davoren Park near Elizabeth said staff were “frightened and defensive” of residents. The friend said the managers were terrible. The resident left and got euthanised.

*

A Buddhist work-for-dole slave labourer was quickly promoted to a higher position in a welfare organisation. He also quickly demoted himself back to a mindless menial job saying it was better for his spiritual development. A better route to enlightenment.

*

Duck was living with his sister. He left her place six-months ago. He’s in his mid-fifties. He sleeps on concrete near the GP Plus clinic near the Elizabeth library. He relies on a walking frame, but can walk just 200 metres. He lies beneath a blanket most of the day. He has trouble speaking and appears disabled. He has no expectations of home.

Yet there are plenty of empty Housing Trust units in Adelaide, rotting away and being vandalised by scrap metal collectors and drug addicts.

18 May 2025

Woody and Skip
Woody and Skip previously lived under a tarp in the carpark at Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army. They now live in a Housing Trust unit in Elizabeth. But Skip still inspires Woody to maintain his dream of  buying used vans for homeless people to sleep in. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c44uwt-MIQ 
​

(above) Council rubbish collectors left these blankets on Kettering Road, Elizabeth South just in case they were owned by homeless people. There is some kindness in the system. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Disaster Dining at Christie Downs

Not only was it takeaway only, but it was lower quality than the usual dining room meal. The takeaway bags included pasta with sauce, canned fruit in a plastic container, garlic bread and a good quality apple and banana. No coffee. No salt and pepper. No sauce. The white flour pasta containing little nutrition was topped with a sugary sauce with plenty of calories to produce an unhealthy blood sugar hit.

Bald Eric was the highlight of the evening. He challenged two old people for pushing their way into the queue despite arriving last. The queue jumpers even pushed in front of twelve pure blood indigenous people who had been there two hours before opening time. Someone told Eric he also was too far ahead in the queue so he set a good example and went to the back.

The crowd was good-natured though one person asked why the black fellas didn’t go somewhere else specifically serving them. He said white folk weren’t allowed to go to their places so why could they use Fred’s Van. No one debated him. The black fellas had children and they’re part of the homeless culture.

One man in the queue said he’d been to The Church of Christ Haven a few minutes previously and got a meat pie, buns and loaf of bread. The Haven offers free bread every Sunday at 5:45pm.

The front door opened ten minutes late with tables barricading the hallway. Thirty-two diners collected the takeaway bags. The elderly couple who barged ahead entered a second time, but there wasn’t anything left. I’m not sure if everyone got a bag.

A few regulars weren’t there as friends messaged them saying it was takeaway only and not worth coming to. The volunteers might have been called up at the last minute and didn’t have time to buy proper food and prepare it.

One diner was looking for a blanket. He had a tent in the West Terrace parklands in the city. He couldn’t get a blanket so he said he might catch the train back into the city, that is if the Council hadn’t sent it to landfill.

Fred’s Van Christie Downs
Onkaparinga Youth Service (Wardli Youth Centre). 13 McKinna Road, Christie Downs. 7:00pm Sunday and Wednesday summer time. Short and sharp. Free. No I.D. or registration. Meat, potatoes, good dessert, coffee and fresh salad with ingredients purchased that afternoon. Nice. Not decomposed Second Bite food. Lower socioeconomic diners. Homeless.

17 May 2025

(above) Tri Star Indian grocery store brought over a huge pot of seasoned meat without charge for clients at Stevo's on a recent Tuesday. Tri Star is between Target and the Uniting Church on Main North Road at Sefton Park. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Aldi free stuff at Christies Beach

Church staff were unsure of the procedures, but then required a name, address and phone number. Since I’d collected food from their other program two days previously they said I couldn’t have any meat. This included some nice roasts, but since I don’t eat meat I didn’t care in the least.

Meat was for those who hadn’t been to either of their food programs during the previous three weeks. But everything else was available that included jars of olives, pineapples, celery, tomatoes, limes, apples, bakery products, soft drinks and lots of other stuff. There were just six people in the first twenty minutes so there wasn’t any rush.

The annoying aspect is that they don’t tell clients how often they’re allowed to access the free food so it appears clients are trying to get more than they’re entitled to. A lot of joints operate this way.

The church offerings on Saturday and Sunday were from Aldi while the stuff during the week appeared to be government funded plus donations. Aldi free food is usually better than Woolworths and Coles.

They offered hot coffee once I’d told them I was living in my car, but declined it as I wanted to return to my campsite as I had Covid. However, upon returning there I discovered it was being used by a golfer. We avoided contact while surreptitiously peeking at each other through the bushes. ​

Christies Beach free lunch Thursdays
Noarlunga Uniting Church, 23 William Rd., (corner of Ramsgate Ave.) Christies Beach. No I.D. required. Ph 0450 350 519. Free lunch 11:30am to 1:00pm. 2nd and 4th Thurs of month. Paid meal Tues 11:30am. Free food & incontinence items Mon – Thurs 9am - 11am every three weeks. Aldi free food Sat 9:00am to 11:00 am, Sunday 3pm to 4pm.

16 May 2025

(above) Noarlunga Church of Christ lets homeless people sleep in front of their church, but asks that the area be vacated on Tuesday evenings. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

An intelligent crowd

Getting a bag of decent free food and a coffee from the Uniting Church at Christies Beach was a good experience including conversations with people more intelligent than myself. The only bad thing was three bags of salad vegetables and a bag of cucumbers four days past the Best-by date that were in a state of decomposition. They should fire up the compost drum at the back of the church.

The free lunches on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month are set to return on the 22nd of May as the renovations on the new annex are nearly finished. This is dependent on Community Health of Onkaparinga (CHO) returning from the Wardli Centre.

Preacher Ian Hunter – from Chilliwack, B.C. – has a high reputation for innovation and involvement particularly with marginalised people including ex-prisoners and homeless people. This includes his previous stint at Semaphore Uniting Church at Exeter. One fellow religious welfare worker said his ability and commitment is second only second to Vicki Rowlands from the Christies Beach Baptist Church.

Christies Beach free lunch Thursdays
Noarlunga Uniting Church, 23 William Rd., (corner of Ramsgate Ave.) Christies Beach. No I.D. required. Ph 0450 350 519. Free lunch 11:30am to 1:00pm. 2nd and 4th Thurs of month. Paid meal Tues 11:30am. Free food & incontinence items Mon - Thurs 9am - 11am every three weeks. Aldi free food Sat 10:30 am, Sun 3pm.

Very late 15 May 2025

(above) Ingle Farm Baptist Church provides excellent bags of free food every Monday 9:30am to 11:00am. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Fred’s Van Christie Downs

They let us in an hour early – or a least we’d sneaked through the front door – until discovered by staff then turfed back into the cold. This included the old man on the invalid scooter who had been reprimanded on the trains for not having a ticket. He qualifies for a Senior’s Card, but hasn’t got one. Instead he tried to palm off a business card from the agency that issues them.

It was the Wardli Centre staff who pushed us out and not the Fred’s Van volunteers.

The other person turfed out was an old woman who said she changed the nappies of a 55-year-old man crouched on the concrete near her. She had been 17 and he was two-years-old when their parents had been out drinking. She had the typical life story of a dysfunctional upbringing then surprised me by saying she’d been a volunteer for decades at the local Church of Christ and City Salvos where she worked with John Swan, the famous musician. She talked about her somewhat harrowing life and then I realised once again not to judge people by external appearances. Arrogance had clouded my perception of reality. She has lived a better life than myself.

One diner waiting outside said there had been a shortage of food the previous month because a volunteer had diverted it to the school where she works.

We rushed through the front door at 6:58pm and the building was marginally warmer, but not heated. Five St Vincent de Paul volunteers served the food with lightning speed and after 16 minutes everyone had been served and were sitting at the tables. Nine minutes later desserts had been served and people were lining up for takeaway containers of leftovers. This process came to a grinding halt when two old people arrived late and were ushered to the front of the queue by patrons. It seems nearly everyone is known by everyone else at Fred’s Van Christie Downs either through long term friendships or being blood relations.

One diner had a bruised face, another said the tables were placed too close together, another congratulated me for not eating meat and the scooter man was served at his table by other patrons. There wasn’t an angry tone spoken by anyone for the whole meal, which lasted thirty minutes from the opening of the doors to the last takeaway food being served.

The meal consisted of crumbed meat of some sort, hot chips (better than Fred’s Van Semaphore), a bean and leaf salad, margarine on buns, cheesecake, biscuits, cordial, tea, coffee, new season apples purchased from the store and bananas. The quality was good, nothing from the rubbish bin popularly known as FoodBank.

The only improvement is that we’d like to sit in the dining room for coffee an hour before the meal is served similar to Fred’s Van at Kilburn and Salisbury. This can be arranged if there is a will to do it.

Fred’s Van Christie Downs
Wardli Centre, 13 McKinna Road, Christie Downs. 7:00pm Wednesday. Free quality meal including fresh salad in dining room. Good toilets. Some takeaway. Good volunteers & diners.

Early 14 May 2025

(above) Fruit dried by a soup kitchen client and another person. The plums were obtained from Pathway at Clovercrest. They were delicious. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

On the Street Tuesday

The man who smashed up Poor Lani’s kitchen returned and wasn’t in any better mental condition than before. He screamed and yelled outside her house on a Sunday morning while banging a thick wooden plank on the concrete until it broke. The Army man across the street suggested to a neighbour that he call the police.

Poor Lani has little control over her life. She lets him stay at her house or maybe he doesn’t ask. He smashed up her kitchen one night last year after authorities hauled Poor Lani to a psychiatric ward and the house was vacant.

The psychiatric drugs have made Poor Lani dull and masculine. Neighbours have closed their doors to her as she begs for coffee, sugar, money and tobacco.

Poor Lani is a victim of the “normalisation” program introduced in the 1980’s when thousands of disabled people were expelled from institutions and put in welfare housing either to fend for themselves or suffer the vicissitudes of the incredibly expensive National Disability Insurance Scheme. Or they were simply unloaded into homelessness.

*

A client at the Bagster Road Wednesday free lunch is extremely ill. She won’t apply for the N.D.I.S. because it might result in the government stopping her from driving. She knows she could get $3000 a week in equipment and support services, but doesn’t trust the government or the foreign support workers who generally don’t speak English. She said some clients are getting in-ground swimming pools built by the N.D.I.S. for hydrotherapy, but she isn’t tempted.

*

An old man lives in his car at Port Adelaide. He said C.H.A.T.S. was difficult when they got 80 diners on a Friday morning, but now they’re getting 130.

However, an older woman who’s son was killed in a car smash last year said she thinks they’re still getting 80. She added that there were only 5 when she went to Chat and Chew the Wednesday before last. Another client said this is due to an unpleasant employee and the withdrawal of the Wesley Social Enterprise cooks.

*

A retired psychiatric nurse said staff today invoke Code Grey if a patient swears. This results in a doctor, two nurses and two security guards attending the scene. She said this only escalates the situation and is a waste of resources. She said in her day staff would brush off a little swearing and anger and there wouldn’t be a problem.

She also worked as a para medic and recounted saving the life of a man who had been shot. She said she saved many lives. Now she goes to free food joints.

*

A former Hutt Street Centre client said that after Ian Cox was deposed as Chief Executive, his replacement, Colonel Burns, sacked employees and replaced them with retired prison guards.

*

Calvary Lutheran at Morphett Vale was swamped with free lunch diners last Thursday resulting in an ever diminishing serving size that resembled baby meals for two-year-old infants.

Everyone remained cheerful except one man who said he was “extremely annoyed” when someone sat in his usual seat. Then he laughed outrageously after coughing and another diner yelled, “Covid, Covid.”

During the meal an elderly diner explained the terms of the submarine building contract between Australia and the United States.

*

Thirty clients waited in vain outside Annie’s Cafe at Christies Beach last Friday afternoon. The Hands and Feet truck didn’t arrive. Clients waited nearly an hour before discovering this. Management apologised and said we could still go into the cafe for a one-dollar coffee or milkshake. I left as my most recent bout of Covid was taking its toll.

No one verbally complained about this failure of service because we’re used to the unreliability of free food services and we’re easy going crowd. One quarter of those waiting were doing the rounds, but the rest go only to Annie’s Hands and Feet Service hosted by Everyday Church and City Light South Church.

Early 13 May 2025

(above) Free on Fridays, They don't collect personal data for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Free bakery products past Brighton

​There was lots of bread with a few pies and pasties distributed after a five-minute religious spiel about being saved by you-know-who. The preacher lives in a caravan park and works in a bakery. When he spoke personally, he seemed cynical and negative, but when he talked about the Bible he changed into an inspiring orator.

A boy played the piano while most of the fifteen clients appeared comfortable and familiar with each other.

One church member said people in other churches are going to hell. I didn’t ask him if they’d go to hell in a hand basket. He called me “young fella,” but was considerably younger than myself.

The church doesn’t collect personal data for the Eternal Shame File. They ask your name as a polite gesture, but don’t record it.

South West Baptist Church, 651 Brighton Road, Seacliffe. Wednesday 5pm Free bread, buns, a few pies. Friendly crowd. Five minutes preaching before distribution.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-35.0336258,138.5241945,3a,90y,224.87h,91.47t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPSjYsBIFIbn1Uq6giTrI9Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-1.4720942739183016%26panoid%3DPSjYsBIFIbn1Uq6giTrI9Q%26yaw%3D224.8749277109863!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUwNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Early 12 May 2025

On the Street

Fred’s Van at Aldinga was open on Good Friday during the homeless service drought of the school holidays coinciding with the Easter holidays.

*

An old man said once a person is on MyAged Care, they are kicked out of the Hutt Street Centre. Yet this joint has an Aged Care Program for ex-homeless people.

*

According to one person, two others saw Tina try to hit The Academic with her car, but another said The Academic staged the event. The problem is that no one is conducting an objective investigation, but rather spreading half-truths and opinions not based on evidence.

*

Being in the homeless scene has destroyed my ability to speak up. There are so many reactive thugs that words must be used sparingly. Anything can trigger them to violence.

But I spoke up to a female team leader at a homeless service who said we had to leave the carpark when they were closing up. The previous week she said the security guard would call the police if we didn’t leave.

The following week she gave the same order except this time I told her I consulted legal opinion and we had a right to be in a Council carpark. The worthy worker who does an excellent job didn’t raise her voice and threaten me as I’d expected. She went quiet and said, “Oh, okay,” and walked away quickly.

This one-minute episode made me realise how I’d once been fearless in contradicting anyone, but after being beaten half a dozen times by drug thugs, I’d become subdued.

Second Editor

*

S.A. History week had a hundred lectures, tours and displays, but nothing of the famous derelicts of yesteryear.

*

A formerly homeless old man said toilets were his biggest problem due to incontinence. He went to a cafe near the Hutt Street Centre where he lost control of his bowels. He said “it” was all over the chair and floor. He went to a public toilet and washed himself. He didn’t know about the Centrelink annual incontinence payment.

*

The Big Issue Vendor from Topham Mall named Steve was at Mary’s Kitchen in Glenelg last Tuesday. He said he’d lived three years under the verandah at the Lighthouse Church on Jetty Road at Brighton. He said the church tries to create community regardless of a person’s social status.

*

Old Tony was limping along the street at Kilburn when an old woman came out and offered him a new expensive invalid scooter. Her husband had recently died. A friend said of all the people who deserved it, Tony wasn’t one of them.

*

Big Issue Vendor Steve worked the Glenelg pitch last week. He sold just two copies because his supplier, Australia Post, had run out of copies. Ever since Brian, the Glenelg Vendor, had died, the post office hadn’t been receiving copies. With luck Steve will rejuvenate this profitable pitch.

Big Issue is a horrible magazine because it contains very few stories of homeless life. I wrote for them for a few years long ago, but my use of language doesn’t suit current ideology.

*

Naivest painter Jungle Phillips was given a new lease on life after his doctor gave him surplus drug samples from his fridge. Jungle still goes to restaurants, but a friend says he is failing visibly week to week.

*

A worthy soup kitchen client said she couldn’t get anyone to repair her electrical wiring, roof and door locks because she was embarrassed about the rooms filled with stuff. She said hoarding was an illness, but she had to do it.

*

A former staff member of Premier Don Dunstan goes to a free food joint. He likes the intellectual discussions, but has trouble with 5AA phone-in celebrity Peter from Marden (formerly Black Forest).

*

Dennis the Deserving (formerly Dennis the Menace) had an argument at Grill’d over a client blocking the entrance of a neighbouring clothing shop as the queue extended down the street.

Dennis said the song of the T.V. show was written about him.

Early 11 May 2025
​

Le Lefevre Underbelly

The scene resembled poverty from another era and not from an affluent seaside suburb. Some men dressed in dark colours eyed each other with suspicion. Or they focused on their inner demons invisible to the rest of us. Or they were simply exhausted from the rigours of 24/7 vigilance while living outside.

The porch light was left off, but the lights from the street reflected off darting eyes watching for trouble. Three newcomers with faces covered in masks or hoods emerged from the darkness, one dropping to the ground a swag of blankets and mattress wrapped in a tarp tied together with coarse plastic rope. Two others rolled up with wheeled suitcases and miscellaneous bags.

Another man slept on that aged park bench with paint peeling off dry rotting wood. He’d dragged it across the driveway from near the rubbish bins and placed it against the church hall. A plastic chair at the end gave rest to his extended feet and ankles. He muttered loudly to himself like we all do on the street.

Lester on his invalid scooter told us he’d been dead for a week due to a lung infection and heart failure. He’d climbed the stairs and met The Father who told him he was going the wrong way. Lester crawled back down until he met The Devil who prodded him with a pitchfork while ordering him away. Lester said the doctor and nurses laughed when he emerged from the coma.

A volunteer emerged from the kitchen door saying the cook had phoned at 12:45pm to cancel so they’d bought chicken and chips from a takeaway joint. And since they had just four workers, it would be takeaway only and no coffee. No one groaned despite those living in the dunes or under the jetty having looked forward to escaping nature for half an hour.

The doors opened at 5:30pm, half an hour earlier than before. The chicken and chips were cold. I gave the chicken to a man who couldn’t eat because he’s on Ozempic so he gave it to a homeless man with a hair bun. The takeaway bags contained a decent apple and banana, fresh Semaphore Bakery bread and a horrible sandwich.

The doors closed at the usual opening time whereupon a few stragglers turned up in the darkness not realising the opening time had moved forward thirty minutes. And a thug on drugs intimidated a disabled man from Semaphore Hostel to handing over his food bag.

Then we departed leaving the sleeping man to spend the night muttering to himself.

Fred’s Van Semaphore
St Bede’s Anglican Church Hall (near Semaphore Road), 200 Military Road, Semaphore.
No I.D. or registration required. 5:30 pm Sunday. Free. Rushed sit down meal. Clean toilets. Diners rarely tip over of tables and fight. Decent volunteers without a single lunatic amongst them. Water tap in the garden. Tap behind hall requires 4-way handle key. Drug addicts.

Early 10 May 2025

The new joint at Ingle Farm

The worker wearing an identity badge said she went to the Victory Church free food event at the Para Hills Hub after I told her it was horrible. She said it was good. She also said the free lunch at the Uniting Care outfit in Salisbury was also good. They all say this. They go there as fellow welfare workers and are treated as such. If she dressed down and went as a client hanging her head in shame then the experience would be different.

While we talked, an educated soup kitchen client told us how his father had built Auschwitz and Buchenwald slave labour camps during World War 2. He said the Polish slave labour workers weren’t tattooed like the Jews, but still 50,000 died from disease in the construction.

He said when a Polish man died, his father helped a Jew exchange his Jewish labelled clothing with Polish so it appeared that the dead man had been Jewish. He said they had to be quiet as anyone hearing what was going on would inform the Nazis in exchange for a bowl of soup and they’d be shot.

He said the Japanese embassy wrote visas for Jews who were sent across Siberia to Vladivostok, but were rejected by the Japanese embassy there so they were sent to Shanghai that already had a large Jewish population.

The free food session ended half an hour early as the church was having a meeting. The exceptional bag of food was so heavy I hurt my knee dragging it to my car. It contained the usual type of packaged and canned food, but it was all store-bought and nothing rotting from Second Bite or Food Bank. And the church gives it unconditionally and without entering our personal details in the Eternal Shame File.

Ingle Farm Baptist Church
Ingle Farm Community Centre, 58 Beovich Road, Ingle Farm. Free heavy grocery hampers 9:30 – 11:00am Mon. Free excellent lunch 3rd Wednesday of month at 12:30pm. No I.D. required for Eternal Shame File. Ph 8395 4127. No Stiffs in attendance yet. They’ll come.

Early 9 May 2025

(above) Grill'd on Rundle Street, Adelaide offers a quality burger, chips and drink without charge for homeless culture people 5pm to 7pm the first Tuesday of the month, that's this Tuesday. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Clifton Street at Blair Athol

There were thirty-two diners including one child with nearly every chair taken. Two young women dressed in colourful patchwork dresses along with their mother cooked and presented the food.

This was lasagne with meat, soup with bacon, a fresh salad, Coleslaw, garlic bread, tabouli and another bulgar-style dish. Dessert was some sort of cream in a biscuit topped with a raspberry or blackberry. Drinks included barista coffee and soft drinks from the fridge.

The religious talk was based on the idea: “Does praying get you to Heaven”. The answer was, “No,” because believing in Jesus was the only way to get there. A few people were interested, but it generally wasn’t an infectious idea that left us conversing for hours. One diner pissed his pants. He said, “I think this must be incontinence.” I told him I do it all the time.

One diner said she was thrown out of the Crazy Horse strip club after complaining that they were exploiting a rich disabled soup kitchen pervert who spent thousands of dollars in a single evening.

It was a pleasant and uneventful gathering.

Faith Works Blair Athol
5 Clifton Street, Blair Athol. 10:00am to 3:15pm. Mon – Fri. Three free items per visit, which can be every day. Free 2kgs fruit & vegetables then $2 kg after that. Bags of frozen food $20. Free membership, but $5 replacement if you lose card. Other stuff costs money.  I.D. required. Occasional carpark giveaways where people behave like animals. Free quality meal, barista coffee 5:00 – 6:30pm every second Friday. (Dates on front of building).

Early 8 May 2025

(above) Two lost souls sat in this alcove at the North Park shopping centre. They brought an electric jug. Management upon seeing this quickly installed two children's gaming machines, never used. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Inadequate communication

The joint was locked and empty as the first diners arrived at 4:30pm. By 5:30 we suspected nothing was happening. The dining room contained ladders and dangling wires instead of tables and chairs.

There had been takeaway only the previous two weeks and then we heard from another client the place was completely closed until the 15th of May. The government was replacing the air-conditioning as well as repairing the front of the building where someone drove through with a car.

Fifteen diners waited until 9pm for a service that wasn’t going to happen. The formerly homeless N.D.I.S. man gave away huge bags of American cheese crackers and a bag of chips that I ate like a man starving.

A woman arrived via the park apologising that she stunk. She said she had just gotten out of an industrial rubbish bin. She carried an expensive esky in a shopping trolley that she would clean and give to the N.D.I.S. man. She said competition for stuff put on the street had become fierce with the influx of Moslems. But competition around industrial rubbish bins was nil because Moslems didn’t dive into bins. And she added that some Moslem homeowners were her most extravagant donors.

A man and woman in bulky clothing, each carrying a large sleeping bag hovered in the darkness. They moved forward when the N.D.I.S. man handed out crackers then retreated when they saw it was a private distribution amongst friends. I made coffee from the back of my car.

A 10-year-old boy played a military game saying he’d inflicted two head shots, but the enemy had sneaked behind and killed him. A woman said she had been annoyed while robbing a Salvation Army donation bin when she discovered someone sleeping inside. The retired R.A.H. nurse hung around the entrance not engaging with us. Another diner showed us an old Boom Box he’d recovered from a recycling bin. He said it would fetch $200 despite being 30-years-old. Another diner who was unemployed and caught a bus said young people don’t want to work and then talked about car engines in great detail. Someone talked about Crown Prince Wayne from the old Anglicare Food Barn at Elizabeth or maybe I was dreaming this.​

Then one-by-one we left leaving the rubbish bin lady calling out, “I’m alright, I’m alright,” as she proceeding with her work of the night.

Fred’s Van Kilburn
Kilburn Community Centre, 59 Gladstone Avenue, Kilburn. 7:00pm every Thursday. Sometimes excellent meals with soup from The Wine Centre. Takeaway bags no good, but the shouting and yelling is worth the visit. I.D. or registration not required. Good toilets, but lights makes your eyes appear red and your teeth yellow. Volunteers highly educated or naturally intelligent.

Closed until 15th of May. 

7 May 2025

Stevo’s at Sefton Park

The Reverend Diane Holden suppressed the urge to weep when announcing she was leaving the church to take up a position at Clayton Uniting on The Parade at Beulah Park. The Clayton church previously hosted a free lunch service, but turned nasty when ungrateful clients voiced aspects of their bitter lives. In contrast, the staff at Sefton Park Uniting Church have transmuted the expressions of our disappointing lives into a certain tolerance for each other. The three Helens and others were instrumental in this process with the preacher Diane Holden being the second pillar. With luck Diane will take this priceless skill to Clayton’s Uniting Church.

Last week, Nando’o provided a quality chicken meal while the church provided a fresh salad, sandwiches and for me Falafel that doesn’t contain meat. There were the usual volunteers with a new person named Sanjiit.

An elderly diner in his late eighties made another escape from the nursing home. He told us about his utility vehicle being torched outside the KSM IGA at Kilburn a few years ago. He had been trying to sell it. A man from China offered him $1000, but he told this potential buyer to spend the money on a leaky boat and head back to China. The ute was subsequently burnt in the supermarket carpark. Why it was left there overnight is anyone’s guess, but the owner evaded the question whether he torched the vehicle for insurance money.

Another diner of superior intelligence forgot how to return to his home where he’d lived most of his life. He plans to do a memory test with a doctor. He said he sleeps during the day and awoke during the night and made some porridge. I also sleep during the day and awoke the next night wanting to make porridge. However, rearranging the car for cooking is too difficult during the night. I also lost three walking sticks in three weeks, but wisely avoid doctors in case they insist I do a memory test. I can’t remember the last time I did one.

The clients at Stevo’s are of superior behaviour including Dennis the Menace (now known as Dennis the Deserving). He isn’t a menace except in the eyes of parking ticket inspectors from his era of living in his camper van in the city. He parked anywhere.

Tuesday brunch Sefton Park
Enfield Uniting Church, Corner of Park Street and Main North Road, Sefton Park. (next to Target). Ph (08) 7120 7837. 10:00am to 12 noon. Tuesdays. Only during school terms. Best arrive early. Free. No I.D. or registration required for the Eternal Shame File. Free excellent brunch, takeaways and games. Horrible gossip discouraged. Diners include recently released criminals with wild stories. Six free pantry items every two weeks requires Centrelink card.

6 May 2025

(above) Social media influencer Sonia Blackwell distributes quality free food to homeless people every Saturday in the Tea Tree Gully area. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Sonia Blackwell cooks much of the food she gives to people living outside. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) What the hell is this? I bet it tastes nice. I am thinking of moving my homeless camp to Modbury to be on Sonia's distribution route. (Second Editor, Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Some homeless joints provide small mountains of sugary baked products that destroy health, but Sonia Blackwell gives away tasty and nutritious food to homeless people. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) While government funded agencies spend huge amounts of money running around collecting data on homeless people, Sonia Blackwell provides practical help at no cost to Adelaide's taxpayers. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

Free toasties at Bagster Rd., Salisbury

The kitchen staff at the Bagster Road Community Centre at Salisbury don’t ask for I.D. or any personal information. They don’t ask for payment. There isn’t a donation tin. They ask what you want: ham, cheese, tomato, salt, pepper, onion? They record your order on a big piece of paper and give you a number. When it’s ready, they bring it to your table. You can get up to four sandwiches from about 11am to 12:45pm every Wednesday. You don’t have to pay a cent.

The staff are professional. Who they work for is anyone’s guess. They include a white woman, two black African women and a black-skinned man, two Indian women, all of whom are polite and professional. They do it to build up a resume when seeking paid employment.

It’s not considered proper to mention skin colour or ethnic origin, but it indicates interesting and diverse staff. Of course, black African women aren’t all the same. Some are breathtakingly arrogant while the ones working here are natural, confident and friendly. One danced and smiled when an old white fella played his guitar and sang.

In contrast, the same class of people working at the Chelsea Ireland Food Hub at Hindmarsh are demoralised and ooze contempt and indifference.

Those working at the Bagster Road Community Centre at Salisbury provide unlimited instant coffee from those expensive satchels, but it’s the toasties that are the masterpiece. Unlike some free joints, the staff make sure they’re toasted to perfection. Most places don’t toast them enough.

Client numbers are very low since hardly anyone knows about this free service.

Two old white men played guitars and sing each week. A charming black African girl joins them with two instruments. She is there to learn music from the two old white guys. A woman at our table told them to keep the noise down, but they ignored her. She can be embarrassing to be around since surgeons cut out her thyroid gland.

Puddle Jumpers Chelsea Ireland Western Food Hub
​Brick building on grass near corner of Anne St. and Port Rd., Hindmarsh. Ph (08) 7071 5270. Rotting fruit and vegetables. Decent bread, occasional groceries, hot coffee, hot food, eat outside. Tiny clothing rack. A few drug addicts. One-dollar donation. Opening times may be 10am – 2pm and 4:00pm to 8:00pm seven days a week, but the place is subject to volunteer availability and thus frequently not open. Shower truck scheduled Wed and Fri, but rarely there. Toilet. Water tap outside 24/7. No I.D. or registration required. Quality staff rough around the edges. Orange Sky Laundry 6:00pm – 8:00pm Fridays.

And at Bagster Rd. Community Centre, Salisbury Monday 5pm meal and groceries $1 donation. Free if broke. Free toasted sandwiches, coffee Wed 11:00am. No donation. Free vegetables Tues 10:00am. No donation.

Early 5 May 2025

(above) Three police officers attended while the Salisbury Council removed the homeless woman's tent and bedding, presumably to send it to landfill. A kindly neighbour is taking care of her dog. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, May 2025.)

(above) Homeless woman with elderly dog camped on corner of Henderson Avenue and Montague Road at Pooraka. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

(above) This brave and audacious homeless woman chose a highly visible location rather than hide in the bush at Pervert Park next to the children's playground. She gave permission for her image to be used. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

On the Street

A client accused the gardener at Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army of deliberately denting clients’ cars.

*

Revival City church sent messages to dining clients saying their morning tea was scheduled for last fortnight. When diners arrived they discovered the place was locked and empty. The actual date was the last week. Th messaging system was automated so didn’t take account of the holiday closure. No correction was made, but last week’s morning tea was excellent.

*

Tea Tree Gully Salvation has notices of their excellent free cafe opening hours, but the place was closed. Staff shortages and discouragement of volunteers might be the reason for limited opening hours. Thefts of cafe supplies by a tiny number of hoarding clients hasn’t helped. But it’s a wonderful service providing one doesn’t get involved in interpersonal conflicts.

*

The next free lunch at the Ingle Farm Community Centre on Beovich Road is at 12:30pm on Wednesday the 21st of May at 12:30pm. They don’t collect personal data except first name and post code where you live. The spacious dining room is clean and the tables are covered with cotton cloths then paper place mats. The cutlery is shining, clean and expensive. The food is good, but they don’t serve coffee.

The free lunch is served on the third Wednesday at every month in the Sophia Room.

Baptist Church staff aren’t familiar with Stiffs, Dogs and Stinking Mutts so we should go easy on them. The church staff are friendly and shower regularly.

*

Well, the election is over.

Early voting began on the 22nd of April. I got there at 8:30am as the doors opened on a vacant floor of the nearly empty Enfield Plaza shopping centre. There were twenty people ahead of me, but the queue wasn’t moving because something went wrong with the printers.

An electoral official asked if we were all local electorate voters. Everyone was except me as a homeless silent voter. They put me in another queue of one and I voted quickly, casting my first vote to Alex Antic for standing up to the Covid injection enforcers and then the Trumpet of Patriots for their plans to reclaim the military fighter plane air base operated by the Chinese government inland from the port at Port Hedland in the Pilbara.

The main excitement of the voting was a woman running across the first floor that made the building shake. What a flimsy structure. No wonder it’s empty.

*

A man at my campsite vomited coffee on the ground that he’d drank at the Lyell McEwin hospital while receiving treatment for his bad heart. He asked if the homeless man living in a hole in the ground near my campsite was bothered by insects. I said I didn’t know.

*

Two police officers visited my day camp at Elizabeth. I said very little to them due to a red light on their apparel indicating they were recording our encounter.

The police give me no trouble in my unusual homeless lifestyle, but being recorded discourages dialogue. And my experience of police while being on the terrorist watch list has tempered my view of what they can become when following orders.

4 May 2025

(above) The key to survival in the homeless scene is the strength to be alone without succumbing to panic. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Another homelessness summit

Adelaide will be the location of the next homeless summit organised by the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness. So far they’ve lined up an international speaker named Lorraine McGrath from Scotland. More speakers will be contracted for the conference in October this year.

Why don’t they bring back those international speakers and bureaucrats from the past 15 years who said they would abolish homelessness in Adelaide within two years. They could explain why their plans didn’t work and how much was spent on their programs.

More details for the homeless summit will emerge as the year progresses. The man behind this gathering is baby-faced David Pearson, another ideologue who at least doesn’t protect child molesters like David Waterford.

Waterford was the Executive director of the government’s Social Inclusion Unit under Monsignor David Cappo that was going to end homelessness in Adelaide. Waterford’s role was to feed fake statistics to the media each month saying money diverted from welfare housing to social control programs was reducing homelessness by hundreds every month. The truth was that nothing was changing except resources for homeless people were being reduced. He was rewarded with promotion to the position of head of Families SA and deputy chief executive of the South Australian Department of Education and Child Development.

But his career unraveled when he was caught misleading a government Minister about a child molester working within his department having being arrested.
​
He resigned in disgrace, but with a huge financial package meaning he’d never have to work again.

And so we’re having another conference with new clowns making the same promises of reducing freedoms for homeless people under the guise of “support”, which effectively reverses the freedoms introduced by Premier Don Dunstan in the 1970’s when he decriminalised homelessness.

Summit details

https://mailchi.mp/saaeh/save-the-date?e=a7a3cea2d3

Another international speaker

https://www.simonscotland.org/

Waterford’s resignation.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-28/families-sa-david-waterford-resigns-after-misleading-superiors/5629114

3 May 2025

(above) Some government funded homeless joints spend vast amounts on fake services while Enfield Uniting Church offers an essential of life without charge. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

MyAgedCare walking stick saga

A middle-aged woman on a half-million dollar annual N.D.I.S. package got me thinking. She didn’t appear disabled apart from being totally insane. And a man on a quarter million dollar annual package was still able to get around. Even a friend of forty years on a MyAgedCare $60k annual package seemed as healthy as myself – and he lived in a house.

So I thought I’d try to access MyAgedCare for a $35 walking stick. I lost three in shopping trolleys over the past three weeks after getting confused by supermarket lighting.

So I phoned MyAgedCare. I’d been on it five years ago before getting evicted from the Anglicare retirement complex. MyAgedCare supplied me with a shower chair after interviews and signing three documents surrendering both my past and future privacy. A drug addict working for Resthaven delivered it. She got a bit nasty after asking me why I had the wrong number on my retirement unit. At the time, drug junkies working for a motorcycle gang were seeking my whereabouts.

I’d phoned MyAgedCare three years ago asking them to buy me a tent saying homeless drug addicts had stolen my tall tent at Port Adelaide while I was in Tom Court Covid Hotel. I told them my new cheap tent was so small it was difficult to dress in due to my extensive arthritis. Their answer was “No,” but did I want another shower chair or hand rails.

Two years ago I wanted to quit MyAgedCare and asked them to remove my name from their active file. The person on the phone agreed, but that was a lie. When I called last month I was still an active client. Apparently, you never leave MyAgedCare, similar to trying to leave a motorcycle gang or the Mafia.

The person on the phone said they’d get back to me about purchasing the walking stick, but didn’t. I phoned two weeks later and got an equipment purchasing number with $1000 credit to spend. But there were strings attached.

The purchase had to go through a private contractor. The man on the phone said some joints would pay the full price of the walking stick while others would require a partial payment from myself. He said I had to go through a government funded group called O.P.A.N., the Older Person’s Advocacy Network. They would help me locate the best contractor. There wasn’t a list for the public to access.

But the O.P.A.N. woman on the phone said they only referred people living in the Playford Council area of Adelaide and not homeless people like me. Camping behind the defunct General Motors Holden factory in the Council area didn’t seem to qualify. But she said she’d pass my name to another organisation and was true to her word.

She called back and recommended Home and Homeless at Salisbury. She said they also did MyAgedCare work and would help me get the walking stick. I said I don’t want to deal that joint. I’d spent an hour in an interview with someone named Twi years ago. She used my answers to personal questions to create a file then said I wasn’t their type of client: not mad, bad or sad. Being old, infirm and homeless didn’t count.

I’d discovered Housing and Homeless at a Men’s Expo’s run by women. I’d complained to one stallholder that only men should operate a Men’s Expo. She got nasty and tried to get three old men to chase me from the building.

So then I got a call from the Aged Rights Advocacy Service (A.R.A.S.). The well-spoken employee with a large dog barking in the background asked if I was “struggling with mobility” and “looking for help”. I suppressed my annoyance with this terminology then said I just wanted the government to buy me a $35 walking stick from my Goods Equipment Assisted Package $1000 credit fund, but then added a memory foam mattress for sleeping in my car would also be appreciated.

She said I was required to visit a physiotherapy contractor for an examination to take measurements of my body. I said walking sticks are adjustable and I didn’t need any examination. She said it was a “health and safety” issue, but didn’t elaborate. She said and the physiotherapist would determine “what piece of equipment was best suited for you.”

She said the physiotherapist might charge a co-payment for the measurements. Then she phoned HealthStyne at the Elizabeth swimming pool who said they’d do it without charge, perhaps seeing the potential of a long-term patient for their swimming pool therapies. I hate water.

As to the memory foam mattress, that didn’t come under mobility aids and I needed to get a different funding package from MyAgedCare. And this could be achieved by submitting to a more thorough examination by the HealthStyne physiotherapist. And maybe I’d get the $60,000 annual package and have a Support Worker who would fill up my water container from taps behind churches.

As to getting a list of what was available via the Goods Equipment Assisted Package, the A.R.A.S. employee said it didn’t seem to exist. She really meant it wasn’t available to the customers. That would empower us.

At this point the alarm bells began ringing. I remember when a doctor referred me to the Air Liquide business when I said I had trouble breathing. After I used their “Mickey Mouse” home testing kit they said I had sleep apnea and needed to buy one of their $3000 breathing machines. Then the doctor tried to stop me from driving. He’d already become hostile with me when I refused to get the Covid injections and published photographs of the Aboriginal semi-prison camp located in the Adelaide CBD parklands. I lived in fear for 18-months as the doctor had told the driver’s license department I shouldn’t be driving.

Luckily, a free food joint man known as The Academic put me onto a bulk billing Moslem sleep specialist who got me into the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a professional overnight sleep apnea test that showed I didn’t have the condition.

Meanwhile, I decided this was the end of my quest for a $35 walking stick. The process to get it would cost the government many times the purchase price and I would become enmeshed in another smothering bureaucracy.

Instead, I went to numerous charity fundraising shops and bought an armful of wooden and aluminium walking sticks. Problem solved.

2 May 2025

(above) A thin passage between a shed and back fence at a church in Glenelg. This is like finding a gold mine for someone exhausted and walking the streets at night. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

(above) This excellent sleeping area goes around the corner providing homeless people with an escape route from an ugly class of predators that targets vulnerable people in the homeless scene. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Not a Stiff in sight

The dining room resembled a restaurant with elegant chairs, table cloths, exquisite cutlery and expensive paper serviettes. They required our first names and suburb post codes then issued sticky labels displaying our names.

Water was served, but no coffee. The meal was either chicken or shepherd’s pie. I got some excellent fried rice with vegetables plus a fresh salad, bread bun and real butter. Two clients next to me got Shepherd’s pie, but neither ate more than a bit. One is on Ozempic. They both got doggie bags at the end of the meal.

Dessert was an exceptionally nice cheese cake in either vanilla or raspberry flavours. The conversation was upsetting. We bombarded three church people at our table with stories of desperation in the homeless scene. I felt I was shrieking like a madman with tales of blood and gore.

Another diner said his former Care Worker was the niece of legless man, the heroin addict who begs for money next to cash machines outside banks. He wears a cardboard sign around his neck saying he needs money for diabetes medication. He lived in a brand new three bedroom Housing Trust house, but within a month it reeked of vomit as a side-effect of his heroin use.

The niece let him stay in her house, but when she went to work he sat out front with his begging sign. At night, he allegedly stole money while she slept. However, a friend of the legless man – and she doesn’t use drugs – said she trusts him and he’s never robbed her.

A Salisbury Council employee urged diners to use the library. But who uses libraries these days, just fathers with two-hour access to their children, parolees doing Department of Corrections courses and unemployed people being interviewed by crooked employment contractors. Intelligent people, even normal people avoid libraries that have become surveillance nodes.

Anyway, I asked the Salisbury Council employee named Michelle if I could sleep in the library. She agreed providing I didn’t snore. She also said the Para Hills Hub was open every weekday for free coffee.

Michelle also said there was a free Thursday evening meal at the Para Hills Hub, but two diners at our table said it wasn’t any good because they took pictures and video of diners, served only meat dishes and rushed diners through the meal as if they were animals. I forgot to tell her it was provided by Victory (Life Adelaide) church that used the captured imagery for church internal propaganda.

But getting back to the dining experience, it was very nice except for the lack of coffee. We shall return with our peer group including Mick and Eleanor.

Ingle Farm Baptist Church
Ingle Farm Community Centre, 58 Beovich Road, Ingle Farm. Free heavy grocery hampers 9:30 – 11:30am Mon. Free excellent lunch 3rd Wednesday of month. No I.D. required for Eternal Shame File. Ph 8395 4127. No stiffs in attendance yet.

Early 1 May 2025

(above) The Salvation Army at Morphett Vale offers a free breakfast every Tuesday and Wednesday. See Free Food Guide for details. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Tina was blithering

The 70-year-old university academic lay on his back on the ground in the Elizabeth Seventh-day Adventist church carpark, one shoe missing. Tina was blithering. She didn’t mean to knock the man down with her car. He’s the guy with more university degrees including a doctorate than everyone in the church put together including the congregation. But that didn’t help him on the ground where he lay for ten minutes.

The police arrived first from their station across Main North Road, despite the ambulance station being even closer, next door to the old Food Barn.

According to The Academic – while he lay on the ground – she’d jumped from her car crying that he might sue her. He said he would so her allies said this was the reason for him lying on the ground: to claim compensation.

Tina was in the toilet vomiting when the ambulance finally turned up. The para-medics told The Academic he was too heavy for them to lift onto the gurney. The injured man managed to lift himself up. They took him to the Lyell McEwen hospital where he was released five hours later.

Opinions are divided as to what happened. The 74-year-old man (his daughter is a psychiatrist) who was involved in a punching fight with The Academic earlier this year in the same carpark, said the event was staged. He said the thump was not Tina hitting The Academic, but him punching her car. He cited the position of The Academic’s shoe and the fact that he returned the next day without a walking stick. He said The Academic previously “elbowed Tina in the tit”, and that he had Syphilis left too long to be cured, similar to Ida Amin.

However, the retired nurse in her late seventies who hates both the psychiatrist’s Dad and Tina contradicted this version saying of course Tina hit the man with her car. (Incidentally, the nurse was the victim of Mini-May, an older woman with a bad hip from Gospel City, who last year slashed the nurse’s car tyres and smashed the back window.)

But The Academic says he flew through the air after being hit by Tina’s car and suffered a sore neck and grazed arms after landing on the gravel.

Police are investigating. They’ve checked the church’s spy cameras and plan to view a neighbour’s cameras next door in the house with all that weird wood dumped in the front yard. Each side says the police should charge the other for making false statements.

Meanwhile, rumour has it that Tania wants The Academic to pay for damage done to her car. To get compensation she’d have to prove the The Academic struck her car. The Academic says the cameras should show what happened. ​

The Academic is working on his second doctorate and has hundreds of published articles in academic magazines and databases. The psychiatrist’s Dad has no academic qualifications, but has a high I.Q and worked hard all his life. I’ve known The Academic since 1999 and the psychiatrist’s Dad since 1981 when he helped me deal with violent squatters in Bowden.

Seventh-day Adventist Church at Elizabeth Park
20 Peterswool Road, Elizabeth Park. Free vegetarian lunch Saturdays 12:30 noon. Free bread, fruit, vegetables, groceries Mondays and Thursdays 11:00pm – 11:30am. Centrelink Card required or a brilliant story. Thursday best day. Friendly clients & staff. Occasionally excellent meat, fish and soft drinks. Ph Vilma on 0412 739 369 for details. Not too many weirdos.

Early 30 April 2025

(above) St Francis Anglican at Christies Beach don't answer their phone. They previously offered a free Monday lunch. They use this house after an arsonist burnt down their church. Hardly anyone goes to Anglican churches, Pentecostalism is the rage. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

The shower at Mt Barker

Asking to use the shower at any new place is hard on the nerves. It’s like asking to use any intimate service where you remove your clothing. This is the case at the Mt Barker Uniting Church.

The schedule for shower access varies week to week. When I asked to use their shower, a church member told me to speak to the preacher, Haydon Lush, but he was in prison where he’s the chaplain. And since the church phone is rarely answered and they don’t return calls, it appeared their shower was effectively non-existent.

Then I went to their day centre for Bible study. Without knowing it I was metres from the cherished land – in this case a room containing a shower, washing machine and drier. But no one in the study group knew I was searching for a shower.

Later, by chance I discovered the shower and machines in the Jane’s Place building next to the church that was open Mondays and Wednesdays 11am to 3pm if the old folks’ day centre was open. And any other time you can get someone to open the front door.

So I’d almost written off the existence of the shower room until becoming familiar with the social layout of the church. Once they accepted me as someone living in a car everything changed and to some degree I was accepted as a known quantity: homeless old man. Later, I saw people camping in cars behind the church. There is also a water tap.

This is a nice place providing you tread lightly and don’t rush things. Mt Barker is a hugely growing town, but it’s still a country town. And deep down, the members of the church are protecting their establishment from strangers or whatever can destroy it either psychic, bureaucratic or physical.

Mount Barker Uniting Church – Adelaide Hills
13 Mann St., Mt Barker. Ph (08) 8391 1717. Free food room coffee and doughnuts. Mon & Friday 10am-12noon. Wed 10am to 2pm. Sun 4pm-8pm (fridges in middle of Sunday church service). Free meal 6pm Sundays. No I.D. or registration needed. One-person emergency shelter. Shower and laundry Mon & Wed 11am to 3pm or by arrangement with preacher. Water tap. Outside toilets.

Mt Barker Uniting Church

​Second Editor: I went to the Bible group for historical study, but am not a Christian.

Early 29 April 2025
​

Eye glasses that can identify complete strangers

https://old.bitchute.com/video/b7enkWkGYNX1/

Early 29 April 2025

(above) Some of the free food provided by Sonia Blackwell for homeless people on Saturday Easter at Tea Tree Gully. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

(above) Sonia Blackwell plans in the future to distribute food to individual homeless camps as it is hard to get the Tree Tree Gully crowd together as they hate each other. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Fred’s Van Kilburn

A woman suffering the long-term ravages of crystal meth made her appearance as if a celebrity at a charity event. She somewhat inexplicably carried a box of motor oil unless you know how addicts operate, then it was clear as day.

Her jerky uncontrolled movements of her arms and legs and even her speech indicated years of self-abuse. She adopted the coquettish manner I’ve seen in women released from prisons for drug offences. She might have been 35 or 50. Her speech came in sudden barely intelligible bursts, the words signifying very little. Within minutes she was yelling at a regular diner then marched outside with a sense of authority. That’s the nature of brain damaged Ice addicts, they have a sense of righteousness and having been treated wrongly.

Old Bob arrived on his invalid scooter having escaped a few hours from his nursing home. Within minutes Kristine leaned over him shouting that she wouldn’t take any more of what he had to say.

A woman asked a thin man who spoke in the quietest voices what he’d like to do in life. He said, “American Picker.”

Dominique brought out a trolley of old bananas. She’s the young totally Australian Asian woman who brushes off compliments as if they’re flies. She hands out the takeaway bags with the authority of her voice, but doesn’t rely on force. An older Vietnamese woman took a large amount of the bananas so a white Christian man asked her sarcastically, “Have you got enough?” She didn’t seem to understand his words, but understood his attitude. The woman’s appearance was of some peasant farmer with no concern for appearing sophisticated. But you never know with free food diners, she might have had a doctorate in physics or other degrees like that man who got hit by a car at the Peterswool Road free food event last week. Such people do go to free food services.

Sandy was the head cook this evening and provided a vegetarian version of some sort of stew that once again was restaurant quality. It didn’t require additional seasoning, which is a miracle in the outcast scene. The Wine Centre soup was meat-free though one worker – I think it was Sandy – said he didn’t actually know what it contained as the Wine Centre doesn’t say. Whatever, it was good and didn’t have the stench of urine.

The brain damaged drug addict woman was marched out of the building along with her box of motor oil.

Bill was saddened upon hearing that a southern suburbs Council had destroyed campers’ tents at Marion. I drank six cups of cordial as my scalp had gone numb and three other diners asked me if I was alright: I wasn’t. There were a few empty seats as the drug addicts must have had a different rendezvous with their dealer. Carmel didn’t eat the meal supplied as she is allergic to tomatoes. Her new support worker didn’t eat as she didn’t want to “count calories”. Lily and Catherine the Doctor were missing so there was less drama during distribution of the takeaway bags. They let us in early, which is the new normal. The milk ran out for coffee. Sandy asked if a client wanted to go and buy some. There were no takers, but I wish I’d have gone.

Fred’s Van Kilburn
Kilburn Community Centre, 59 Gladstone Avenue, Kilburn. 7:00pm every Thursday. Sometimes excellent meals with soup from The Wine Centre. Takeaway bags no good, but the shouting and yelling is worth the visit. I.D. or registration not required. Good toilets, but lights makes your eyes appear red and your teeth yellow. Volunteers highly educated or naturally intelligent.

28 April 2025

(above) No Fred's Van at Salisbury Easter Sunday. Diners should check other Fred's Vans as they may also be cancelled. However, the city Fred's Van is always open except Christmas Day. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

(above) You may simply turn up without a reservation. Beovich Road in the Ingle Farm library building. Swamp them with demand. Organisers are proud of getting high numbers of clients. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

On the Street​

A former volunteer at the Lutheran Op Shop in Blair Athol said she quit because she was “sick and tired” of the manager destroying donated items not deemed saleable. An observer of the conversation asked why they didn’t offer the items for free like they did at the Lutheran store.

*

Other shoppers in the North Park shopping centre observe me with pity these days, hobbling on an old wooden walking stick.
Second Editor

*

The City Salvo free hairdresser no longer provides free haircuts once a month. In other words, she is City Salvo’s ex-hairdresser.

*

Poor Lani screamed for a full day in the lead-up to the Easter holidays. She can be seen knocking on neighbours’ doors asking for coffee and tobacco. She allows the shadiest of characters into her two-bedroom Housing Trust house where they torment and threaten her. There was a small pile of syringes on the road in front of her house last week. Poor Lani.

*

Police roused a man sleeping in a car at 7:30am on a Sunday in the carpark at Civic Park in Modbury two weeks ago. They’d escorted a semi-trailer carrying a mining machine shovel into the small carpark. The man moved his car to another area whereupon a parking inspector told him – and the rest of us – to move our cars out of the carpark as they were planning an event.

This is the indignity of being homeless: there’s always some government official giving us two minutes to move on while they watch our every move.

*

It must be horrible being on the N.D.I.S. or MyAgedCare when your support workers (employees) keep asking, “Are you okay?” It must be a legal requirement, but it’s a constant reminder to the client that they are considered not okay, and all this in public.

*

Bradley Trade Services in Adelaide are N.D.I.S. contractors.

In their “Business Values” statement they write that, “Reputation over Revenue underscores our commitment to integrity...Trust is paramount in our relationships…”

But while sneaking through a Housing Trust house being renovated after its tenant had been hauled off to a psychiatric ward, I saw amongst other items a heavy duty tool kit in a stack of her belongings near the laundry door.

When Bradley Trade services arrived in two trucks, I sneaked outside and hid in the bushes for two hours, unable to return to the street. During this time I noticed a tradesman go back to his vehicle on the street where he used an air pressure nozzle to clean an empty tool box of similar appearance to that inside.

After they left, I returned through the house to make my escape and noticed the tool box was missing.

*

The yoga lady who lives in her van went to the Para Vista Lutheran free Monday meal then never returned. She sat at the table of the Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army homeless crowd. That cured her of any further involvement.

*

The formerly homeless N.D.I.S. man has been released from his $90,000 power bill from Alinta. He refused to pay a cent for so long that the debt passed the statute of limitations.

Alinta passed his other electricity debt of $4500 to a debt collector. The N.D.I.S. man told the debt collector if they’d like 50 cents meaning the amount he’d pay each week. He suggested they could write off the debt. He expects the latter.

He said he once paid his bills religiously, but after having strokes and heart attacks his attitude changed.

*

Three of us sat under a light outside the Salisbury Anglican church after the Bagster Road Monday evening meal. When two of us arrived, a woman departed the area carrying much stuff on her bicycle including a tire over her shoulder. She’s one of the night scavengers in the Salisbury town centre. She appeared similar to Heidi from Semaphore Hostel. Heidi was a clean girl somehow thrown aside from normal society.

Jamie-with-the-bad legs arrived with two marauders looking for Wi-Fi. They crossed the road to McDonald’s with Jamie following some distance behind the other two. Since being hit by cars twice, he has difficulty walking and has a visibly awkward gait. In time, he should be flush with money from accident compensation, but these thing take years.

*

The man wearing shorts and no shirt set up camp outside the Westpac bank across from the library. He surrounded himself with shopping trolleys for protection from the might predators that roam the Salisbury town centre. And for privacy from passing traffic.

Homeless people have determined the patrol routines of security guards so they move locations every day and even during the night.

*

A safety officer for the Marion Council said they haven’t confiscated and destroyed homeless people’s tents and bedding for a least a year. The Mayor is Chris Hanna. I knew him at the Unemployed Workers Union in 1980 when he was studying law at university. I also met in the following year the man who fights with the academic at the Peterswool Road free food event at Elizabeth. He helped me when I was having difficulty with violent squatters in Bowden in 1981. I’ve also known the academic since 1999 when we both went to a UFO group in North Adelaide led by a retired Hell’s Angel.
Second Editor

*

Piano Player Wayne is planning a monthly free meal at Unley Salvation Army when he gets out of the Royal Adelaide Hospital where he’s been for a month. Wayne is one of the top ten patients who have been in the hospital the longest time. With bad luck, he may take the record.

*

Poor Lani’s N.D.I.S. support worker visited her on Easter Sunday. She knocked on Lani’s door. Lani came out screaming, “F*** off, get the f*** out of here”. The support worker retreated to her car. Poor Lani followed her while screaming and yelling then marched up the street. She came back and went into her house, slamming the door as hard as she could. The support worker left knowing she’d performed enough “work” to clock up the minimum two hours for a ten minute visit on Sunday overtime meaning $280 would be charged to Poor Lani’s N.D.I.S. package account.

*

Orange Sky’s new operatives performed their shift at the free laundromat in North Adelaide last Thursday. He worked for ANZ bank including a stint in China. She worked in a sexual assault centre. She said it took years to get into Orange Sky after being told they had enough people.

Meanwhile, the washing van didn’t turn up at Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army last Wednesday due to mechanical problems. Missing such scheduled appointments weakens Orange Sky’s credibility and then business drops off. Luckily, the Salvos also have a washing machine and drier.

27 April 2025

(above) Latest Orange Sky mobile washing and drying service schedule. They don't collect personal data for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Full house at Osborne

All three rows of tables were occupied despite this being the small lunch week. They set up an extra table for myself and an English man on an invalid scooter. He drove Adelaide buses in his younger days, but shouldn’t be confused with the alcoholic former bus driver living with Denise, formerly of Mick and Denise.

The fellow sitting next to me at Osborne said the best Rhubarb in the world was grown in the part of Yorkshire where he originated. He finished this statement with the words, “That’s obvious.” He said Yorkshire was the only foreign country in England.

An old lady dressed in white clothing donated three larger and better than usual raffle prizes that were won by three excited disabled people in the middle row of tables. That was pleasant to watch.

The small lunch was garlic bread with either pumpkin or an Italian-style soup not containing MSG, but still with plenty of flavour. I like this joint. And homemade cakes for dessert one of which contained rhubarb. That got the English man talking.

The salt and pepper shakers were faulty, either clogged or of faulty design that free meal joints favour because it prevents thieves from stealing them because they’re no good.

The woman who underwent savage surgery to remove medical mesh said she’s undergoing further treatment to help recovery. What an incredible career destroying medical error she’s been through and without self-pity.

A volunteer recommended that diners use the mammogram x-ray truck parked outside.

Osborne Community Hall (Taperoo Stadium)
Free lunch Thursdays, 539 Victoria Rd, Osborne. 12 noon. Healthy food. Vegetarian option. No added MSG or other contaminants. Good toilets. Decent hall. No I.D. or registration required All workers unpaid. Pleasant building and staff with safe parking. Safe atmosphere. Raffle, but the prizes aren’t much good. Free takeaway bread and vegetables. No diners completely insane.

Early 26 April 2025

(above) Data collectors for an arm of psychiatric, alcoholic, prison release and drug institutionalisation, not much to do with actual housing for those living outside per se. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Old Val and the taser

Old Val appeared healthier than usual though it was difficult to decipher her rapid-fire speech. She’d been released from a mental illness ward at the Lyell MMcEwen hospital a few hours earlier.

Old Val collects receipts wherever she shops for fear of being accused of being a shoplifter. She was at Hungry Jack’s in Salisbury where she demanded a receipt, apparently a second receipt as she’d lost the first one.

The store manager called the police when Old Val wouldn’t take no for an answer. The police arrived whereupon a female police officer told Val they might use the taser on her. By chance, the St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral dead deacon’s sister’s son, Glenn, was in the junk food restaurant at that moment. He told the officer, “You better not do that.”

Police called an ambulance whereupon they put Old Val on the gurney and held her down with a special blanket blanket that acted similarly to a straitjacket. They kept Val in the hospital for about four days then released her. Val seemed better for the experience, but said she hated being in hospital. However, she had a holiday from herself, from her anxiety.

Meanwhile, the St Peter’s Cathedral dead deacon’s sister said she’s out to get the female police officer. She wants her out of the police force. “She’s a bad one,” the sister said.

The sister also said Bronwyn Plate died from cancer two months ago. Bronwyn operated Nana’s Free Food Basket at the Bower Cottages four years ago. They offered a free meal, free vegetables and bread to take away plus an inexplicably popular Foodbank-style store operated by Dion. Unfortunately, drug dealers operated from the carpark resulting in conflict and ultimate disintegration of Bronwyn’s excellent service.

Bronwyn wasn’t selling the drugs, but dealers seized the opportunity of using it as a selling point for her clients, many of whom were on home detention orders in the surrounding streets. One client was a young woman who dressed as if stepping off a private jet. She was a drug addict and aspiring artist. She spoke few words, but her controlled desperation gave her an aura of invincibility.

The dead deacon’s sister said she’s now with her husband who also died recently. Bronwyn began her free food service in the backyard of her Housing Trust unit in Semaphore South. Her death has left many people saddened. A life well lived.

Meanwhile, Nikita, a formerly homeless woman in the Salisbury homeless scene has given birth to a baby. Her friends and fans were overjoyed that it was born normal.

And a Fred’s Van Salisbury client working full-time has left his rooming house. Drug addicted residents stole everything of value that he owned and even drained his car of petrol. Despite working full-time he can’t afford housing so his employer lets him sleep in the Board Room during weekdays.

Fred’s Van Salisbury
Salisbury Institute building, 17 Wiltshire St, Salisbury (next to PBA-FM radio station).
Sundays 5:30pm. Free quality meal served inside an historic hall. Quality volunteers ensure everyone served. Meal rushed. No I.D. required. Huge government cameras in foyer and dining room. Often a pleasant dining experience. Excellent drug addicts. Tampons available in men’s toilets. Occasional screaming and yelling. Visiting tribal nomads. Heroic homeless addicts.

Early 25 April 2025

(above) Orange Sky has arrived at Tea Tree Gully.

Aloha at Glenelg

Diners waiting outside before the closed doors talked about increasing property taxes. The Holdfast Bay Council wants to spend huge amounts to make Jetty Road at Glenelg more pedestrian friendly. This includes reducing parking and thus reducing access to the beach area for people outside walking distance. All very nice if you live nearby, but less accessible to others. One diner said this part of the 15-minute city agenda.

The woman who lives in a cemetery said, “Our rates went up $3000 a quarter.” She might have been telling the truth as she appears to have had a classical education. These rich suburbs have numerous “black sheep of the families” who walk the streets and beaches day and night searching for meaning.

A man showed us cuts in his bicycle lock chain made by a bolt cutter. “Why would anyone go to that effort to steal a cheap bike,” he asked. “Drug addicts,” we replied in unison. They’ll steal anything.

When the doors opened that strange elderly couple were a little pushy to ensure they got through the front doors first. No need for that. They both wear identical Hawaiian tourist shirts, belts and shorts, but different shoes. Like Austin Powers and that midget.

Another diner thought he recognised someone from Don Dunstan’s circle of friends, back in the days of Camelot. Dunstan removed homelessness from the criminal code.

A diner across the table said the Lutherans served better nasi goreng than the joint on Jetty Road or another in the Myer Centre. All the food contained meat and eggs so I got cold garlic bread. That was okay, a holiday from over-eating.

Some of the Emmanuel College students serving the meal bowed their heads during the prayer, but raised them as if not wanting to be seen doing that. Or maybe they were watching us to see what ratio of us were either heathens or followers.

The food service is closed until after the school holidays.

St Paul’s Lutheran church, 48 Brighton Road, Glenelg (near corner of Jetty and Brighton Roads) Ph 8295 6376. Mon and Wed 11:00am -2:00pm. Parking at rear. Six free store-bought pantry items and toiletries plus bread. Centrelink card details kept on paper and destroyed each year. One visit per month. No card required for free lunch 11:30am to 1:00pm 2nd and 4th Weds of month. Coffee, cakes 1st and 3rd Weds. Nothing too weird about this joint.

Early 24 April 2025

(above) Vagabonds live secret lives on the Adelaide Plains and in the Adelaide Hills. The primary obstacle is facing oneself without distractions. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

A bit of yelling at Glenelg

The drunk white fella stood at one end of the courtyard bellowing that he was going to “smash your face in”. It wasn’t clear who he was speaking to, but he made little rushes towards the crowd of invalids before backing off.

He found focus when a tiny woman on a strange electric scooter came through the door. She wore bright shoes with the word “Versace” written across the sides. The drunk shouted that she was too rich to be here. She yelled back that she got her shoes from the Salvation Army. And the scooter appeared like an antique from the 1990’s. She told him to shut his mouth. He said she should try to shut it and moved towards her, but she didn’t back down.

A veteran at Mary’s Kitchen said the drunk was violent. Another woman showed visible signs of fear while I was trembling from trauma reaction from previous beatings.

Sitting on a bench with the old man suffering cancer, an Aboriginal man of normal appearance talked and talked and talked loudly about nothing in particular. He wouldn’t shut up, but at least he wasn’t too threatening though he did pull the “respect” card every few minutes. He had a wheeled suitcase and a long stick.

The cancer man said someone had approached him saying, “I heard you have cancer. I hope you die,” but I’m not sure who said it.

Ben has a new girlfriend.

When the doors opened, the drunk hung back then moved towards the carpark and back onto the street. I urged him to come inside, but he was afraid. We went inside and he became confused then a wise volunteer named Vanessa gave him a bag of takeaway food and he left.

The Mandarin-speaking Chinese diners talked loudly while Telstra Warren said a Christian prayer. Another Chinese man watched the Mandarins with a stern expression. He’s particularly critical of people grabbing too much food at multiple venues. He’s one of us.

Vanessa give me a non-meat pizza that wasn’t cooked enough so I ate the edges then left the rest. I planned to sneak it to the dirty dishes trolley, but she got to it first and I apologised for not eating all of it. Another volunteer unplugged a fan so a homeless man could charge his phone. They were short-staffed with Giovanni absent due to surgery.

A woman sitting at another table carried a sleeping bag. She said she lost her home and was sleeping in the city. She said she didn’t go to the Hutt Street Centre as she didn’t trust them. She joined a gym to use the showers.

St Andrew’s Uniting Church-at-the-Sea, Jetty Rd., Glenelg. Ph (08) 8295 1771.Tues 6:00pm for free three course meal. Social gathering back of church 5:00pm. Free soup, buns, coffee Tues, Thurs, Fri 11:00am – 1:45pm. No I.D. or registration required except for the fortnightly 6 grocery items, hygiene bags, old fruit and vegetables. One free PBS prescriptions at a Glenelg pharmacy weekly (50 a year). Orange Sky Tues 5:30 – 7:30pm; Friday 10:30am – 12:30pm.

Early 23 April 2025
​

From the anonymous contact page

A kind reader provided more coherent versions of venue descriptions for the free food page. 
Heart and Soul Wingfield

30 Fourth St, Wingfield. Open Mon – Fri 10am to 2pm. Same time at Community Pantry Colonnades shopping centre opposite the Colonnades Tavern. No ID or registration required. 3kg free fruit and veg then $1kg after, free stale bread (max visit 2 x per week), $1 cans of drink, odd dairy and groceries, random clothing, $4-6 meat packs such as 500gm - 1kg diced chicken breast. Occasionally bins of top quality produce. Fruit and Veg hampers available for a $20 processing fee (fee was introduced in covid times as a delivery fee to cover petrol and truck, now it's called a processing fee and you are charged the fee even if you decide pick up a hamper from the warehouse). Items that go into the hampers are rarely available for fee at the warehouse. 

Faithworks Blair Athol

5 Clifton Street, Blair Athol. Open 10:00 - 3:15pm Mon – Fri. ID required for free membership and $5 replacement if you lose card. Three free items per visit (members only ) and you can visit daily. Free 2kg fruit and veg then $2 kg after that. Lots of free bread usually fresh day before bread. Bags of frozen food $20 (in large freezer behind counter - you need to ask as no signage). Variety of odd groceries for a cost.  

Puddle Jumpers Salisbury

Bagster Rd Community Centre, Salisbury Open Monday from 5pm. No ID required. Free meal, rotting fruit and veg, variety of odd groceries (you can choose 1-  2 from a table) and unlimited bread (including bakers delight fresh bread) all for or a kind donation. Don't forget to bring your donation or else you will be growled at. Most staff excellent, but some go off like a firecracker. Get there early as groceries run out quickly

Oz Harvest Hindmarsh

27 Manton St, Hindmarsh. NO ID required. Summer open Tues and Thurs 9-12 and Wed 4-7pm.
Free groceries, bread and rotting fruit and veg that needs to go in bin. The usual offer is 1 protein (frozen meal/ready meal/meat or the like), 1 rice or oats, 2 choices of veg plus a couple of potatoes, 2 pieces of fruit, 1 odd grocery item and 1 bread. Quality of fruit and veg has gone downhill since they opened and is nothing like the video or photos online. Staff are usually friendly although you are frowned at if you ask to swap an item than they give you (because its rotten). Everyone gets the same amount whether you are a family or single person. Long queue at opening time. Safe and orderly. Security on the door on Wednesdays. Winter times change. Manager will cater for dietary requirements and children if you make them aware.

Editor: Thank you. I have replaced some entries with these and left some of the old ones to add variety. You know to write unlight myself. 

Early 23 April 2025

Usually pretty good

Objectivity is difficult as each person has a different experience and so it was at Faith Works two weeks ago. Other diners in the lower than usual sized crowd avoided me on this evening.

The two women in the kitchen had prepared chicken and silverside beef. Since I don’t eat meat I can’t give an opinion of the quality. However, the Brussels sprouts were inadequately cooked and had the bouquet of decomposition. The roast potatoes were hard and without flavour. The two women had also prepared cabbage with bacon and two types of soup or stew that I avoided in case they contained meat or MSG. Dessert was a tiny fake ice-cream cone. The barista coffee was excellent and the waitress had good vibes unlike myself who was either in a seizure or depressed, or not getting enough blood to the brain or all three. Two diners arrived at closing time to which I made a sarcastic comment that didn’t go down well. Faith Works staff served them politely despite the elderly cook being exhausted.

The next free meal is Friday, the 2nd of May. And they don’t ask diners for anything and they don’t collect data for the Eternal Shame File.

Usually quite good.

Faith Works Blair Athol
5 Clifton Street, Blair Athol. 10:00am to 3:15pm. Mon – Fri. Three free items per visit, which can be every day. Free 2kgs fruit & vegetables then $2 kg after that. Bags of frozen food $20. Free membership, but $5 replacement if you lose card. Other stuff costs money.  I.D. required. Occasional carpark giveaways where people behave like animals. Free quality meal, barista coffee 5:00 – 6:30pm every second Friday. (Dates on front of building).

22 April 2025
​

Paper talk

The Christian N.D.I.S. Carer from Africa said she didn’t use toilet paper. She had a bidet and said toilet paper could cause damage. She wasn’t specific. Her client (employer) said she was a Moslem and also didn’t use toilet paper; she used wet baby wipes. “Ugh,” the bidet woman and myself responded in unison.

I added that I hadn’t used toilet paper since stuck on the Zamrud in a Timor harbour prior to the 1975 invasion. Water from a bottle is more effective, paper for drying only. The Christian added that we use our hands for everything so why not for “that”. We continued our meal on the Le Fevre Peninsula.

But they haven't turned up for the last few weeks. 

22 April 2025

(above) Due to increased demand, Orange Sky has added another two hours of free washing and drying at their Melbourne Street laundromat in North Adelaide. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Homelessness Matters Day 2025

An excited group of twenty people gathered near the cafe area in the Ingle Farm Salvation Army Corps building on Bridge Road at Para Hills last Wednesday. They were celebrating what one person called “Homelessness Matters Day”.

Everyone drank coffee from paper cups with writing on the sides. The guest speaker was a young woman with tattoos who had been “homeless”, but had apparently been saved from this condition by the Salvation Army and Unity Housing. She gave a brilliant speech looking straight at the audience and making eye contact with nearly every person. Her only complaint was that “support” had ended once she had obtained housing.

Nearly everyone in the group was female. Someone thanked her and asked the audience if they had any questions. There wasn’t a single question as the group consisted mostly of paid housing support workers. They’d heard the same story many times. The meeting broke into small groups with the “paid support workers” talking amongst themselves with the gusto of people released from a 10-day silent meditation.

At this point in time not one person in the building was homeless except an old man who’d been observing the scene. It would be an exaggeration to say that each paid worker studiously avoided eye contact with him. The truth is he was invisible. Just an old white male and not a source of revenue for the homeless industry. No offence meant.

21 April 2025

(above) Backpackers camping near a homeless man (out of frame) on the Onkaparinga River. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

On the Street

“Lawyers are lower than paedophiles,” said a homeless man at a free food joint who was “taken to the cleaners” in a divorce case.

*

A man has been living on the streets despite still paying rent for a Housing Trust unit. He let his brother use his house while on parole. The brother has become “feisty” so the tenant has moved onto the streets. If he makes his parolee brother move out, he may go back to prison.

*

“I’m not a hoarder. I’m going to salvage materials from a building site. I’ve got more than I’ll ever use, but I’m not a hoarder. I have a shipping container and acreage.”

The speaker said building contractors throw unused wood into rubbish bins that goes to landfill. He is actually doing a service as those inheriting his estate will get the wood.

*

A person found a nightgown covered in faeces on the street. The person washed it then donated it to a charity fundraising store.

*

Fred’s Van Kilburn is shut down until the 1st of May due to building repairs required after that car crashed through the front door.

*

A woman named Brigitte took a homeless man to various Adelaide free food joints. He twice grabbed the handbrake while she was driving. He wanted her to rent a car for a friend. He wanted her to help him steal a car. When she let him out, she gave him $50. He wanted more.

*

“We had to sign a confidentiality agreement. Don was a confused man, a great man.”

A friend of deceased Premier of South Australia, Don Dunstan.

*

A volunteer in the Gateway Baptist church coffee trailer at Whitmore Square on a Saturday couldn’t get rid of some used clothing. He walked over to another stall distributing used clothing to see if they wanted it. When he returned to the trailer, the clothing was gone.

That reminded me of an incident with Margaret Banning (The Equity Queen) at City Salvos ten years ago. The Crony Gang went into the bustling free food room and when Margaret turned her back for ten seconds we grabbed all the synthetic blankets.

When she turned back around she discovered the shelves empty. She was astounded and told others “I just turned my back and they disappeared.”

For us it was sport. One of the blankets I will use tonight while sleeping in my car. During the day it covers my stuff so I don’t appear homeless, but that doesn’t fool anyone.

*

Women are giving me looks of pity when I hobble on my cracked wooden walking stick through shopping centres. Badly fitting used clothing, charity haircut and eyes partially rolled back into my skull create an impression of despair and destitution. What a life.

*

Gateway Baptist church are getting either a new trailer or a van equipped with a barista machine and ovens. With luck, they’ll have a generator that starts immediately and doesn’t require filling with petrol and subsequent fooling around with cables. They’ll arrive and serve right away.

*

An elderly female volunteer looked at me with hatred after I examined the rotting cobs of corn at Puddle Jumpers then decided not to take any.

*

A group of tropical Buddhists supply pumpkin soup to homeless people in Whitmore Square every Saturday. And the Indian man supplies muffins.

*

A soup kitchen client said his friend was recently semi-voluntarily euthanised in Adelaide. He had been denied an oxygen accumulator breathing machine until his lung function dropped to 20% efficiency.

When euthanised, the man sweated profusely as the chemicals put into his bloodstream were adjusted and changed during the four-hour dying sequence.

Luckily, his body wasn’t being used for organ harvesting meaning the organ harvesters weren’t cutting into his body before he completely died. However, he donated his body to medical science. That’s okay, that crowd wait for a person to die.

*

A high quality volunteer said she lived on “The River” at Shepparton for four years. She and her friends earned money catching carp and selling them to “foreigners”. They used the money to buy canned beans and bread.

She added that she likes serving food to people. She said it makes her feel good. She was happy in her work and she made us feel good being diners.

*

A woman at the next table at Mary’s Kitchen said that Dennis the Menace was dead. I said I’d seen him at Stevo’s at Enfield an hour before.

She was referring to Jay North, the actor who played Dennis the Menace in the 1950’s TV show and who died last week. I was referring to the retired school teacher who lived in his camper van in the Adelaide CBD.

The still living Dennis the Menace wasn’t in the best shape last week either. His right arm was covered in a bloody rag. His neighbour threw a brick at him resulting in 17 stitches. Dennis said she also smeared faeces on his outdoor chair and a Housing Trust unit was torched.

Dennis said she’d been acting strangely ever since her son was put in prison for ******.

The government exercised compassion in the circumstances and offered the women a few weeks in a motel while Dennis got 17 stitches and was told that if he made any more complaints against her, the Housing Trust would evict him for racism.

*

St Andrew’s free food coordinator Yelena allowed two men to stay in the courtyard after the free lunch had finished last week. Then an older woman, an office worker, told them to get out saying it was a “health and safety issue”. One man told her they were around the most dangerous people in Adelaide so there was no safety issue. “Get out,” the old woman said.

*

A woman wanted her infirm husband to return to work as a permanent night shift garbage collector at $3385 a week. He said he was too old and sick and added that when he did that job he’d deliberately use the truck to bang into cars parked on the street.

*

Piano Player Wayne is still in the Royal Adelaide Hospital with a kidney infection and problems with his remaining leg. He said he’s the third cousin of Mark Butler the politician. He threatens to put hospital staff “in the machine to be ground” if they don’t provide him with good service.

Wayne better be careful they don’t send the euthanasia team to get him.

*

A formerly happy client of Unley Salvation Army said the food now costs money so what is the point of going there.

*

The drought is in full swing with most free meal venues closed for school holidays, Easter holidays and strange maintenance shut-downs. A perfect storm. A few free takeaway places remain open.

Early 20 April 2025

(above) The Army washing and drying machines are very slow. The Orange Sky van outside the building on Wednesdays has a shorter washing cycle. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Brown Terrace at Salisbury

A man wearing a baseball cap pulled over his eyes wanted to know what happened to his meat. He’d left it outside the church and now it was gone. Church volunteers were astounded at the bow-legged man with sores on his face wanting his meat returned.

A church woman said someone had taken it home for their dog, but nevertheless offered him three frozen packets of meat from the freezer. The volunteer handed him one packet then as the man reached out she pulled it back. She played this game for a minute while pulling his cap lower over his face. Then she gave him all three packets.

The preacher drank coffee from an insulated large disposable cup while others were served in thin smaller water cups. His meal was fancier than that served to others.

Four church people asked if I was alright. I thought so, but might have been having a neurological episode from drinking too much coffee and tea, and had become dehydrated.

Clients arriving for food parcels included one showing a portion of bum crack. Clothing made in Asia isn’t suited for obese male Australians. Another client leaned over the table while holding his stomach. He was there with his “fighting mother” seeking extra benefits so they went into a special interview room. A fourth client had a tattoo on the back of his neck, a symbol meaning “unemployed forever”.

Getting lunch was a problem. The kitchen staff wouldn’t serve me. One told me to get a coffee first, but when I returned he said the chips were all gone and he’d cook some more. After 40 minutes the place was closing so I went to the serving counter and got cold chips still hard. Was it something I wrote?

Outside the church, a man came up to me and said, “Such wicked people call themselves Christians.” But everyone carries imprints from their past that impinge on the present so they can be forgiven.

Salisbury Uniting Church
Cnr Brown and Park Terraces, Salisbury. ph 8258 2675. Clean toilets. Mon to Thurs, 11:00am to 2:00pm. Hampers once a month. Fruit, vegetables, bread once a week. Indoor free lunch every Wednesday 11:15am to 1:00pm. Twenty-dollar Woolworths cards every few months. Some staff grumpy at first, but improve once you’re established. They record your name, but data may be anonymised for the government. Must be Salisbury Council resident or homeless to receive cards and hampers, but anyone can go to lunches.

Early 15 April 2025

(above) St Francis of Assisi Anglican church destroyed by arsonist in Feb 2022. There is anger against legacy churches in the area. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Grill’d in Rundle Street

Teresa Branch from Fred’s Van head office stood on Rundle Street at the Grill’d entrance for the free evening hamburger and chips meal earlier this month. According to a woman living on the street, she was observing those entering to “see that everything was alright”.

But two diners inside said everything wasn’t alright. They said only those living outside or having spent time living outside should be there. That would have reduced numbers from 220 to 130. To qualify for entry a person needs to be a “Friend of St Vincent de Paul or the Salvation Army”. What this means is anyone’s guess, but being a client of these organisations – or at least that type of person – appear to be qualifications. The guard at the door once obstructed my entrance saying I appeared “too neat”. They don’t say that anymore. They look at me with pity.

The Mandarin-speaking Chinese weren’t there. They might have gone to Mary’s Kitchen at Glenelg. The man intimidating the woman who walks the streets at night placed himself sideways near her and swore each time she passed. We’ve tried to explain that she doesn’t like him and that he should face this fact: some people dislike others so he should minimise interaction with her and not take offence.

The nymphomaniac was her usual delightful self, but friends say she’s becoming somewhat chaste. She’s an example of a genuinely nice human being. Horse Trader Steve said the previous night was the best he’d slept since 17-years-of-age. A sleep apnea breathing machine made the improvement. Nevertheless, he was still critical that some diners “weren’t our people”.

There were eleven or twelve paid employees serving excellent food to a smaller crowd than usual. Some diners wanting to pay money were told to go elsewhere as this was a special evening for the homeless crowd.

After everyone left, a few of us sat on the outdoor chairs. A thief tried to steal Lance Armstrong’s bicycle. It was locked so the thief walked quickly down Synagogue Lane and disappeared. Lance said the same fellow stole another of his bikes recently and he’s claimed insurance on it. We thought of chasing him, but we’re both elderly cripples who can barely walk. Lance has trouble even getting on his bicycle these days. And he stopped driving due to sleep apnea. He should get a machine like Horse Trader Steve.

Later, we walked past Hungry Jacks across from Rundle Mall. A man sitting on blankets said he had two-dollars, but needed more to buy tobacco. The woman who walks the street believed him. She thought he didn’t have any shoes. The soles of the beggar’s feet were blackened with shoe polish, but the rest of his feet were soft and white. He was a scammer. He asked for tobacco money because there wasn’t a shop nearby selling it. He wanted money for drugs. There are people living in houses who come to the city pretending to be desperate homeless people. In the morning, he’ll be begging for money for a cup of coffee and commuters rushing to work will give him money.

Grill/D, 187 Rundle Street, Adelaide. Free chips, soft drink, meat or vegetarian hamburger first Tuesday of month 4:50pm ‒ 7:00pm. No I.D. or registration required. Dine in or take away. Street people are amazed something like this happens. Big names in the homeless scene go here. Normal people not allowed in during this time even with money. High quality food, not like McDonalds or Hungry Jacks. Professional staff.
​
Early 14 April 2025

(above) South Australian Police increased protection of their vehicles parked across the fence from a huge Housing Trust complex at Christie Downs. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

(above) A Bevchain driver dumped product near a homeless camp on Port Wakefield Road after some bottles broke and soaked his load. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

On the Street

​“A church charity worker told me that, “The ********* (people wearing Hijabs) come here and get housing in two weeks while our people die on the streets.”

In some cases this is true. When Anglicare was evicting me from the retirement complex, middle eastern people were arriving straight off the plane into our complex then within weeks to better cheap rental housing. But some were refugees and didn’t speak English.

The Anglicare worker who participated in evicting me while resettling the refugees got an Anglicare award for compassion. I had to laugh at that.

*

The Bagster Road Community Centre at Salisbury North provides free coffee and toasted sandwiches from 11am to 1pm every Wednesday. The formerly homeless N.D.I.S. man said they’re very nice, which is a major approval.

*

“Just make it black then you won’t stuff it up,” said a client to a Moose (Chat and Chew) employee in Port Adelaide making him a coffee.

But on the same day diners were blessed with a visit from Victoria, one of the former cooks from Wesley Social Enterprises. One diner told her the food had gone downhill since she left. He’d earlier received a cryptic message from a UnitingSA employee implying the previous fortnight’s meal had been cancelled when it hadn’t. This may be a subjective assessment.

*

A large bodied man is stalking a small elderly woman from a soup kitchen. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. He was running up to her in a dark area saying he could go where he wanted. Others with her said they were having a social get-together and didn’t want him around. It was in a public park. They moved away and he followed them.

*

The words “Care” and “Help” have become ugly words as they’re used to describe ugly actions taken against vulnerable people by self-serving bureaucrats.

*

The Ingle Farm Baptist church is having a free lunch in a room at the Ingle Farm Library on Wednesday, 16 April at 12:30pm. Maybe phone to confirm.

Ingle Farm Baptist Church
Ingle Farm Community Centre, 58 Beovich Road, Ingle Farm. Free hampers 9:30 – 11:30am Mon. Free Wednesday lunches every two months. No I.D. required for Eternal Shame File. Ph 8395 4127.

*

Most free meal joints are closed during the school holidays beginning now and ending on the 28th of April. Exceptions include Mary’s Kitchen at Glenelg. Most free food joints will continue operating through the holidays.

*

I played indoor lawn bowling with old people at the Valley View Uniting Church last month. They host the first stage of the Jasmine restaurant free meal in Hindmarsh Square every Thursday. Some players were in their 80’s with one woman aged 90. They were all better than me. One player was the bush pilot who served boiled eggs in Hindmarsh Square.

Early 13 April 2025

(above) You see the strangest events when living on the streets. A soup kitchen man on an invalid scooter said the High bars are second only to steroids when body building. Another said they're made from dead animals. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

Revival City expands​

The coffee room in the newly acquired building doesn’t have the beautiful view of the church next door. There is a small basketball court and children’s play area alongside the coffee room so parents can observe everything. But last Thursday’s crowd was mostly old folk who didn’t bring any children.

The church spent perhaps $2 million buying the building previously used as a sports centre then spent $1.5 “fixing it up”. The church next door has become too small for their Sunday services. It can hold just 600 people so they have to have two or three services. The money required for the new building came from selling other assets and from savings. What a booming operation compared to legacy churches with incredible historic buildings and who feel satisfied with a Sunday crowd of thirty.

The coffee area was jam packed and a church official said they might return to the actual church building once renovations are complete. Lisa suggested to one of the pastors they should utilised the sports building during the week. Another diner told Lisa, “That’s good you mentioned this because she [the pastor] is completely incompetent.” Everyone laughed including Lisa.

No one in the crowded room appeared to be enemies of anyone else, but we talked about our enemies at other places then stopped as that degraded the conversation.

Revival City may acquire another building nearby. Church members are incredibly generous to their church and generous to us with the free morning tea and vegetable giveaway though not everyone is happy with my criticism of the quality compared to ProvisionCo.

Please note: Their new times are 9:30am to 11:30am.

Revival City (Lifepoint) Church Modbury
Cnr. Milne and McIntyre Roads, Modbury North. In building next to church. Free barista coffee, cake, bread, vegetables, odd grocery item. 9:30am to 11:30 am every second Thursday during school terms. Centrelink Card or I.D. required. Near Pathways so you can knock off both events in the one morning. Friendly atmosphere. Some Jesus talk.

Early 12 April 2025

(above) Baptist Coastlands at Brighton have two large shower cubicles. They're deciding whether to let homeless people use them. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, April 2025.)

A shocker at Hillcrest

The older woman at the Op Shop kindly directed me to the free food section of the NECAP complex.

When I entered that door there was a younger man at the front counter questioning the receptionist whether they gave vouchers for supermarkets or chemist prescriptions. The answer was, “No.” He then asked for food not containing carbohydrates since most free food recipients including himself are obese.

The woman serving him said carbohydrates was about all they had. He said he’d take canned food. She said they didn’t have many cans except beans with sugar. Then he asked the delivery fee for furniture purchased from the Op Shop. She said $20 dollars and $30 for outlying areas. He asked if she’d write it down. She repeated the amounts while expressing doubt that anyone could forget such simple numbers. An older man playing a card game on his computer in the next room said, “Just write it down,” and she did.

“No eggs or meat,” I told her when it was my turn. She said they didn’t have those products, anyway, nor did they have fish. She offered frozen Focaccia with an indeterminate Best-by date. Then bread and frozen rice meals covered with a thin tomato topping, cold orange juice, foul tasting tomatoes, a soft drink, soy snacks, three carrots, rotting grapes and a couple of other items. For this I had to sign a statement allowing them to share my anonymised free shopping details to the Department of Social Security.

While the food was horrible and unhealthy, she spoke kindly and was genuinely shocked to hear I was 73 and had been living in my car for three years after being kicked out of an Anglicare retirement complex.

Outside, a man searched for workers’ ashtrays in the hope of collecting a few tobacco butts.

NECAP apparently doesn’t get funding and operates purely on unpaid staff. They operate from a large property owned by the government. The carpark appears to have been recently paved, but the buildings are old and cheap. The Op Shop is full of decent stuff and has a roaring trade. That’s what finances the joint. Quite a good effort. ​

North East Community Assistance Project (NECAP)
489 Northeast Road, Hillcrest. ph 8266 2780. Open Mon – Fri 9:30am to 2:30pm. For 20 surrounding suburbs. Small three-day food parcels on presentation of Centrelink card. Sometimes blankets, furniture and other stuff. All free, but these require interview about your expenses. Clients include criminals, normal people, and unusual people who appear normal.

Early 11 April 2025

(above) The second and fourth Wednesdays are a full meal. Free and they don't collect data for The Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Faithworks fortnightly dining

A few of us sat on the old leather couch before the main door opened. This is where a homeless woman occasionally sleeps.

Inside the historic hall, a diner said brain trauma, brain tumours and psychedelics open the mind to reality. He said aliens have already landed. He played an interview with an alien on his phone. The alien didn’t have any hair. He didn’t seem to be wearing clothing. He spoke in another language that was translated into English. The alien said human civilisations rise and then are destroyed then rise again. The diner agreed with this and said we’re almost finished.

Bruce wasn’t there. Bruce Kurtzer is the preacher who talks about Jesus for ten minutes between the main course and dessert. Two diners expressed disappointment that Bruce wasn’t there. Others were grateful.

The meal included varieties of pure meat, not sausages, roast tomatoes with cheese, a fried cabbage concoction, boiled carrots, very nice roast potatoes, dessert of some sort, barista coffee, cold drinks from the fridge, quite good. The atmosphere was clean and quiet without Muzak.

A diner said he told a woman to give him the word and he and his friends would eradicate the man who broke her teeth and jaw.

The next evening meal is the 4th of April due to closure during Easter.

Faith Works Blair Athol
5 Clifton Street, Blair Athol. 10:00am to 3:15pm. Mon – Fri. Three free items per visit, which can be every day. Free 2kgs fruit & vegetables then $2 kg after that. Bags of frozen food $20. Free membership, but $5 replacement if you lose card. Other stuff costs money.  I.D. required. Occasional carpark giveaways where people behave like animals. Free quality meal, barista coffee 5:00 – 6:30pm every second Friday. (Dates on front of building).

Early 10 April 2026

(above) A few beautiful resting areas still exist for people camping outside in Adelaide. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Nobody Cares

From the anonymous contact page
​
You'll find over 50% of all the people that attend these places have homes, a large number just prefer there addictions (not always drugs ie chocolate, soft drink, tobacco etc.), "why spend your money on food when there's free food places we can drive around too right?", youll especially see muslim families that send the woman in one at a time to gather as much free stuff as they can from places one at a time to look inconspicuous. Then they simply drive from one to the next until they can feed there entire extended families. I seen it all too often in my time.

Vehicle wise myself i use a mobility scooter with a solar panel attached, i have trailer and storage for all, i can move an entire setup legally without a licence, it does the job well, no need for registration or petrol, plus MUCH cheaper, i also have a blue heeler that eats like crazy and a cat that thinks its a bird (dont ask XD), these all have there costs we cant avoid, but in my opinion a car is a home...also, my advice is sell the car and you got yourself bond, rent assistance means you can afford a little bit more then first thought, considering no more petrol costs, I'm assuming that's a far better option then having a bad back each morning, in that situation buses would work much better and you'd be in a home...

Be safe out there guys, the law hates us and anyone above lower class sees us as a disease now days. Sadly it's the few rotton eggs that always spoil the bunch and we have plenty of examples of that...

Nobody Cares

Second Editor: I’ve talked to women wearing Hijabs. The old ones rudely ignore even the simplest greeting. That’s their culture, but the young ones are slightly Australian. Some arrive at free food joints from different houses go in the same car because they don’t have access to more than one. I’ve seen them collect rotting vegetables from the Western Food Hub at Hindmarsh. They were doing that place a favour by removing the fly-ridden garbage. What places have you seen the Islamic people?

By saying a car is a home, it’s certainly easier than sleeping outside. I know that from experience off and on from 1971 to 2023 when my last tent and camping gear was stolen. But a car still has its problems including it being more difficult to camouflage yourself at night. And saying a car is a home is what Welfare including some Hutt Street Centre employees say to justify denying public rental housing.

Why don’t you live in a unit or house? Welfare housing is hard to get unless you denounce yourself and even harm yourself. And then being put next to raving lunatics. Or private rent with a landlord calculating every month whether to raise the rent or kick you out.

9 April 2025
​

Bagster Rd Mon evenings Salisbury

There was pressure to give a donation. No problems. One doesn’t have to pretend to be poor all the time. The crowd consisted of a pleasant mix of Islamists, Christians, Athiests, Pagans and the odd Buddhist. The conversation was relaxed until someone mentioned Gaza. One diner blamed “swastika people”, but no one mentioned Jewish people. That was taboo.

Clean Phil was there with his extended family including Angry Allan who said, “I’m angry.” That’s why he’s called, “Angry Allan.”

Puddle Jumpers had twelve volunteers dressed in lime Hi-Vis vests including Mrs. “H.” The meal seemed better than usual with cooked capsicum soaking in an indecent amount of oil, just the way I like it. There were also carrots, sweet and normal potato mash, pork, chocolate cake, coffee. I prefer foreign food with extra spices, but the cooks were working class European-descended Australians. The tables were too close together making most seats inaccessible.

The deaf guy was there wearing one hearing aid that didn’t have a battery. I gave him a packet, but he took just one battery. The children played for two hours making anxiety balls and dream catchers. They were served pizza containing meat.

Spending three hours in the building was a joyous experience due to the air conditioning on a hot day that had left me in physical shock. The cooling system struggled nevertheless due to the door opening and closing every twenty seconds. It’s a popular joint.

Puddle Jumpers Chelsea Ireland Western Food Hub
Brick building on grass near corner of Anne St. and Port Rd., Hindmarsh. Ph (08) 7071 5270. Rotting fruit and vegetables. Decent bread, occasional groceries, hot coffee, hot food, eat outside. Tiny clothing rack. A few drug addicts. One-dollar donation. Opening times may be 10am – 2pm and 4:00pm to 8:00pm seven days a week, but the place is subject to volunteer availability and thus frequently not open. Shower truck scheduled Wed and Fri, but rarely there. Toilet. Water tap outside 24/7. No I.D. or registration required. Quality staff rough around the edges. Orange Sky Laundry 6:00pm – 8:00pm Fridays. Also Mon 5:00pm Bagster Rd. Community Centre, Salisbury for meal and groceries $1 donation. All free if you’re broke. Free toasted sandwiches Wed 12:00 noon. Free vegetables Tues 10:00am.

Report for a Monday evening during the heat wave.
9 April April 2025

(above) Calvary Lutheran church at Morphett Vale offers a Thursday 11:30am free lunch except during school holidays. They don't collect data for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Wrap-around strait jacket?

David Pearson has thrown his influence into support for the Labor and Greens political parties in the upcoming federal election. That isn’t unexpected since he’s the head of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness.

David is heartened by the current government’s giving “$6 million in support for peaks and other national organisations.”

“Peaks” are groups who represent other homeless industry groups. They’re advocates for up-selling the homeless product from simple housing to “wrap-around support”.

To prepare for this, they’re training bureaucrats to extract the utmost personal information from homeless people to discover more “disadvantages and disabilities” for which they can collect increased funding. If the homeless person won’t allow this penetration of their social and psychological psyche, then housing is denied, simple as that.

Critics says organisations like Australian Alliance to End Homelessness use money that would be more useful building houses rather than training bureaucrats to use the Online Australian Homelessness Vulnerability Triage Tool (AHVTT).

This is the psychological and social penetration interrogation system initially asking soft questions that degrade into rape, prostitution, sexuality, gender preference and parental behaviours interrogations. Those seeking housing are also required to sign information release documents allowing homeless industry bureaucrats to construct a data base based on the whole spectrum of the applicant’s life. This means linking the person’s homeless file to their schools, psychiatrists, child protection, courts, doctors, hospitals and other homeless joints. The homeless applicants are made to sign forms allowing bureaucrats to contact family members and any of the above. And they won’t advise the client when this is done.

Forty homeless service providers in Adelaide get access to the homeless person’s data base and – everyone will deny this – the personal details will be used as blackmail to coerce the homeless person into entering rehabilitation programs or simply to drug them out. This data base is colloquially known as The Eternal Shame File.

I’ve asked the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness to send me a copy of the Online Australian Homelessness Vulnerability Triage Tool (AHVTT), but they were too smart to do this.

An employee named Lisa Briggs said it wasn’t used in South Australia and thus they couldn’t send it. Of course not, it’s a new model, but they’re still using the international version in South Australia. So I asked for both versions so I’d know what questions they’d ask me when I applied for homeless housing. Lisa didn’t reply to this.

Of course not, they’re not stupid. They don’t want us to see what they’re trying to do to us until it’s too late.

The process of interrogation is drip-feed. They won’t give a complete list of questions so a person can make an informed decision whether to start answering the questions. The initial soft questions become more intrusive then the homeless people become afraid of backing out for fear the smiling interrogator will turn nasty and use the answers already given against them. This is the same process used by telephone and internet romance scammers who instil increasing amounts of threat as they ramp up the extraction of money from gullible lonely people.

David Pearson and the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness also support the Greens Party policy where:

“Once in a secure home, participants will receive the wrap-around support services they need to stay there long-term, and are supported to manage complex personal, mental health or substance abuse issues.”

“Wrap-around support” means being treated for psychiatric, criminal and drug addiction conditions. This may be fine for those having these conditions and wanting treatment, but it is dished out to every “chronically” homeless person seeking housing. The process resembles punishment disguised as help.

Those who live in the homeless scene know this isn’t an exaggeration. This is the nature of the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness. They’re an ideological group of people who are using the shortage of housing to entice homeless people into a web of chemical and legal control as a means leading to straitjacketing the population starting with the most vulnerable.

If this is wrong, then the Australian Alliance to End Homelessness can send me copies of the Online Australian Homelessness Vulnerability Triage Tool (AHVTT) and training protocols. I will publish these, which may show that everything stated above is false.

Second Editor

Australian Alliance to End Homelessness newsletter 

Greens Party homeless policy statement

Early 7 April 2025

(above) The Seventh-day Adventists provide a Thursday 6:00pm free meal at their school on Pimpala Road, Morphett Vale. They don't collect data for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

On the Street

Whatever happened to Frank Pangallo’s promoted dig for the Beaumont children’s bodies? Lots of fanfare then nothing. Meanwhile, there is interest in the hole at Stansbury where Rachel Vaughn says the bodies are buried.

*

I went to a private dentist funded by the state government. The dentist spent 40 minutes examining and cleaning my teeth. No charge. The following week’s consultation took one hour and forty minutes costing the government $1150 of which I had to pay $172. The dentist didn’t charge for work beyond the $1150 threshold. I would have had to pay all of that.

The dental assistant had just finished Ramadan. The dentist was Henry Chan. They were polite and kind and professional at Adelaide Family Dentist in North Adelaide. More professional than the government dentists.

*

Someone gave Mick and Eleanor a huge dog house after a Housing Trust neighbour doxed them for alleged animal neglect.

However, someone punched him in the head at the Elizabeth South shopping centre in regard to the dogs. The assailant ended up on the concrete then was taken away by ambulance, according to Mick.

The Housing Trust neighbour continues her campaign. Mick hopes to take legal action.

*

A predatory woman in the homeless scene is searching for another man to “give me a baby”. We know how that will end up. Eighteen years of child support and never seeing the kid.

*

Mick and Eleanor says people are throwing food over the back fence for their dogs after the corporate media broadcast reports of animal neglect. But excessive food isn’t healthy for the dogs.

*

There has been continuing arguments at Tea Tree Salvos in Modbury due to some people grabbing too much of the free stuff and antagonism between various personalities. It doesn’t get violent, but it’s disturbing to some clients. Some homeless people should be at the front of the queue.

*

The preacher of the Modbury Church of Christ told the homeless campers to leave the property. The issues included campers leaving garbage on the ground instead of putting it into rubbish bins. Three police patrol cars were there as backup.

*

A registered tobacco shop in a major Adelaide shopping centre has been replaced by an illegal chop-chop version. Few smokers buy the legal taxed tobacco. Management and owners of the huge centre are happy with this illegal operation as the shop front would have otherwise been left empty. Shoppers prefer cheaper prices and wider variety from from Temu, Ali Baba and Amazon.

*

A client said the volunteers at the Seventh-day Peterswool Road free food giveaway at Elizabeth spend their own money on food to give away. Oz Harvest, Second Bite and FoodBank have overextended themselves resulting in smaller and lower quality deliveries. Garbage, actually.

Meanwhile, growers at Virginia dump ten or twenty tonnes each week of irregular fresh vegetables back into the ground because Foodbank and Second Bite won’t drive that far to pick it up

*

Operators of the Mobil petrol station on Prospect Road at Kilburn were dismayed to see Fred’s Van clients throwing the contents of their takeaway vegetable bags on the ground in front of the station.

*

The N.D.I.S. Carer for a middle-aged woman at a free food event near Port Adelaide said her client received 24/7 support meaning her annual package was close to $500,000.

*

ProvisionCo continues to provide top quality vegetables to women’s shelters and individuals. They spend their own money to rent a vehicle costing $60 every fortnight to collect “seconds”. These vegetables don’t make the size requirements of supermarkets, but are freshly picked.

ProvisionCo won’t accept old vegetables similar to what FoodBank collects from supermarkets. Nor do they receive government funding.

*

Lutheran Warradale Church has a free community meal every two months. You can leave your phone number with them and they’ll message you for the next date. The meal last week included exotic cheeses, King George whiting, falafel, fresh salads, exotic sauteed vegetables, olives, crackers, barista coffee and varied colourful desserts. A donation dish was filled with large notes probably from church members, but I didn’t notice diners giving anything. There was no pressure.

Diners included the insightful woman who lives in a cemetery.

*

A dying school teacher was confronted by hospital staff who said his options were either being cut off 24-hour oxygen or euthanasia. He chose the latter. It took four hours. A friend said the Adelaide hospital allowed the terminated patient to have his cat present prior to the killing. But the friend said there is little compassion in the hospital and nursing home system.

*

Some free food joints have dramatically improved their services recently. These haven’t been emphasised in the Adelaide Homeless Journal Free Food Guide to avoid attracting hoarders. The hoarders grab half a dozen bags of clothing and food every couple of days then stack it to the ceilings in their residences. Most of it goes rotten. They grab stuff that should have gone to homeless people.

*

A free food client asked in despair, “Why plant a garden when you can get so much for free?”

*

I’ve watched a child grow from infancy to the age of ten. In her early years she enquired about life around her, but now she’s immersed in digital games. Is this healthy?

*

David Edwardes remains holed up in the Regis Aged Care joint at Burnside. Relatives stop him receiving visitors while other relatives attempt to free him. A friend hopes to sneak through security to visit David.

David worked as a surgeon at the Australian Antarctic base, but has since been deemed unable to handle his own affairs. Former Antarctic colleague Duncan McKenzie is backing the group wanting to keep him locked up while David’s sister wants him freed.

*

“Harder and deeper,” wished a diner at Fred’s Van Kilburn about the recent stabbing of Catherine the Doctor in the city. Catherine knocked this diner to the floor two years ago. ​

Early 5 April 2025

(above) St Hillary's Anglican on High Street at Morphett Vale provide good soup, toasted sandwiches and coffee without charge on Fridays 11:30am to 1:30pm. And they don't collect data for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Friday lunch at Mt Barker

One diner has a brain tumour. She chomped on a face cloth. She was unresponsive for ten minutes then smiled most beautifully. Her Support Worker said she knew she was going downhill five years ago. Her condition is getting worse, but sitting across from the two of them is a pleasant experience rather than depressing. Why is that?

Another diner spent the first part of the previous evening in a junk food joint then moved to a concrete enclave in a shop doorway. That was John the Baptist. He’s done this for decades and says Jesus looks after him. So far, so good.

There were either two or three series of tables in the hall covered in butcher’s paper. Two diners from the city arrived on the inexpensive government bus from Adelaide, free if you’re over 60.

The meal included a hamburger stew, roast potatoes, cheese, sour cream, bread, real butter and dessert.

The serving staff were exceptionally helpful. They liked being there. And they didn’t rush us out the door after the meal. Highly recommended.

Mt Barker free lunch Fridays
Anglican Church, 40 Hutchinson Street, Mt Barker. Ph Margie on 0437 738 069. Friendly free healthy lunch in Parish Hall. 11:30am to 1:30pm. Lunch, tea and coffee. Operates through school holidays. No I.D. or personal data collected. Government bus from Adelaide. Very nice.

Early 5 April 2025

(above) Simple food with exceptional flavour from the twice monthly free evening meal at Christie Downs Community House. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

From the anonymous contact page

“I see he's decided not to show the blue Subaru hatchback he's got, instead he just has the rear bumper stuck in there XD dudes got a fancy car pretending to be homeless, it's a bad look if he's the ONLY one posting in here.”

Nobody (Anonymous)

Second Editor: Nearly all the posters here have cars. This one is ten years old, filthy from living inside and slightly banged up on the outside. To get one you give up junk food, coffee from cafes, tents, taxis, buses, tobacco, alcohol, drugs. You effectively stop buying anything and live a simple life under trees.  

But your implication is right, there are many people in the homeless scene driving fancy cars. A man driving a Lexus went to the Oz Harvest free “supermarket” at Hindmarsh yesterday. Catherine the Doctor owns multiple houses.

Please keep up your observations. There are very pertinent.

4 April 2025
Second Edit: 12 April 2025
​

Toasties at The Haven down south

The homeless diner has difficulty speaking. The stroke did that. Doctors treated him in hospital then discharged into homelessness. But now he says this is the year he gets a place to live. Towards Home bureaucrats speak to him regularly. What they say is anyone’s guess. Moving into accommodation is his primary aim. Why must they “work with him”. He’s able and willing, so-to-speak. Used furniture is provided by Ruf Us with a grant from some welfare joint. He can theoretically work the rest out himself, except that the welfare joints operate on a referral system meaning everything takes five times as long and costs five times as much. He’s in good spirits and said we should be thankful for what we have.

Another diner near death’s door was also wearing a cheerful smile. Like most other diners near death, she doesn’t complain to anyone.

A fashionably dressed woman about forty entered the dining room, put her head on the shoulder of a volunteer and cried. She recomposed herself and sat with a younger man. They both appeared of a higher socio-economic strata than the usual homeless clients, but were exhausted and weather blown from the heat wave. She had a bruise or infection from an insect bite on one side of her forehead. She followed him as if in a daze.

Along with the usual free bread and vegetables there were large packets of seaweed. They were ignored until one client talked about its health benefits and cost. The client said he had lived on fresh pearl seaweed and soft-shelled crabs when he camped on the beach. He said the seaweed contained fresh water.

The coffee and toasted sandwiches always taste especially good at The Haven. Entering the room with an appetite is part of the reason. The high quality volunteers get to know the needs of each diner and offer special items kept in the fridge. I said to one volunteer that he appeared healthier than myself. He replied, “I hope so.”

Church of Christ at Christie Downs
165 Beach Rd., Christie Downs. Ph 8326 1153. Tues meal 5:00pm in main church hall. Doors open 4:15pm. Donation or free if you’re broke. Behind the Op Shop free coffee, toasted sandwiches, takeaway bread, vegetables 9:30am to 12:00pm Mon, Wed and Fri. First name asked, but no I.D. Centrelink card required except for bags of groceries, prescription and clothing vouchers. Closed school holidays. Pleasant and helpful staff and clients. Water tap 24/7. Shower Mon, Wed, Friday 8:30 – 9:30am; 11:15am – 12:00 noon. 15-minute free bread 5:45 Sun.

4 April 2025

(above) Camper at Port Noarlunga. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

“All good things come to an end”

From the anonymous contact page

“Colin from Salvos Unley is about to implement a $5 rather than gold coin donation free to access the market day pantry on a Monday – those greedy sense of entitlement folk don’t know when to stop stealing from the poor!”

Anonymous

Second Editor: That’s the last of free stuff from Unley Salvation Army. End of an era. The Army is collapsing. I still rankle for them refusing to give me a Christmas hamper because I was homeless.

Early 3 April 2025


Evening meal at Christie Downs

The donation box is hard to avoid. It’s held high perhaps to emphasise its presence or perhaps to make it difficult for other diners to observe what each person inserts. Half the diners avoid it. Others give a few silver coins: noise and gesture without substance. The donation box has changed the socio-economic make-up of the diners. The hardcore poverty crowd are absent. The misers are absent. The diners present appear uneasy about not donating. A few donate more than a couple of dollars, some five dollars which is the price of a cup of coffee.

Doors opened at 4:15pm for coffee. The meal began at 5:00pm.

Two men have set up camp in front of the Op Shop that raises money for The Haven. They’ll be gone by morning. Being homeless is a matter of timing, constantly moving as safe areas become unsafe. Christie Downs Church of Christ is the most useful church in the area for homeless people, better than the Salvation Army though both need a shower.

The master of ceremonies says we should pray for the Syrian Christian and Alawite people being killed. No mention of 50,000 children in the tiny enclave of Gaza – the size of metropolitan Adelaide – maimed or killed over the past six months. They’re the Philistines destined for destruction by the Biblical Israelites, and converts.

One diner thinks I am old friend who had died. He merges the two concepts into one then decides I wasn’t the old friend. One of the cooks is a friendly diner from Humanity First who invited me to her table. She’s also works at The Haven in the mornings serving free coffee and toasties. A generous woman leading a generous life.

The meal is a chewy tuna mornay cooked the way I like it though it could have included chilli and herbs. That’s a big problem at most free food joints: they don’t have sauces on the tables and sugar usually replaces herbs and spices. An exception is the Osborne Community Centre on Thursdays that serves authentic foreign food.

The Church this evening also gives away old CD’s, clothing and beanies. The beanies were knitted by old women and drug addicts doing community service. Thousands are given away each year at homeless joints, but you rarely see anyone wearing them except the odd homeless schizophrenic. They should forget the beanies and build a shower.

As we leave the dining hall, two women discuss health issues, One says, “Ask your doctor for a vagina transplant.” They turn and look at me in shock.

And there is yelling in the police station next door. This triggers anger in two church people who begin threatening each other.

Church of Christ at Christie Downs
165 Beach Rd., Christie Downs. Ph 8326 1153. Tues meal 5:00pm in main church hall. Doors open 4:15pm. Donation or free if you’re broke. Behind the Op Shop free coffee, toasted sandwiches, takeaway bread, vegetables 9:30am to 12:00pm Mon, Wed and Fri. First name asked, but No I.D. Centrelink card required for bags of groceries, prescription and clothing vouchers. Closed school holidays. Pleasant and helpful staff and clients. Water tap 24/7. Shower Mon, Wed, Friday 8:30 – 9:30am; 11:15am – 12:00 noon. 15-minute meal 5:45 Sun.

Early 3 April 2025​

(above) Port Baptist Church at Largs North after their weekly Wednesday free community meal. A beacon of hope for many. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Gideon’s recluse

Gideon Misajo stood on the stage saying using the right speech was very important and that words carry great meaning. How true is this when beatings occur regularly in the city based on false rumours.

But Gideon’s fine sentiment didn’t stop his relatives from laughing at us low-class white garbage people. They’re middle class on-the-rise people and we’re going nowhere. We are funny characters. I previously pissed myself laughing at individuals in the homeless scene, but once getting to know them I stopped mocking them. Maybe no one should be laughed at in this world except when looking in the mirror. Don’t make me laugh.

But the church kindly purchased a simple-to-use $3500 coffee machine that replaces the barista machine donated by Richard the Taxi Driver. The new machine has controls so simple that a child could use it apart from Lance Armstrong who wanted to press every button to see what they did, then couldn’t understand why the machine seized up. That’s what an expensive education at Prince Alfred College does to a person.

The meat dishes were excellent, but the non-meat options were boiled cauliflower, bread and margarine, and good coffee. For myself, the food isn’t much good, but another diner who brings her senile mother said it’s a wonderful experience.

An elderly diner at our table gave a short talk about being motivated and maintaining a positive outlook on life. I grabbed a coffee and upon returning he had disappeared, never saw him again.

Another diner suggested I was “satanic” for mocking something she said. The previous week another religious diner said I was influenced by “the devil” for being too sensitive.

The takeaway vegetables were atrocious and the bread just passable, but that didn’t stop two regular clients from grabbing and grabbing and grabbing. What do they do with it all? Most of it will be rotting within 24 hours. No healthy to eat.

Renown Park Saturday lunch and takeaway vegetables
Multi-Cultural Community Centre at Hope Grace Church, 59 Tait Street, Renown Park. Free meal Saturday 11:00am. Free takeaway vegetables and bread. Indoor badminton. Sunday 11:00am free coffee and snacks. Provided by the Hope Grace church Greeks plus Gideon and Vika Misajo and Chin Falam people from Burma. Personal data not collected for the Eternal Shame File. Entry back of church.

Early 2 April 2025

(above) Campbell's mushroom soup 70% Australian. The main ingredient is water. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Fred’s Van Salisbury

The man with the high-pitched voice shouted about regional football during the meal alerting the whole hall about various personalities in the game. His anxiety about player trades was a projection of the rising panic in his personal life. He lives in his deceased parents’ house on a life tenure which upon his death will go to his nieces. But the relatives want him out before he dies.

He finds himself in the mid-fifties unable to collect welfare because he worked hard during his working life and accumulated decent savings. He rides a bicycle, drinks too much wine, plays the gambling machines and is a decent human being.

Old Val rambled on about the antics of her budgie. She told me our marriage plans were off. She pokes and strokes me. I occasionally stops her by turning and staring coldly into her eyes. Complaining to her is the worse response. Her mobility is declining, but she won’t go into a Care home. I respect her for that.

The backyard locksmith came across from his camp in the technical college grounds to collect two cups of water. Later he and his friend arrived for the meal. The government lets homeless people camp under the verandahs when students aren’t present. Everything is about timing in the homeless culture.

A volunteer gazed at me with pity and concern. I’m the oldest client and homeless, but some volunteer workers are older than me.

The cordial was warm on a hot day. They should work on this. It isn’t SpaceX technology.

Fred’s Van Salisbury
Salisbury Institute building, 17 Wiltshire St, Salisbury (next to PBA-FM radio station).
Sundays 5:30pm. Free quality meal served inside an historic hall. Quality volunteers ensure everyone served. Meal rushed. No I.D. required. Huge government cameras in foyer and dining room. Often a pleasant dining experience. Excellent drug addicts. Tampons available in men’s toilets. Occasional screaming and yelling. Visiting tribal nomads. Heroic homeless addicts.

Early 1 April 2025

(above) It's important to pick and choose the best options at the Christie Downs Community House, Corner Flaxmill & Morton Roads, Christie Downs. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Clifton Street, Blair Athol

The legendary Rangi made a guest appearance. Older with less teeth, most diners didn’t recognise his prominence in the Whitmore Square homeless scene. Few know whether he’s a dangerous criminal, a follower of Jesus, a benevolent force in the homeless scene or all three.

He was destined to have been aborted, but ended up with a foster family who treated him terribly. He said his only father has been God.

Another unusual feature of the evening was a three-year-old climbing on a chair to get food from the serving table. No one admonished the kid saying, “be careful, you shouldn’t be there, get someone to help you.” No, they let the kid behave as if from the era when children took risks and gained self-confidence and strength from overcoming appropriate challenges.

The child is from a church family. The children play nicely; the older ones teach the younger ones, their voices and sounds are of interest and contentment. Good parenting.

The free meal included Barramundi, Coleslaw, garden salad, corn-on-the-cob, barista coffee, cold drinks from the commercial fridge, potato salad and bread. No one was greedy except the usual suspect who tried to fill plastic containers with hot food before everyone had been served. The preacher was polite and firm, “No, no, no,” he told her. She was like an animal lunging towards a bowl of meat.

Each diner was offered a 12-litre box of orange juice upon leaving. We have to get rid of them, a preacher said.

Faith Works Blair Athol
5 Clifton Street, Blair Athol. Free food 10:00am to 3:15pm. Mon – Fri. Fruit, vegetables, groceries. Some free, other stuff costs money. I.D. required, but not for carpark giveaways or free self-serve meal, drinks fridge, barista coffee 5:00 – 6:30pm every second Friday. (Dates on front door). Constantly changing. Cooks practice Christianity. Safe. Cameras. Humans turn into animals at monthly carpark giveaway. Love it or loathe it. Some staff kind, others certifiable.

Early 31 March 2025

(above) You got to be wary of these cheap food purchase models, but the free bread in the foyer is usually excellent. The address is: Corner Flaxmill & Morton Roads, Christie Downs. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

On the Street

A diner who visits various venues said that Aldinga Fred’s Van cook the best meals.

*

Tri Star Indian Grocery on Park Street, Enfield supplied Stevo’s free brunch service with a huge pot of seasoned meat last Tuesday. They were also robbed the previous week. A thief drove a forklift through their back door.

*

The Saturday free food giveaway in the W.E.A. building on Angas Street in the Adelaide CBD was a “one off” by Life Church. The church does Fred’s Van every Friday evening in Hemmings Park in Gawler Place.

*

Piano Player Wayne is back in the intensive care unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He wants to go home, but the ambulance won’t take him until he’s officially discharged.

*

Gideon from the Multi-cultural centre at Renown Park revived the old coffee machine donated by Richard the Taxi Driver after failure of the new one purchased last month for $3500.

*

Hope Valley Uniting Church, 1263 Grand Junction Road, Hope Valley. Ph (08) 8396 0788. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Free food parcels. No I.D. required. They’re wary of hoarders living in public housing who grab stuff that should go to homeless people.

Hope Church provides boiled eggs, cordial and hot pies prior to the Jasmine Restaurant free takeaway meal in Hindmarsh Square in the Adelaide CBD on Thursdays at 5pm.

*

An IGA store owner in Mt Gambier remembers an Anglicare voucher client trying to buy tobacco. They sold him only staple foods via the voucher so he payed for the tobacco with a fifty-dollar note.

The owner contacted Anglicare saying the voucher customer wasn’t short of money and shouldn’t get further vouchers. The owner said the various “non-profits” around Mt Gambier share information about scammers and hoarders.

But the tobacco buyer probably got many more vouchers because nearly every welfare client pretends to be poorer than they are. If everyone was honest the system would collapse.

*

A diner said St Bede’s was very crowded on a recent Tuesday morning breakfast. They provide an extensive varied breakfast and fresh takeaway bread.

*

The man with a body full of metal rods and plates previously went to City Salvos before moving to Noarlunga. He goes to the Salvation Army at Morphett Vale for their free breakfast on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. He’s a quality man.

*

The Renown Park church on Tait Street has expanded their Saturday brunch to a Sunday coffee and biscuits a 11am between services.

*

Does anyone remember seeing the video on ABC TV of police tasering a man in the back in his own home. The man was walking away from them while on crutches. They said he was carrying a knife. The man says it was a table knife similar to that put next to a plate along with a spoon and fork, not a meat cleaver. And he was walking away from them.

He says police entered his home from an open back door to collect a DNA sample after he was charged with having broken a boom gate at West Lakes shopping centre. The man said the boom gate wouldn’t rise so he opened it by hand and it fell apart.

The man on crutches damaged his hip after being tasered. He had surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but it failed and the man finds himself unable to get out of bed on some mornings.

The incident occurred two years ago and the charges against the man for breaking the boom gate were dropped. But he’s now an invalid.​

Early 30 March 2025

(above) City Light South and Every Day Church provide Hands and Feet Aldi food plus a milkshake for two-dollars at Annie's Cafe 4pm Fridays on Beach Road at Christies Beach. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Arson against homeless people
​ in Elizabeth area

From the anonymous contact page

The torching of the trolley came after two separate arson attacks in a nearby dog park days and a week earlier to that, multiple bushes were lit on fire on both occasions near another homeless man's tent. Possibly related. Either way, being homeless your already in a bad spot in life, it takes a real gutless person to go and make that life worse.

Nobody
Early 29 March 2025
​

Fred’s Van Kilburn

The kitchen staff were exhausted by the time we disappeared. “I’m going to drop,” a white-haired worker told another. A combination of the heat wave and failure of the kitchen air-conditioner had done him in. We were okay in the main hall where the cooling system was struggling, but adequate.

Someone burnt the Wine Centre soup. It was thick like a paste and not really a soup so required constant stirring. Either someone preparing it at the Wine Centre or another reheating at Fred’s Van had left it unattended.

A diner said a friend is getting an arm tattoo removed via an experimental process at CMAX. Such procedures costs $4000, but the patient is an experimental subject and gets it without charge. Even with this new technique the removal won’t be perfect. There will still be a lifelong blur remaining. Imagine those unfortunate white girls living with ridiculous tattoos or blurred sections of skin on their arms and legs or even their faces for their whole life.

Another diner was accused of chasing a homeless man from the building because she saw him as a competitor for free food. The man said outside that he had nothing and went straight to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Another diner is moving close to getting a high-security job with the government. This diner wouldn’t give any details, but has a strong work ethic unlike the rest of us who wouldn’t work in an iron lung.

Due to few clients that evening, diners got multiple takeaway bags of mostly rotting vegetables. One diner got four bags, removed the best items and threw the rest into the rubbish bin outside. That outraged another diner.

At the meal I used one-quarter of a bottle of tomato sauce. An American at the next table did the same. Sometimes kitchen staff at other joints ask sarcastically, “Have you taken enough?” I reply, “No, but I didn’t want to be greedy.” But they say nothing at Fred's Van Kilburn.​

Fred’s Van Kilburn
Kilburn Community Centre, 59 Gladstone Avenue, Kilburn. 7:00pm every Thursday. Sometimes excellent meals with soup from The Wine Centre. Takeaway bags no good, but the shouting and yelling is worth the visit. I.D. or registration not required. Good toilets, but lights makes your eyes appear red and your teeth yellow. Volunteers highly educated or naturally intelligent.

Early 29 March 2025

(above) Brighton Church of Christ application form for free food, but it was all rotten. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Aldi free food Mt Barker​

They offered two free items of groceries, lots of bread and pastries plus tolerable vegetables including excellent raspberries from Aldi. There was no requirement for I.D. or data submissions. If you went a little early, there was tea and coffee.

On Thursdays there is a games hour or encounter group that starts at 10am where people tell something about themselves. The dozen participants were elderly Mt Barker descendants of early settlers, most of them having grown up on farms. The group included retired nurses or women who wished they’d worked as nurses. One participant was a retired Salvation Army officer. She said the hardest part of that job was being transferred every few years. Army officers often find retirement also difficult.

To avoid the Thursday games and encounter group, it is acceptable to arrive at 11am when the vegetable distribution begins, which is regulated so you can arrive half an hour after start time and still get stuff. And you can go there on Tuesdays at 11am.

No one there appeared insane or dangerous, but nearly all the women and half the men were grossly overweight.

Mt Barker Salvo free food
17a Fletcher Rd., Mt Barker. No I.D. or registration required. Tuesday and Thursday 11:00am to 12:30pm decent free bread, vegetables and two or three grocery items. Morning tea and games 10am on Thursdays. Mostly normal people. Just one derelict in group. No I.D. required.

Early 28 March 2025


Rare Lutheran Friday BBQ

The Lutheran Church at 2 Ailsa Avenue, Warradale is having a free BBQ this Friday, 29 March from 5:30 to 8:00pm. Entry is free and they aren’t collecting personal data for the Eternal Shame File. Everyone welcome including Stiffs, Mutts and Dogs, apparently. Phone 8377 1731 for more details if there are any more details.

Early 28 March 2025

(above) The new look of the housing shortage at Port Adelaide. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Stevo’s at Enfield

A worker went to the supermarket to buy grocery items for their free pantry offering. They give away good stuff and not stale garbage from FoodBank.

An occasionally homeless diner of high intelligence who sits on the corner of the church said he previously worked as a gaming machine mechanic at pokies joints. He said he won’t divulge gambling secrets as he signed a confidentiality agreement. He also isn’t allowed to play the pokies, which is a blessing in a very thin disguise. Another diner was a mechanic and served time in the Navy. Horse Trader Steve was there; he was a horse trader.

Staff usually display sandwiches in a chilled raft layered with ice blocks, but last week they couldn’t find the pump to inflate the raft. They also prepare special non-meat meals every week even though most weeks they don’t have any vegetarian diners.

This is a safe venue kept safe by shy men and elderly women, both volunteers and clients and led by a worthy preacher lady. They control the place with quiet and kind words and tolerate individual idiosyncrasies providing they don’t disturb others.

Tuesday brunch Sefton Park
Enfield Uniting Church, Corner of Park Street and Main North Road, Sefton Park. (next to Target). Ph (08) 7120 7837. 10:00am to 12 noon. Tuesdays. Only during school terms. Best arrive early. Free. No I.D. or registration required for the Eternal Shame File. Free excellent brunch, takeaways and games. Horrible gossip discouraged. Diners include recently released criminals with wild stories. Six free pantry items every two weeks requires Centrelink card.

Early 27 March 2025

(above) Someone's bed in front of a sleazy job contractor next door to private psychiatric contractor Sonder in John Street, Salisbury. The Council's anti-homeless squad will steal and destroy this bedding within 24-hours. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

The death of Old Robert​

Robert died at a bus stop six months ago. Friends say he was aged between 80 and 85. He had a heart attack. A bus driver revived him.

Robert spent six months in the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. He discharged himself because he didn’t want to pay the $60 a day or be around people who lay on their beds with their mouths open.

Old Robert returned to collecting cans from rubbish bins and going to free food joints. He discovered places he didn’t know existed. The heart attack had erased parts of his memory. Old Roberts life has become amazing as if he’s young again. Everything is new.

Early 26 March 2025 
​

Mary’s Kitchen Glenelg

The man living outside for six years displayed the symptoms of alienation. He was tense; he avoided eye contact; he was difficult to engage in conversation; he watched Orange Sky warily as they washed his clothing. And he sat perfectly still, not being a drug addict, just without a home where he could rest. He was “on call” 24/7, his nights never more than 30 seconds being a physical battle for survival.

Half the usual clients were missing having defected to Grill’d in the city for free hamburgers, chips and drinks.

The master of ceremonies announced Jungle Phillips decline saying he was deteriorating week by week from liver cancer. Jungle has accepted his fate and hasn’t sought heroic surgical intervention. It’s too late now.

Another diner is undergoing surgery after injuring his shoulder playing table tennis. Lance Armstrong talked about diners from yesteryear at City Salvos – about their humiliations and defeats then rising up again.

A diner at my table ate four plates of food. He is new to the scene, but isn’t gaining weight.

The meal was rushed as if we were on a military campaign and not homeless people seeking a few moments of safety.

St Andrew’s Glenelg (Mary’s Kitchen)
St Andrew’s Uniting Church-at-the-Sea, Jetty Rd., Glenelg. Ph (08) 8295 1771.Tues 6:00pm for free three course meal. Social gathering back of church 5:00pm. Free soup, buns, coffee Tues, Thurs, Fri 11:00am – 1:45pm. No I.D. or registration required except for the fortnightly 6 grocery items, hygiene bags, old fruit and vegetables. One free PBS prescriptions at a Glenelg pharmacy weekly (50 a year). Orange Sky Tues 5:30 – 7:30pm; Friday 10:30am – 12:30pm.

Early 26 March 2025

(above) Groceries are limited to six items plus bread and maybe a little extra. One workers said you can go there six times a year; another said once a month. Wednesday lunches and teas as many times as you want. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Inside two of Catherine
​ the Doctor’s houses

Entering the three floor townhouse in the Adelaide CBC was difficult due to boxes and rotting food covering most of the floors, in some areas near the ceiling. Any visible wall space was dedicated to large images of Catherine the Doctor in her finery.

Containers of City Salvo takeaway meals requiring refrigeration were loaded onto the table with other perishable food. Maggots and flies graced the scene like something from a horror movie. Now it was clear what happened to the huge amounts of food she grabbed from free food joints.

One of a recent party to visit her home seemed close to panic and eventually fled while making strange sounds. The Doctor was very hospitable. She was brought up in a cultured and educated family. “Find a place to sit,” she said. This was easier said than done.

A visit to another of Catherine’s residences revealed a similar story. This free standing house in North Adelaide is a dream out of reach of 90% of Adelaide’s inhabitants. You need millions to buy even the simplest house in this suburb on the hill next to the city.

Entry to most rooms was impossible due to piles of boxes and antique furniture stacked wall-to-wall and nearly reaching the ceiling. The wooden floors sagged and creaked when anyone edged their way between the stuff. The clutter made the maggot infested townhouse seem spacious.

Catherine the Doctor told me she owns many more houses. Not everyone believed her. She now travels with what is called a “Support Worker”. This would seemed to be more a personal security guard after she was allegedly stabbed at a library in the city at Christmas. Whatever the truth, it hasn’t inhibited this Vietnamese woman in her 80’s from doing just what she wants. Even the Kilburn Fred’s Van client throwing her shopping trolley off the bus didn’t stop her. The driver waited until Catherine picked up her stuff and got back on the bus and continued the journey.

Catherine says she worked as a doctor, her husband was a doctor and her children live in various parts of the world where they work as lawyers and doctors. Maybe she’s telling the truth. Not everyone appreciates her, but I believe we’re lucky to have such an illustrious person in our midst. She is welcome relief to the usual terrible stories of abuse and defeat that we hear from others. And her wealth will be dissipated back into society upon her demise so what’s the problem?

Early 25 March 2025
​

From the anonymous contact page

[email protected]

Orange sky laundry show their white supremacist beliefs.
In a place gar far away from sleepy Adelaide
it was a beautiful calm warm night, the crowd for the communists dinner in the park was vibrant and chatty, lots of food. The commos have been putting on movie nights, documentaries highlighting historical grass roots working class and indigenous struggles against the rich.

The first doco this night was a bunch of old ladies protesting a new freeway that deliberately went around a media building. The bend cost millions and took out 90 poor people's houses. Eventually the old ladies won, despite severe police violence, the freeway never got finished, went way over budget and the minister for roads would later be done for corruption and bribes. The next short film was about indigenous protests in the 80s against the apartied system, where black fellahs came from everywhere. Martial law was declared against peaceful protesters.. when the movie came on, orange sky laundry were there, they had two vans and close to ten volunteers. They staged there own protest, started speaking as loud as they could drowning out the movie. A young white girl got up and turned the volume up drowning them out. This was racially motivated violence from orange Sky laundry.

In attendance was a gentleman in his 60s who had to flee the system for years as result of these protests. He was one of 12 men deemed in need of psychiatric evaluation because of the protests. He was barely out of his teens and in uni getting his teaching degree during these protests. He had some storys to tell. Kind wise old man who still campaigning, still fighting the good fight. What orange sky did was un forgivable and that uniform now a target, they made themselves clear, what they are. They made as much noise as they could when the movie on indigenous came on. Never forget what these dogs are.

Anonymous

Editor: When and where did this happen?

Early 25 March 2025

(above) Free morning tea 2nd and 4th Tues 10 - 11:30am. Jetty Rd., Brighton. Retired professionals, tea, biscuits, free bread. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

A traumatic dining experience

I couldn’t sleep that night under the trees near the beach. A diner at Mary’s Kitchen hadn’t any hair on one side of his head. His missing scalp had been replaced with skin grafts from other parts of his body. He was nearly blind in one eye, the eye that couldn’t close.

Two men attacked him in Glenelg 18-months previously. They stole his jeans, shoes and twenty dollars. He’d woken up in hospital from a coma.

He’d had a career on drilling rigs. He was a dual citizen of New Zealand and the United States so cannot get welfare. This means he lives homeless on the streets or wherever he can find a place to sleep. Friends and relatives send him money. He can get welfare in two years.

He could receive a huge amount via Victims of Crime despite his attackers never been caught. But the time limit is two years and he’s got six months in which to make a claim. He says he’s too traumatised to go through the documentation and examination process.

That’s why I couldn’t sleep that night.

In another conversation, three of us were talking about criticism, when we criticised others it was frequently a projection of dissatisfaction with ourselves. A woman with swollen ankles joined our conversation and quoted from either a religious book or some 18th century poet. She knew exactly what we were talking about, but described it with beautiful words. She lives between two headstones in a cemetery. ​

I cannot remember the contents of the meal served that evening.

St Andrew’s Glenelg (Mary’s Kitchen)
St Andrew’s Uniting Church-at-the-Sea, Jetty Rd., Glenelg. Ph (08) 8295 1771.Tues 6:00pm for free three course meal. Social gathering back of church 5:00pm. Free soup, buns, coffee Tues, Thurs, Fri 11:00am – 1:45pm. No I.D. or registration required except for the fortnightly 6 grocery items, hygiene bags, old fruit and vegetables. One free PBS prescriptions at a Glenelg pharmacy weekly (50 a year). Orange Sky Tues 5:30 – 7:30pm; Friday 10:30am – 12:30pm.

Early 24 March 2025

(above) Sonia Blackwell delivering chilled drinks to homeless people in the Tea Tree Gully area of Adelaide. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

(above) Some criticise Sonia for her actions, but small gestures often make crucial differences in the lives of desperate people. And on this hot day, the hundred employees of Adelaide's Homeless Industry will be in their air conditioned homes while Sonia is on the street. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

(above) Sonia Blackwell offering snacks to people living outside. Her approaches often lead to the offer of sleeping bags and toiletries. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

On the Street

The odd new visitor to Tea Tree Salvos hasn’t made a second visit after being “dragged out” by a regular client who badmouthed other clients to the extent that the newcomer decided to seek greener pastures.

Even Sonia Blackwell’s free monthly BBQ doesn’t get the numbers it deserves due to homeless people disliking some of the non-homeless few already attending.

It’s like everyone is against everyone else; there aren’t even two clearly demarcated sides.

*

I reported that a homeless woman had stage 4 cancer. A charity worker said she doesn’t have cancer, but recurring stomach infections that make her appear pregnant. The woman herself said she was pregnant. She certainly appears at death’s door. I don’t know the truth of the matter, but I admire her for walking alone in life.

*

Rumours at Elizabeth are that the torching of the trolleys of two homeless people camping around the library was over a failed delivery of “weed”.

One observer said the aggrieved party could be forgiven for being angry, but not for causing $100,000 damage to the building. The observer also added that, “you know how rumours fly in this scene,” adding that nothing can be taken at face value.

*

Tea Tree Salvos have set a start time for their free food giveaway to 10:30am Wednesdays and Fridays. This is due to the Oz Harvest truck arriving at various times meaning clients have been spending up to an hour hanging around the food room entrance. This is a good idea.

Another good idea might be to allow homeless people first entry as they aren’t as aggressive as those living comfortably in houses.

*

Piano Player Wayne said on the phone from his nursing unit that if there was a free vote of every Salvation Army member, the Kenyans would control the whole world empire. Assets in Australia alone are at least $2 billion.

Wayne said soldier numbers had collapsed in Australia. Corps buildings were being sold. He said adopting the Gay and Hillsong ideologies had alienated older soldiers while failing to attract new ones.

*

I can’t remember the location, but someone told me one free food joint was giving away frozen garden salads. He said they were inedible.

*

An N.D.I.S. person said Care Workers are now called Support Workers. Care has become a dirty word and represents all kinds of unpleasantness such as AngliCare.

*

A soup kitchen man said he got epilepsy after using drugs. He gets seizures a few hours after being under flickering lights.

*

A diner at a soup kitchen in the Adelaide CBD pointed to another diner saying she’d been in prison for years after being caught with a marijuana plantation in her house. The diner pointed to a third diner saying that person was responsible for calling the police on the dope grower. And these people co-exist in a small community of perhaps one or two thousand people in Adelaide.

*

The Holdfast Bay Council built a new toilet block near the Seaciffe Hotel at the beach. It contains three uni-sex separate room toilets plus a shower in the disability room. This is stupid because any homeless person using the shower will take thirty minutes and this stops wheelchair people from having access.

The shower should have been included in one of the uni-sex toilet rooms. Whoever designed this new block isn’t disabled and has never been homeless. Imbeciles.

*

A diner said St Bede’s at Semaphore was “jam packed”. We await this popular venue returning to its old glory of being open two mornings a week.

*

A UnitingSA worker sent a message to a Moose (Chat and Chew) dining client that appeared to say the Wednesday fortnightly meal wasn't happening. He didn't go there, but later discovered the meal did occur. 

​The absent diner just happened to send a photo of the previous week's nursing home style meal to Adelaide Homeless Journal. 

*

Baptist Coastlands have two large clean showers at their church at Brighton. They’re discussing the possibility of letting homeless people use them.

*

The Ghost Who Walks has been visiting doctors in an attempt to get one of them to kill him.

Lifeline 131 114 (24 hours).

*

There is fury amongst clients of the Gateway Baptist food trailer at Whitmore Square. For some reason the microwave oven is still missing as of Saturday.

They serve cold food to homeless people. This is okay for those taking it home, but for us living outside this is ridiculous.

Every provider of such services should discover what homeless people need then plan from there.

Even the Chinese muffin man demanded that the oven return. A prime volunteer said she would have a word with the preacher in charge of it.

Early 23 March 2025

(above) Not much point promoting yet another study about the food supply, but the Marion Mayor Chris Hanna was with the Unemployed Workers Union in 1981 before he became an MP and then Mayor. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Catherine the Doctor

According to a client at Fred’s Van Kilburn, Catherine the Doctor was stabbed at a library in the Adelaide CBC at Christmas. That’s why she now travels with a My Aged Care support worker.

The circumstances aren’t clear, but rumour is that she tried to grab a blanket from an indigenous woman at Hindmarsh Square. But The Doctor’s many infringements on others includes grabbing ten times more than she needs while telling homeless people she owns multiple houses and previously worked as a doctor. ​

At about the same time, a man threw her shopping trolley off the bus on Prospect Road because she wouldn’t move to let him enter on his invalid scooter. The driver waited while Catherine the Doctor collected her stuff and got back on the bus.

No one I spoke to about Catherine the Doctor expressed any sympathy for her. We have hard hearts, but couldn’t we be more kind to a small old Vietnamese woman in her 80’s?

22 March 2025

(above) They don't require I.D., registration or even your name. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Have death rates increased in South Australia?
https://www.bitchute.com/video/IcbbW50OiVYF/
21 March 2025

Don't linger

A government psychiatric unit named Coastal Community Support Services in the tiny town of McLaren Vale has shelves of free food that they purchased from the supermarket. You can grab a few items without having to give your name or say anything. Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. Don’t linger. ​

McLaren Vale is about ten kilometres inland from Maslins nudist beach. 

21 March 2025

(above) Baker's Delight at the Foodland shopping centre on Brighton Rd., Brighton donate free bread to Coastlands Baptist church for distribution to poor people. Not yesterday's bread, but baked that morning. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

John the Baptist emerges
​from the backwoods

John the Baptist from WestCare and City Salvos sat at an empty table. He was cleaner and healthier than I’ve ever seen him. Rather than small talk, his first words were about being saved by Jesus and nothing else.

When not speaking about the Bible, he wrote passages or interpretations from the Bible into school exercise books. He’s did this for years at City Salvos.

A somewhat inexpressive band including an excellent harmonica player sang and played religious songs. Most of the female audience were even more inexpressive as if they’d been imported from a welfare retirement village after being served generous portions of sedatives.

The inexpressive nature of the band seemed more representative of the human condition than the screaming and yelling at packed Pentecostal churches. It resembled a prayer from the heart of despair rather than the madding noise of the crowd.

A preacher with three church members demonstrated that anyone can be saved by Jesus at any time, even two minutes before dying – if the dying person can remember to adopt that belief before the lights go out. This has been a contentious subject for non-believers. Why not be greedy and loathsome your whole life then switch sides two minutes before the big Sleep? The preacher’s answer might be the joy of serving the Christian God so switching over when young is not a burden, but a blessing. I’m speaking from the position of not being a Believer.

John the Baptist shouted religious slogans while the preacher spoke. No one followed his outbursts with Hallelujah or stuff like that. He has never been fully appreciated for his adherence to the Bible.

The free food room operated from 4:00 to 6:00pm, during which the singing and preaching were occurring in the same small space of the historic Methodist hall. Despite this, clients opened the fridges during the service with one asking a parishioner to move so she could open the door. But it’s best to arrive at 4:00pm sharp before the singing begins at 4:15.

The meal was excellent with the hamburger component separate from the Coleslaw, salad and potatoes with butter. The flavours were carefully composed by sensitive cooks and not thrown together in some welfare meal.

A retired preacher and retired librarian from Adelaide University joined our table so the conversation was beyond gossip and anecdotal subjects. And the others who appeared sedated were actually normal human beings not feeling the need to smile continuously or wear make-up.

Mount Barker Uniting Church – Adelaide Hills
13 Mann St., Mt Barker. Ph (08) 8391 1717. Free food room Mon & Friday 10am-12noon. Wed 10am to 2pm. Getting free food Sun 4pm-8pm difficult as fridges are amongst religious people singing. Free meal 6pm Sundays preceded by religious talk. No I.D. or registration needed. One-person emergency shelter. Shower and laundry available Monday and Wednesdays 11am to 3pm.

Early 19 March 2025

(above) Anglicare (Believe) Corporation found it more profitable to demolish 16 good retirement units at 5 Atlanta Street, Elizabeth East then not rebuild. They've turned welfare housing into land speculation despite the units given to them in trust. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Humanity First Christie Downs

They placed leaflets advertising a lecture on the value of fasting followed by a generous meal. Last year it was goat, a luxury in most cultures. Judging by the meal this evening they were preparing us for the idea of fasting. They served small cardboard plates of pasta and sauce followed by ice-cream. The cordial was warm, but the coffee okay. The vegetarian version was pasta with a tiny amount of cheese. No salt, pepper, sauces or anything to spice it up.

Not that anyone was complaining. They had the biggest crowd ever with 54 diners, all of whom were in good cheer except a 3-year-old who screamed non-stop. A dozen other children were in good spirits.

The Chairman of the Board of the Christie Downs Community Centre, an elderly woman named Lynn, was there to count the numbers. She said the building was owned by the Onkaparinga Council, but independently managed. She said the Council is forever trying to exert more control. The Humanity First group doesn’t pay rent for use of the kitchen and dining room. What a good idea. Anyone doing good should be free to pursue that without extra costs.

Another pleasant aspect is the openness of the building. They leave the front doors open so diners can grab some free Baker’s Delight bread or rest from the heat in the foyer before the dining room chairs are set up.

Of course the joint was littered with surveillance cameras even one aimed at the vertical skylight windows on the roof. We complain about cameras similarly to mosquitoes – mere pests – but we’ve lost a fundamental freedom of privacy from them.

We had the lousy meal and warm cordial, but diners left the joint feeling good about life thanks to the Moslems and community centre management.

Christie Downs Community Centre
Cnr Flaxmill and Morton Rd. Christie Downs (08) 8384 6894. Humanity First Moslems provide free 6pm meal 2nd and 4th Wed of month. No registration required. Indian-style food or BBQ. Free bread in foyer. Free vegetables and low-cost pantry items Tues-Thurs 9:30am to 1pm for $2 entry fee.

Early 18 March 2025

(above) Salisbury Council pounces on homeless people sleeping in parklands, but those living in houses and dumping rubbish on public land: no problems. This stuff has been next to the Greenfields Wetlands for one year. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Talking to the veteran

A veteran homeless man of the Adelaide CBD wasn’t overly impressed with the Hutt Street Centre’s multi-million dollar upgrade four years ago. He said removing the comfortable chairs and TV and replacing the area with consulting rooms means it’s no longer a drop-in centre.

He said the so-called “secure lockers” don’t have locks. A guard stands in the doorway while clients add or remove items from their non-locking “lockers”. Trusted clients aren’t watched; they go inside alone. It isn’t a place to store valuables.

This veteran of the streets said the building is locked and empty at 4:00pm meaning homeless people still have to lug their bedding about until setting up camp, usually in the dark hours, which can be from 9:00pm.

Much of the renovation money was spent was on the entrance and security clearance area, the former for appearance purposes and the latter a control mechanism. These features both attract and repel people living outside.

The “modern bathrooms” have six-minute timers on the showers. Perhaps the cost of the fancy entrance could have been used to install more showers allowing more time for personal cleaning. Obviously, none of those on the Board of Management or many of the fifty salaried employees have ever spent a sweaty or cold night on the ground then sought a shower the next morning. Or arrived after a week without washing then discovering the six-minute surprise. Perhaps if the Hutt Street Centre gets a million dollar increase in their budget they’ll increase shower time one minute.

The “light, open and airy spaces” may appeal to salaried office workers and surveillance employees, but those living outside often crave an escape from “Light, open and airy spaces”. We may want a darkened room devoid of nature. We get too much “light, open and airy spaces”.

The veteran homeless man also spoke about living in cars. He recently acquired an old small car. He sits in his car most of the time and has developed the beginning of a truck driver’s stomach. He said spending so much time in his car resembles living in the zombie state.

What the veteran does agree with is continued support for those having lived outside for long periods. He asked, “What do you do after housing,” saying that life on the streets is so eventful that going back into housing leaves a person high and dry.

Early 17 March 2025

(above) Donation requested at the Tuesday evening meal at Christie Downs, but The Haven on the same property at Beach Road is free three times a week. See the Free Food Guide for details. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

On the Street

A once big name on the streets of Adelaide finds himself exiled in his Housing Trust unit. No one visits him except those using him to bludge cigarettes, money or a place to crash for a few hours.

*

There has been little change in the Adelaide CBD homeless numbers: a bit up, a bit down, month-by-month. What also hasn’t changed is the Adelaide Zero Project and its appendages claiming massive victories in housing homeless people. They haven’t housed anyone.

What they’ve done resembles the Mafia in the United States installing itself in the petrol supply chain adding an extra two-cents a litre then claiming to supply fuel.

Adelaide’s homeless industry has done the same thing. They’ve added the price of delivering rental housing to homeless people by installing two hundred bureaucrats to collect data and require disgusting interviews before homeless people are offered rental accommodation.

*

The Renown Park Multi-cultural centre replaced a $2000 coffee machine with a $3500 device for the singular reason it is easier to operate. But a big name in Adelaide’s homeless scene had trouble making it work despite his university degree. He was overthinking. It was designed so easy a child could operate it.

*

The Chelsea Ireland Western Food Hub at Hindmarsh has cleaned up its free vegetable room and supplies better quality produce. But that horrible attitude has remained.

An elderly volunteer pointed to the donation box when I entered. I inserted money. As I stood near the almost empty free pantry shelves she said, “You can only have two.” When asked if they were open on the weekends she bitterly squeezed out the words, “Saturday evenings,” then after more prompting she managed, “every second Sunday,” but withdrew to the kitchen before she could be asked what hours.

Possibly ten raging clients swinging their arms and legs in the shade of the building had tempered her mood. I could leave the joint fast enough.

*

A soup kitchen client said a doctor inserted tubes into his lungs while he spent three months in hospital. He said a green liquid with chunks flowed down the tubes into a bottle.

*

A guest at the Ibis Hotel in Adelaide remember the swarm of homeless campers admitted over one day during the Covid lockdowns. He said thirteen people were kicked out the first night. They smoked tobacco and dope inside the rooms, used other drugs and inviting colleagues up to their rooms. He said two residents overdosed from heroin the next morning in front of the main entrance.

*

Mary’s kitchen in Glenelg lost half its usual 65 clients on the first Tuesday of this month. The other half fled to Grill’d in the city for free hamburgers, chips and drinks.

Volunteer rush the diners at Mary’s Kitchen. Dessert is served three minutes after the last patron is served the main meal. Then staff pack up the chairs forty minutes after the front doors have opened. And this has included soup being served. Too fast, too rude. They sabotage their own work.

*

Hope Grace church at Renown Park replaced the copper water pipes ripped out by a man on a bicycle photographed by the spy cameras. It isn’t known if he’s been caught or even reported by the church.

*

Orange Sky Laundry performed its first shift at Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army, but not one client turned up. There have been disputes amongst clients making some fearful of going there.

*

The fear of missing out was graphically demonstrated at the Lutheran Calvary free lunch at Morphett Vale two weeks ago. The preacher performed the prayer then advised the meal was being served. Within two-seconds, a dozen elderly and supposedly invalid diners jumped from their seats and formed a queue. They resembled Olympic athletes despite there being no hurry. There was enough for everyone. None of them were starving.

*

A free lunch diner in the southern suburbs repeats the same story every week about her family evicted from their farm in Tanganyika (Tanzania) then fleeing to Australia as refugees. The Tanzanian government stole their equipment without compensation and refused them citizenship. She adds that they, (black Tanzanians) “come here”, they’re treated well and we’re not allowed to even criticise them.”

No point in telling her she’s repeating herself. She forgets that, too.

*

A woman from Ferrer stopped at my campsite and offered twenty-dollars and asked if I needed anything. I thanked her and said, “no, thanks, “but took the money.

Three days later a man drove into the camp saying his employees had watched watching me for days. He offered me $300. I declined. He offered to deliver water as it was a 40C degree day. I thanked him, but said I got the Aged Pension and could pay for those things.

Second Editor
Early 16 March 2025

(above) The view from one side of Noarlunga Uniting Church at Christies Beach. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

(above) Free lunches twice a week will continue when the renovations are completed in about May 2025. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

(above) The Noarlunga Uniting church offers free adult and baby nappies, frozen meals and grocery items once every three weeks. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

From the anonymous contact page

I've been homeless years and know alot of helpful hard-to-find info, and general help for anyone homeless, please just let me know your situation and ill orovide as much helpful info as possible and I'll provide info on what I would do, potential options and possible fixes for any problem or situation, I live in a tent with a cat and dog, I've been sitting permanently in one spot for months, I'm sure I cann help anyone with atleast something, some info might not be useful for each scenario but I'm sure I'll provide something helpful, also if you just need to talk to someone that hates the system and wants to make an actual difference, I'm here.

I am in the same situation so don't expect me to save every problem but I'll help as much as possible, Wether it be council info, food, staying alive in this crazy world or pet homeless help, I I know a bit, and I don't judge, we all need help, I have had heaps of experience and just want to help if I can. I know alit and currently the council loves me and says they will leave me alone so I'm happy to share how I got them on my side etc.

Just send a text as I'm phone shy and may not answer calls depending on my mood, I have issues myself including ptsd, adhd and phyco-social disorders (multiple), so please realise I do not judge, I only try to help as best I can.

Crazy Cat Man

Second Editor: I’m loathe to add that telephone number in case someone is pretending to be you.

Would it be possible for you to choose subjects similarly to a Frequently Asked Question segment on other pages? And when someone responds to them, you can address that in writing to Adelaide Homeless Journal so it becomes a permanent post archived by the National Library of Australia.

Early 15 March 2025
​

From the anonymous contact page

​Why does it seem like this is government run.... as a self adhering representative of the neglected homeless in sa this... erks... me, please clarify this pages governing reasoning.... as it seems negative to homeless currently

Crazy Cat Man

Second Editor: Yes, negative view for sure. Every other page promotes Adelaide’s Homeless Industry. You won’t get that here. Oh, and this may be your first subject to address: how to respond to Council thugs making threats.

Early 15 March 
​

Pods never a winner

Strike It Out charity came a cropper after investing in building two sleeping pod trailers. Launceston Council won’t let them park the trailers anywhere on public land. Neighbours hate the pod sleepers. And who would sleep in a confined space used by others who rarely wash. Changing the sheets wouldn’t fit things.

It’s similar with the ONE Voice shower truck managed by Puddle Jumpers. It’s rarely used and sits idle nearly 24/7 in their warehouse parking lot at Kilkenny. For the shower truck to be effective it must have a reliable regular schedule, be operational upon opening time and be placed in a not-too-humiliating location. 

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sleeping-pods-to-be-sold-after-lengthy-dispute-between-launceston-council-and-homeless-charity-strike-it-out/ar-AA1AMOZB?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=d2c295c2e0b74590d6ff1646d486574a&ei=58    

Early 15 March 2025
​

Late breakfast at Christie Downs

The highly intelligent man who feeds birds attracted the attention of volunteers when he passed by the bread tables. The free groceries were gone when I arrived late except for a can of organic coconut milk. A volunteer took tissues from a box to blow his nose, but removed the first one and without using it threw it in the rubbish bin.

A diner talked about crazy Clem McCrae from Whitmore Square. Clem used to sleep at the Salvation Army Detox building. If he wasn’t drunk enough to be admitted, he’d return to the hotel for more drinks then successfully reapply for admittance. Clem was dangerous even on a good day, but in his later years complained that his N.D.I.S. Carers were bullies.

Another diner said that Crazy Jane used to knock on his door at all hours demanding cigarettes. If he refused, she’d send thugs to convince him.

The cook gave me a toasted sandwich with meat by mistake. Then I refused a box of frozen Pork dumplings, whatever they are. Finally, he gave me two packets of chilled Canadian smoked salmon. It was saltier, more flaky and with stronger flavour. The contents included “smoke” and 3% salt. It was also less orange because unlike Tasmanian and Norwegian smoked salmon the fish hadn’t been fed orange colouring. ​

Church of Christ at Christie Downs
165 Beach Rd., Christies Downs. Ph 8326 1153. Tues meal 5:00pm in main church hall. Doors open 4:15pm. Donation or free if you’re broke. Behind the Op Shop free coffee, toasted sandwiches, takeaway bread, vegetables 9:30am to 12:00pm Mon, Wed and Fri. First named asked, but No I.D. or registration required. Centrelink card required for bags of groceries, prescription and clothing vouchers. Closed school holidays. Pleasant and helpful staff and clients. Water tap 24/7. Shower Mon, Wed, Friday 8:30 – 9:30am; 11:15am – 12:00 noon.

Early 15 March 2025

(above) For those over 60 years old. They don't correct personal data for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Morphett Vale Salvo free breakfast​

The joints seemed closed, but cars lined the carpark back of the building. A back entrance door displayed a sign, “Closed”, so I walked through. A receptionist directed me through another door. Not one person acknowledged me upon entering. Some looked through the corner of their eyes then turned away. I got a coffee. No one objected.

A kitchen worker scrambled eggs with a whisk. Ten minutes later another opened a door to the front of the building then took out a sandwich sign. That was the answer for the cold shoulder. I’d arrived too early and gone through the staff door. But now everyone in the room became alive as if someone had pulled a switch. Staff took orders of toast, cooked tomato, baked beans and scrambled eggs. Cereals, coffee, hot water and toast spreads were on a table.

A man with multiple plates and pins in his body came through the front door. He was popular. He went to City Salvos before the Covid era. Stefan from Lutheran Calvary arrived with his entourage, not as confident as when in his own territory, but still The Man.

The mood was quiet and relaxed and the lights not flickering wildly. What previously might have been morbid was now a refuge from the madding crowd. Three years living in tents, under trees and in a car does that to a person. That’s why hard core homeless people in the Adelaide CBD are so difficult to speak with. They experience far more stress than suburban Stiffs and are usually near snapping point.

Free bread labelled as fresh was near the receptionist in the main hallway along with a table of nick-knacks.

They don’t ask for I.D. or registration except a first name when taking orders for breakfast. Seems like a decent place you can hang around for two hours each on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but not during school holidays, unfortunately.

Army officers Rob and Ros Casburn were stationed at Morphett Vale Corps until transferred to Tea Tree Gully. A diner said they were “alright”. Another said “very good, but a little naive”.

Free breakfast Morphett Vale
Salvation Army, 186 Elizabeth Road, Morphett Vale. Ph 8382 1600. Coffee, toast with scrambled eggs, tomatoes and baked beans. No I.D. required. Cereals, toast spreads. Tues and Weds 9:30 – 11:30am. Decent toilet. Entry through side door at front or earlier via back door that says “closed”. Free bread and nick-knacks in reception area. No service during school holidays.

Early 14 March 2025

(above) A barrier behind the seat at the Susan Close Memorial Toilet unit at Outer Harbour is designed to encourage men to sit on the seat instead of stand up. This is DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in practice. However, men continue to stand up leaving the seat messy for women. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

No hunger games at Ian’s church

The story told when Preacher Ian Hunter left Semaphore Uniting Church was that he chose Noarlunga Uniting Church over Elizabeth believing the most damaged and desperate people lived at Christies Beach.

Considering the fortification of the Baptist Church on Fowey Road, the burning to the ground of St Francis Anglican Church on Dyson Road and the arson fire at Ian’s church, one might believe his decision was correct.

Ian’s Church people said the Thursday meals have been relocated to the Wardli Centre until renovations had been completed. This doesn’t include the arson fire that damaged the stage and curtains: that’s a separate building issue not affecting the lunches and subject to an insurance claim.

What was pleasant about this Uniting Church’s free food service was the discreet nature of ordering free incontinence products. Clients tick boxes for what they want then bags are filled from a back room so that only those filling the bags know what you’ve received. This is a respectful and quality service. P.S. I don’t need them yet.

Four elderly people operated this service without requiring I.D. They also invited me for tea and coffee. The free stuff included canned fish and other food, crackers, biscuits and other packaged stuff. I got only a small amount as I’ve been “doing the rounds” so it would have been wrong to take a lot.

Nevertheless, the takings are nothing like they were in previous decades. These days it’s doled out in small amounts so “doing the rounds” is necessary for some people though not valid for hoarders.

The Preacher wasn’t there. He might have gone ice skating in B.C. or working in a mission in Cambodia.

I returned a week later and it wasn’t as friendly. They hadn’t said previously that visits must be spaced by three weeks. That’s the problem with these welfare services: they have secret rules you discover over after breaking them. And every joint has a different set of secret rules.

But it was nice the first time and should be for you every three weeks. Unless you’re a hoarder, then use some of what you’ve already received before it goes stale.

Noarlunga Uniting Church, 23 William Rd., (corner of Ramsgate Ave.) Christies Beach. Phone 0450 350 519. I.D. not required. Free lunch 11:30am to 1:00pm. 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. Free. Best phone first. Paid meal every Tues 11:30am. Nothing until renovations finished due in April. Free food handout including incontinence items Monday to Thursday 9am to 11am.

Early 13 March 2025

(above) UnitingSA Chat and Chew replaced those excellent Wesley Social Enterprise cooks with stuff brought in from their nursing home at West Lakes. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Stevo’s Enfield

A homeless man brought cartons of chocolate and workout bars he found near Mawson Lakes. He said they were dumped off the back of a truck. A man recently out of jail laughed at this. Another said the workout bars were second only to Steroids for weight lifting. A third man said they’re made of dead animals.

Inside the hall, Dennis the Elder (formerly Dennis the Menace) told jokes. “What did the Dalai Lama say when ordering a coffee?” The punch line was, “One with all.” Most diners didn’t get it.

An Indian woman from Nandi’s brought a box of chicken. She said this would happen once a month. The accompanying chilli was labelled as medium. Hot would have been a weapon banned in South Australia.

That extremely polite man served sandwiches in plastic containers lying on an air mattress. There was cordial, water and clean glasses nearby. Loaves of bread were free. Vegetarian options available. Six pantry items were given to those with Centrelink cards. There must have been ten unpaid workers giving their time.

Gaavin was absent due to medical appointments. Horse Trader Steve also absent. The Croatian retired diamond driller talked about the old days. Nearly every diner there has suffered a tragedy that crippled their life. Most are in dire health. Nearly every person in the room was obese from lack of exercise, medications and eating dead food seven days a week. ​

But the mood felt safe and despite the operators being elderly women, they rule with an iron fist inside a felt glove. They speak gently and I’ve never seen them kick anyone out of the building.

Tuesday brunch Sefton Park
Enfield Uniting Church, Corner of Park Street and Main North Road, Sefton Park. (next to Target). Ph (08) 7120 7837. 10:00am to 12 noon. Tuesdays. Only during school terms. Best to arrive early. Free. No I.D. or registration required for the Eternal Shame File. Free excellent brunch, takeaways and games. They dislike gossip as this starts fights. Recently released criminals with wild stories. Six pantry items every two weeks requires Centrelink card.

Early 12 March 2025

(above) Christie Downs police station carpark backs onto a Housing Trust complex. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

St Jude’s lunch at Brighton​

The dining crowd consisted of moneyed people, retired professionals, reclusive rich suburb eccentrics with a nice collection from the underclass. The buttered chicken ran out and was replaced with “nuggets” whatever they were. Gluggy rice accompanied the chicken, but was nothing of the exquisite quality served by Indian-style Moslems at Humanity First at Elizabeth Downs.

St Jude’s volunteers served a decent soup and these strange “toasties” that contained some sort of oil, but nothing else. They weren’t too bad and must represent an exotic cuisine being introduced to Adelaide though I would have preferred more guts between the slices.

There was plenty of name-dropping by diners sadly ignorant of Adelaide’s real identities such as Grinder, The Rat, The Ghost Who Walks, The Vitamin Derelict, Robyn the Junkie, Ice Man Dan, Lance Armstrong, Stella and similar luminaries of the underclass homeless culture.

An official suggested we make donations via the cash box or card machine, but due to polite behaviour there wasn’t a rush to that table. The takeaway table had decent bread, cabbage and a few other vegetables.

I can’t remember dessert, but remember there wasn’t any Muzak so the conversations were rewarding.

A nice aspect was management allowing us inside for coffee before the official opening time then keeping the joint open one hour and forty minutes after the first diner had been served soup. This compares to 40-minutes at Semaphore Fred’s Van.

St Jude’s Anglican Brighton
Cnr Brighton and Jetty Roads, Brighton. Ph 8296 8333. Free lunch Fridays in large hall. 11:30am to 1:00pm. Soup, main course, dessert, toasted sandwiches, coffee, water. They don’t rush you. Water taps around church. Outdoor cabinet filled with bread. Church takes sleeping gear left in alcove so the homeless person gets more from a charity. Another possible sleeping area is under huge fig trees. No I.D. or registration required. BYO salt and pepper. Occasional free hairdresser.

Early 11 March 2025

(above) Sleeping under trees then waking up to the view in Adelaide's coastal suburbs. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Dante’s infernal at Salisbury

The lights flickered insanely, pushing everyone into an altered neurological state of mind whether they knew it or not. The infernal music resulted in seventy people talking and no one hearing – or being able to hear.

Old Val poked and stroked my body while pulling off my hat and plonking it back on the wrong way. “Sorry, I can’t help it,” she said and continued.

An even older woman repeated phrases four times in a single statement. A diner was sad because his thin girlfriend was fat upon being released from prison. A homeless woman with cancer swanned around the room then disappeared out the front door for a charge of whatever was selling on the streets of Salisbury.

There wasn’t any salt and pepper with the meal, but lots of noise, the noise.

But the meal was excellent with fresh healthy ingredients.

Anglican Church Salisbury Haven
Church Street, Salisbury (across from McDonalds junk food joint), 6:00 – 8:30 pm Fridays. Sausages, bread, cheese, sauce, vegetarian option, coffee, dessert. Fresh food. No I.D. or registration required. They don’t collect data for the Eternal Shame File. Decent toilets. Religious singing. Noisy. Salt and pepper rationed. Operated by Pastors Rad Runjo of Hope Central Salisbury, Justin Gutteridge of Salisbury Uniting Church, Preacher Peter Jin of St John the Evangelist Anglican Church and other groups led by Rodney Harrison, Steve Bacchus, Jen Fyfe.

The Sounds of Silence: Disturbed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppbhxukCd-4  

​Early 10 March 2025


Fred’s Van Salisbury

The Fred’s Van volunteers should have kept an eye on Rotary. They did the BBQ outside the front door. The problem was that inside too much was offered to each diner resulting in not everyone being served meat. How good was that? Well, not for flesh eaters. But they had, as usual, an excellent vegetarian option.

They ran out of hot water for the coffee urn. And what happened to the salt and pepper?

Amongst us were elderly misers with huge stashes of money, but unable to spend it due to that mental condition many old people experience. They fixate on the deprivations of youth while piling up shekels then find themselves old with little interest in buying or doing anything.

On a positive note, the Lady of the Lake changed the mood of the room as if we were in the presence of Royalty. How anyone can be battered, abused and used while remaining fresh and present in the moment is anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, the serial scam victim showed us an image of her new “lover”. She sent money to previous “true loves”, overseas after they suddenly became ill in hospital, broke medical equipment or were stranded at airports on the way to visit her. Her new man sent an image of him in hospital with book shelves in the background. He need $3000 for medications and $400 for a medical test.

Fred’s Van Salisbury
​Salisbury Institute building, 17 Wiltshire St, Salisbury (next to PBA-FM radio station). Sundays 5:30pm. Free quality meal served inside an historic hall. Quality volunteers ensure everyone served. Meal rushed. No I.D. required. Huge government cameras in foyer and dining room. Often a pleasant dining experience. Excellent drug addicts. Tampons available in men’s toilets. Occasional screaming and yelling. Visiting tribal nomads.

Early 10 March 2025

(above) St Paul's Lutheran at Glenelg has reduced their free hampers from 30 items to just six. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

On the Street

Lighthouse City Mission at Port Adelaide disappointed clients with a change in venue times then cancellations without notice. One diner said a principal inspiration behind the Mission’s existence was undergoing medical treatment.

*

At least three diners independent of each other are enraged that Norwood Salvation Army is charging for their previously free toasted sandwiches and coffee.

To add insult to injury, the Army requires more personal details of the diners. Why? Data is money.


The truth is that most Salvation Army Corps are “hollowed out”. Their congregations have fled leaving a small group of loyalists trying to hold it together. Their operations depend on government funding and subsequent data commitments.

*

A diner said Puddle Jumpers served boiled crumbed chicken at their Bagster Road, Salisbury Monday free evening meal. He left not wanting to eat fried chicken tossed into hot water.

*

A cheerful and positive young woman left her pram and baby in the foyer of a Salvation Army Corps building. The baby was relaxed and quiet; the pram a little dirty.

But it wasn’t a real baby, but a lifelike model similar to what government departments force women to care for as if it’s a real baby. If the woman does a good job she gets to keep her pregnancy or her baby is returned from foster care. Or she just might like having a lifelike model.

Whatever the case, it’s working for this good-natured woman.

*

A well meaning volunteer at a southern free food service said I was too old to be homeless. He advised me to “swallow your pride” and accept help. Nearby were two Towards Home employees scouting the area for additions to their data base.

So what did the volunteer mean with the term, “swallow your pride”. It means signing an open-ended contract allowing welfare workers to collect data from any aspect of one’s life. They also incrementally demand intimate personal details on a drip-feed basis that starts with gentle questions then degrades into the most indecent intrusions of personal privacy. This process is a quasi-sexual form of institutional abuse. Even the term, “swallow your pride” has a gay connotation.

That’s how applying for housing while homeless goes these days.

And if Adelaide’s homeless industry disagrees with the above, they can send all contracts and questionnaires to Adelaide Homeless Journal where they will be published. What’s the problem with that?

*

Tameka was drunk in Modbury recently. She lived in Civic Park last year then got housing in Parkside. But she’s deep in the grip of alcohol with no way out.

*

Semaphore Fred’s Van isn’t attracting larger numbers because the meal is rushed. While having good attitudes, the volunteers should upgrade their skills by visiting Fred’s Van at Kilburn to see how a higher quality service is performed.

Good news is that Janet Hobson from Semaphore Hostel returned to Fred's Van Semaphore after a two-year absence. She had stayed away in fear of disputes between desperado impacting her peace of mind.

*

The cooks at the Oasis free cafe at the Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army offer omelettes for lunch and if they haven’t any eggs, offer reheated meals supplied by Soul Foods. There is also toast and coffee. All free. No I.D. or registration required.

*

A mechanical engineer from Shepparton was working in Adelaide for one week. On the evening of his departure he gave sandwiches, nuts and dried fruit to homeless people in Glenelg.

He came around the back of a church in Jetty Road where myself and the Rapid Fire man were sitting in the coolness of the evening. The Rapid Fire man said he owned a house in Melbourne, but due to horrible neighbours he spent most of his time on the road. He got a disability pension due to conditions including Asperger's syndrome. He speaks so quickly and intelligently that he is difficult to understand. He has so much to say that people are overwhelmed and flee his presence. He’s okay.

*

An N.D.I.S. Carer fiddled with her phone the whole time she was with her 42-year-old client at a free breakfast joint in Noarlunga. The Carer initially used her phone above the table then put it below. What is the point to pay an N.D.I.S. employee $70 an hour to accompany a client to a free food joint? The female client usually arrives by herself. She doesn’t need anyone.

The formerly homeless N.D.I.S. man has the right attitude. He sacked his Care workers, manages his owns funds, hires independent workers when needed, but mostly directs his package into buying disability equipment rather than paying useless Care workers.

*

Old Neeta spent time in hospital after falling out of bed then getting wedged against the wall. After realising her predicament, her breathing became difficult. She couldn’t reach her phone, but triggered the device around her neck. Four firemen arrived with an ambulance. One cut her security lock as they didn’t have the password and Neeta couldn’t remember it. An ambulance para medic gave her oxygen and they took her to hospital.

Old Neeta returned in a wheelchair and is back to normal. “Sort of,” she said.

*
​
Police attended an arson scene in Adelaide’s southern suburbs. They asked a neighbour for access to her spy cameras. She refused. She was one of the street’s two drug dealers and didn’t want her clients or suppliers identified. ​

*

The Oasis Free Cafe at Tea Tree Gully was closed last Monday due to lack of volunteers. One absentee volunteer asked why he should work there without pay to serve hostile clients and without support from the Salvation Army Corps.

The victims of this failed policy are the genuine rough sleepers in the Modbury area.

Early 9 March 2025

(above) Even with portable surveillance cameras and lights installed back of the Salisbury Salvo Store, someone still dumped garbage at the back roller door. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, March 2025.)

Seventh-day Morphett Vale

The somewhat overweight middle-aged man aspiring to enter the Australian Army was disappointed the butter had been consumed before he reached our table. Another diner at our table said she didn’t have children due to her difficult upbringing. The computer lady arrived late and talked about the difficulty meeting her mortgage payments and that’s why she went to charities and non-profits.

Other diners included a university academic with multiple degrees and an 8-year-old boy who talked about robots and A.I. in more detail than most adults in the room.

The meal contained no meat or M.S.G. This was such a relief that occasionally decomposing vegetables in the salad can be overlooked. But staff don’t trust diners with the salad dressing because some diners such as myself use one-third of the bottle. What’s wrong with that?

The dining room was lined with grills, not to keep out intruders, but to protect windows and lights from being damaged during indoor ball games.

Morphett Vale Seventh-day Adventist
130 Pimpala Road, Morphett Vale. Ph 8322 5720 for updates. Free vegetarian meal using older Foodbank vegetables Thurs 6:00pm during school terms. Free vegetables and bread to takeaway after meal. No Eternal Shame File data collection except for their Foodbank store selling canned food and other stuff, but giving away bread, fruit and vegetables Mon and Fri 12:00noon to 2:00pm, Thursday 5pm.

Early 8 March 2025
​

The consequences of living a perpetual lie

Dr Simone Gold with Jordan Peterson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piRGUCbmTH4

Early 8 March 2025

(above) Soul Foods prepares meals in plastic containers for homeless clients at Tea Tree Gully Salvation Army. No charge. By helping them prepare the food you get: healthy social interaction; cooking skills development; helpful contacts. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, February 2025.)

Another one bites the dust

Sharon Bigwood, the Administrator of Craigmore Christian Church, wrote yesterday that they’re unable to continue the free Wednesday lunch and free vegetable offering this year. 

This is sad for the regular clients who are of higher standard than at some other joints. It was good while it lasted. 

Craigmore Christian Church Wednesdays
213 Yorktown Road. Craigmore. Ph (08) 8255 5668. Free food giveaway 10:00am. Free coffee 10am to 2:00pm. Free meal 12:00 noon. No I.D. required. Stiffs welcome, not Stinking Mutts.

7 March 2025
​

A valuable service at Christie Downs

The obese man on his invalid scooter said he’s been banned after insisting on parking his machine on the ramp thus forcing other diners to use the back door. He said staff told him to wait on the grass and they’d bring food to him. At Fred’s Van he drives his machine into the dining room where others serve him.

There are some days when a change of consciousness opens up another reality such as this day watching clients enter the dining room back of the used clothing store that raises funds for the free later breakfast.

A homeless woman inside the dining room said to herself, “I don’t want to be me,” then laughed wildly and left. A small man entered with his Carer. He appeared normal except for the odd sudden clenching of his face. Then came the homeless man with high shoulder bones, clearly disabled in some way. These are merely words, but the struggling nature of the clients became clear: they weren’t criminals or drug addicts so much as born with major disabilities.

It was the old man and his son who recognised me before I them. They spent six-years living in their station wagon in carpark beaches from Semaphore to Middle Beach north of Adelaide. They finally got a place to live in Noarlunga with their dog. The old man is always helpful telling new people where to find secret services, places known only to our people while his son is battling leukaemia without a word of complaint.

Another articulate and educated diner still feeds the birds around his house despite getting $2600 in fines from the Onkaparinga Council. He is a leading customer for free bread.

Another diner at the next table said she’s getting another bout of chemo-therapy in two days though the term is a euphemism for a savage treatment. Another primal battle faced with quiet courage.

Two Towards Home employees spoke to an apparently disabled homeless man on the back verandah. He later said they were “working for awhile on my case” to get him somewhere to live. A Church of Christ man asked if I wanted them to also help me find a place to live. “Oh, no thanks,” I said, sensing danger from his good intentions.

Church of Christ at Christie Downs
165 Beach Rd., Christie Downs. Ph 8326 1153. Tues meal 5:00pm in main church hall. Doors open 4:15pm. Donation or free if you’re broke. Behind the Op Shop free coffee, toasted sandwiches, takeaway bread, vegetables 9:30am to 12:00pm Mon, Wed and Fri. First named asked, but No I.D. or registration required. Centrelink card required for bags of groceries, prescription and clothing vouchers. Closed school holidays. Pleasant and helpful staff and clients. Water tap 24/7. Shower Mon, Wed, Friday 8:30 – 9:30am; 11:15am – 12:00 noon.

Early 7 March 2025​

(above) Fred's Van at Wardli Centre at Christie Downs. They use fresh vegetables for salad rather than decomposing stuff from Food Bank. But they keep us waiting in the hot sun until opening time at 7:00pm. They should let us in for coffee an hour earlier. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, February 2025.)

Shower initiation down south

Obtaining services at new places are always traumatic. Every free joint has a different set of secret rules. Using the shower at the Baptist Church Mission at Christies Beach was no exception.

Two friendly women escorted me down the hall into the shower room. They came inside. We stood next to the toilet as one stated the rules while the other watched. One rule was to wipe the walls and floor after a shower. Fair enough. I told them I brought my own towel, but then grabbed a special towel from their stack labelled as wiping floor towels. I told them I was too infirm to wipe the floors so one said, “use your feet”. They took forever to leave and I was boiling with anger at being treated an idiot.

Despite two over-the-toilet-seats there wasn’t a chair or wall hooks to hang my clothing or towel. If a number of Baptists tried their own services – in this case, the shower – there would be hooks to hang clothing.

Anyway, the room was bright not from lights, but from a skylight covered in a heavy iron grill to stop “Stinking Mutts” from breaking in at night. The water tap worked in slow motion and takes one or two minutes to change temperature so a new client spends ten minutes getting the correct heat level.

As I left they offered a free coffee and toasted sandwich or “anything else”. All was well, I had established myself as a new client at an excellent service. 

But the shower at Ingle Farm Salvation Army is still the best. Regular clients wave to the receptionist and she waves back. Nothing more.

Baptist Church Christies Beach
Shower, soap, towel, washing machine, drier, free coffee. Baptist Church, 8 Fowey Street, Christies Beach. Mon, Tues, Fri 9:00am to 12:00pm. They prefer an appointment made on (08) 7200 2501, but you can just walk in. Drier takes over an hour to dry clothing. Strict place.

Early 6 March 2025

(above) Free food joint are often a surprise: a kilo of Gorgonzola Italian blue cheese one day, disposable coffee cups the next. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, February 2025.)

Humanity First Christie Downs

The front doors were open 90 minutes before the meal started so diners could find refuge in the foyer from the heat. Shelves of free bread lined the walls. The volunteers appeared Indian with Moslem names. They worked in the kitchen and set up chairs in the dining room. Two white volunteers arrived wearing Humanity First shirts.

Unlike most community centres this one seemed friendly with an open front door, easily accessible toilets, comfortable chairs in the foyer. But they weren’t taking any chance with break-ins during the night. Three cameras were situated at the front entrance with one on the roof pointed towards skylight-style windows.​

Diners arrived about 5:40pm. We sat in the dining room. The diners appeared Housing Trust normal people with children and not Mutts, Stiffs or lunatics. I sat alone at a table as the room filled to capacity so a woman at a crowded table invited me to their table.

A volunteer said they didn’t have water on this hot day due to not having cold water so we had cold cordial instead and coffee. The meal of brown curry, vegetables and professionally cooked rice came in cardboard segmented plates. Other diners except myself and one woman received sausages. A volunteer asked me, “Is there an issue?” as I waited for others to be served before eating. Of course, one or two old men muttered about the food being too hot with chilli. Ice-cream was dessert.

By 6:45pm it was over. Diners disappeared. Staff packed up the chairs and tables and I returned to my ten tree-lined hectares of camping ground in an industrial park. Life is good, either that or terrible. It’s hard to tell, but living outside is stimulating.

Christie Downs Community Centre
Cnr Flaxmill and Morton Rd. Christie Downs (08) 8384 6894. Humanity First provides free 6pm meal 2nd and 4th Wed of month. No registration required. Indian-style food or BBQ. Free bread in foyer. Free vegetables and low-cost pantry items Tues-Thurs 9:30am to 1pm for $2 entry fee.

Early 5 March 2025

(above) Disguised homeless camp in Adelaide CBD. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, 2025.)

More trouble at White Tiger

It isn’t clear where it started, but one aggravation erupted when certain clients ignored the “leaving bags doesn’t count as being in the queue” sign and did just that. But one woman wearing a Hijab was jolted to alertness when the formerly homeless N.D.I.S. man stood in front of the row of bags. He no longer accepted that placing a bag alongside the building gave a person the same status as being in the queue.

But then another issue erupted when clients of the White Tiger food shed thought they had extra privileges because they lived next door. An older man named David, I believe, pushed him back and was rewarded by a punch in the mouth. After more yelling the police arrived and questioned to the neighbour.

This little interview left the neighbour even more aggrieved. He went home then leaned over the fence and cut the church flowers. This brought a return of the police though it isn’t too clear what charges he faced, but punching the old man would have been at least one.

Police also spoke to the co-founder of White Tiger who had trouble not crying. In fact, all the volunteers were shattered by the angry vibes despite some of them being part of White Tiger Martial Arts group. More like Paper Tigers.

Nor was Ken Henderson his old self. He’s the pastor of Playford Baptist Church that hosts White Tiger free food. One witness said Ken claimed he saw nothing then drove away. Gone are the days when Ken would chase miscreants down Miller’s Court from the Baptist Westcare homeless joint in the city. This time he found a reason to make a discreet exit.

Later, the neighbour also threatened the formerly homeless N.D.I.S. man who laughed without fear and said he’d captured everything on his phone video. What will happen next week?

White Tiger Elizabeth Grove
Operates from the Baptist Church, 19-21 Haydown Rd., Elizabeth Grove. Ph 0434 096 152. Monday and Friday 2:00pm until food runs out, usually 45 minutes. Free fruit, vegetables, bread plus some food for sale. White Tiger began as a martial arts group in 1993. Friendly.

Early 4 March 2025

(above) Free monthly hamper from Salisbury Uniting Church. Supermarket card every two months. It's for Salisbury Council area residents and those with non-specific address Centrelink Cards. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, February 2025.)

(above) Back of the Op Shop at Christie Downs Church of Christ you can get free coffee, toasted sandwiches and other food on Mon., Wed., Fri., mornings. All free. No data collection for the Eternal Shame File. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, February 2025.)

On the Street

A senior member of the Para Vista Lutheran Church wondered why they’d been getting lower numbers of diners for their free Monday meals in recent weeks. But all it takes is two extended families to stay away to change the dynamics. And some groups are so close that if one gets sick, the others stay away.

A regular homeless diner invited a new woman to his crowded table. He spoke to her at length in the carpark after everyone had gone. The homeless clients table is the most crowded and dynamic in the building. A hot topic was Salvation Army politics at Tea Tree Gully Corps.

The food was excellent as always with a special dish for those who don’t eat meat.

*

Digital sharing of information has made part of the population monsters. We’ve become despicable amateur journalists. Journalists are a separate breed of sociopaths and the internet has unleashed a new meaner breed of sociopaths.

*

The computers controlling payment for the washers and driers are faulty at Orange Sky laundromat in North Adelaide. An Orange Sky contractor fixed them and then they failed again.

Mathematician and Celebrity Arts Benefactor Keith Crawford slammed the doors of the washers and driers after making payment then getting no result. He said he and his Zsa Zsa Gabor-style wife, Janet Crawford, will wash elsewhere in future.

But these benefactors will probably return. And the good news is that Orange Sky has extended their free washing at the laundromat in Melbourne Street to include Thursdays from 9:30am to 11:30am.

*

Another Lighthouse church not connected with City Mission has a free morning tea on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from 10am to 11:30am at 26 Jetty Road, Brighton. Clients are professional retired people so they don’t throw chairs at each other or talk about bitter disasters in their lives. However, failure diners are also welcome.

*

Warren the road construction worker was seen on a hot day cramming soft chocolate bars into his pockets at a free food event.

*

An N.D.I.S. client sacked his Carer then twisted him to the floor. The Carer had taken little notice of his employer’s order to leave the house and never return.

*

Port Church cancelled their Wednesday meal two weeks previously due to temperatures passing 36 degrees. They’re the only place that does this.

*

What was Old Val doing in the Elizabeth shopping centre food court? That was outside her territory. She feels tired and intimated she is ready for death.

You got a few years left on the clock, Old Val.

Lifeline 131 114 (24 hours).

*

Bagster Road Community Centre was doing haircuts for two-dollars last week.

*

A homeless woman with Stage 4 cancer rarely speaks to anyone. Possibly in part due to being a raging drug addict, but also because her life is a series of primal threats making small talk from people living safely in houses meaningless, even insulting. So she laughs dismissively so those within earshot think she’s an idiot.

*

A paid breast cancer charity fundraising employee called out to a young woman walking inside the Noarlunga shopping centre. He was so friendly. He offered her a pin signifying she supported the so-called charity. But as she reached to accept it, he hung onto it tightly then pulled it back. He face registered horror and betrayal. She smiled bravely to save face while he delivered his spiel. He wanted her to sign a donation contract. The first $100 goes to himself, then more to his fundraising employer and finally some to the breast cancer charity, mostly for salaries. He didn’t tell her this. He said her donation would save lives.

The breast cancer charity uses such predators because it’s money for nothing. But why don’t they use their own members to collection donations? Because they don’t have any members. Most so-called charities have either been abandoned by their members or were expelled since members ask pesky questions and vote at Annual General Meetings, and ask where the money went.

*

A free food dining guest said she had twelve children including three sets of twins, but was finished with all that. She also has bone cancer so is moving to the Adelaide CBD.

*

A man said part of his neighbour’s Housing Trust unit was burnt. The neighbour has since left the unit. The Housing Trust put plywood over the doors and windows. Vandals removed these leaving the place wide open. The vandals ripped panels from the walls and pulled insulation from the ceiling to steal the copper pipes. Squatters moved into the back sheds. Cats moved into the house. And with the interior water pipes ripped out, someone turned on the water at the meter and flooded the joint.

The normal neighbour says the damage went from a burnt room to a full house replacement due to neglect by Housing Trust management. This happens a hundred or more times each year.

*

A worker in the mental health industry said her employer is trying to make her accept clients who self-harm. She said she’ll work with anyone except these clients who cut themselves deeply with glass leaving large areas of visible sliced flesh. “Not little scratches on the arms,” she added.

*

A veteran homeless man talked to a Tea Tree Gully Council official about keeping the Civic Park public toilets open later in the evenings. The employee said a petition by residents would result in that.

The employee said they previously kept the toilets open 24/7 at Edinburgh Park below Bunnings Warehouse, but locked them in the evenings because the drug addicted campers caused so much damage. This enraged other homeless people and parents taking their children to the playground.

*

Three boys were playing in the playground of the Seventh-day Adventist school at Morphett Vale while a man played Muzak on a blue tooth speaker. “It’s annoyed,” one boy said when the adult asked if they liked it. Muzak is a neurological a health hazard.

*

A well-meaning charity worker gave me a box of detergent and two rolls of toilet paper. I thanked her and said, “I don’t use either.” She didn’t want to pursue that weird conversation and returned the stuff to their store room.

*

A homeless man has agreed to give his car to a housed hoarder woman. The man lives in his car. He said, “It’s just a car.”

*

A woman named Vicki from the Christie Beach Baptist Church produces the southern suburbs Green Paper listing free food joints in the southern suburbs from Marion to Noarlunga to Aldinga. The value of such research can’t be overestimated.

*

While sheltering in the shade outside the Wardli Centre at Christie Downs, there was an extended barrage of guttural shouts between tenants of the Housing Trust complex next door

It may have been a natural cultural exchange between indigenous people or it may have been an expression of fear and loathing.

*

Social media influencer Sonia Blackwell has blocked many people from her pages. She even blocked Salvo Major Rob Casburn. So someone has begun a Sonia Blockwell page.

When asked why she blocks people from joining the discussions, she says their negative comments are a distraction to the issues she raises.

Early 2 March 2025

(above) Homeless camp in a secret part of inner Adelaide. (Adelaide Homeless Journal, February 2025.)

From the heart

Via the anonymous contact page

Really, after years of living in a tent, I've noticed a few things, firstly, noone at the free food places are adapted at being homeless, if they were they would not need to leave there camp-site, those that do either crave social interactions or waste there money on drugs or alcohol and don't know how to survive being homeless, there stuck surviving off the sympathy of others, I couldn't do it myself that's disgusting, rotten or ill-favoured food given to you to make those people handing it out just to feel good about there otherwise selfish or just plain boring lives.

The ones on the street that go to these places are often the bad types of homeless that give the rest of us a bad name, further enabling the stigma that we are all drug-f***d and beyond hope, that's why they gave up on homeless support, each time they make these silly centres one of you clowns smashes it up or rips the copper out the wall ruining it for others. The politicians have made themselves our enemy Wether you guys realise it or not at this stage, they've used the rotton few to stage a war against all of us. It starts with the marginalised, but it will spread, just as we see with all the services in decline and the quality decreasing even further, there's going to be less and less programs out there, less and less free food, less care. You guys need to wise up and do better.

I spend $14 each pay on food for myself, coles noodle cups $1 each. Sometimes I'll have a can of tuna or some spaghetti all cheap items I won't spend more then $40 on myself, yeah my pets are a bit, I spend about $200 each pay on there food and litter etc. But that's a choice I made when getting my beautiful fur-children. Point is, it's easily done, I buy smokes for the fortnight and I'm prescribed green (not that I would ever be able to afford it from the greedy gov, but that's another story), either way I get by, in regards to councils moving you along, once you find a decent council (which I know of atleast one in the Northern suburbs no less) its about letting them know your only trying to survive, if they think your a problem they will move you on but if you are not!

Chances are they leave you alone for a while, pick a good spot with little visability and hope no locals are pathetic and call the council on a daily basis (there are some, I know of atleast one guy that just didn't like the idea of my tent so he kept calling the council until they eventually told me who it was and let's just say there was no more phone calls but whatever, we sort what we have to sort out to survive being homeless, this country is literally telling us we're not aloud to be homeless, we have no where to go, not a single piece of land is unowned and we can't be anywhere but crown land unless risking break and enter charges, if a big enough group of us rose up we could force the government to provide us land legally through the basic human rights act and we could take it right up to the UN I'd necessary but we would need actual intellects in our situation to pull that of.

While I'm here I want to ask something to the dude that goes around setting up in different places with his blue Subaru hatchback and keeps posting it as if it's a different camper or something, do you think anyone's falling for it? Each week you post your new spot with a different angle of ymthe same car and you keep acting like it's a random homeless persons camp, firstly if I seen you posting my camp here with location I'd be seeing red and looking to k*** (honestly). I just fail to see any angle from what your posting, we know there's 10,000 Australians each month becoming homeless, you posting A tent is irrelevant of that fact but it calls to question your motives and makes people like me think your not at all homeless just putting on this appearance in the name of journalism. Correct me if I'm wrong?

Second Editor: That is a genuine homeless camper moving about continuously to avoid being targeted by Council or individuals. But thanks for bringing it up.

And I post highly visible camps, but usually wait for them been abandoned or destroyed by Council.

​The blue SUV person has given permission for publication. 

To any of the organisers of a free food joint or members of the government reading this, I'm an actual homeless person that's lived in tents over 5 years total, you won't see me travelling across the city to pick up some rotton bread and lollies or to watch the local junkies brawl with a chance of being brought into it, stop making these programs for lower class and calling it homeless support, 9/10 people that go there are taking it back to there house VIA car... instead, go to the tents!!! Ask around, there's so many tents set up around all of Adelaide with people that live there 24/7, they actually need help. There's no services that deliver to tents, alot of people living in tents are to afraid to leave them at risk all the stuff will be stolen or just thrown our by the council, which is a very real threat, I am a very 'athletic' guy we will say, and even I have to occasional come outside with a shovel just to defuse violent situations it's really worrying thinking about what might happen to those that can't defend themselves, all in a days life of the truly homeless.

If you need power, start with small bcf solar panel chargers, for $70 you get a 12w usb solar panel that can easily charge large powerbanks and thus phones etc. For anything bigger use a solar panel and powerhub, for example exoflow has good models of different prices starting from $300, but ac and dc charging, once you set up a solar panel outside your tent you can power fans, 4x4 freezers, cooking equiptment, I even charge my mobility scooter off it and set the panel to the roof so I have a mobile power supply and practically endless charge on the scooter. Once you have that your power is sorted and you never need to travel to charge your phone

Don't be in groups, councils target any more then 1 tent I've found, they think any more then one 'set' (I don't think having a partner effects it at all) will be partying and using drugs, that's literally the only reasoning they could come up with for me, my response was "and so all of us homeless are drug-fu***d thieves then?" Which shut them up pretty fast haha

Bottom line is this, we need to fix the stigma that we're all druggies, and we gotta start helping each other, we've all got enough problems, let's be each other's solutions rather then adding to them,
if you scratch my back and i scratch yours, noones backs left itchy...

One more peice of advice for anyone that doesn't already know, if you see a tent, it's likely that it's someone fu**ing home, leave it the f*** alone!!

Crazy Cat man with Blue Heeler
​

Six hours later

So instead of editing out the part you didn't like, you choose to ignore the entire speech filled with life saving information you refuse to share about how 'longterm' homeless actually survive. Shows where your interests lie... clearly not in the homeless, I wonder who pays you to sell us out?

Crazy Cat Man with Blue Heeler

Second Editor: I was a bit slow publishing your post. I ate too much food from free food joints and felt sick. Your posts are excellent. More, please.

Cat Man continued: “I'm gonna be making the government listen to the lower class one way or another, you can assist or you can side with the corrupt politics... but you can't side with both.”

Crazy Cat Man with Blue Heeler
Posted for early 1 March 2025

Into the aether

From the anonymous contact page

“Thank you to the man that saved my day on Friday. Outside women's and children's Hospital bus stop. You were sick and had a i.v in. I didn't know where else to post.

“Your random act of kindness saved me today. You helped calm down my special needs child to. Fighting the mental health care team at the hospital has been draining for my 15 year old and no family. You lifted me up. First nice things someones said in weeks. Found a new light.”

Anonymous
Posted for early 1 March 2025
​

Immanuel College students provide free lunch at Glenelg

When the church preacher said a prayer, not one bowed their heads and closed their eyes. I was looking at them.

One elderly retired member of the church said he’d rented his house to a homeless man camping on the church verandah. Previously, the man had been camping in his red car later stolen by Aboriginal people. The tenant was already behind in the rent, but had let another person stay there who is doing renovation work for payment. The elderly church man wondered if he’d made the right decision.

Before eating, the preacher thanked the students for their benevolent gesture – or something similar – of helping us, but this wasn't true. They were private school students fulfilling obligations for a community service segment of their educational qualifications. 

The preacher played a similar role as executives from community mental illness groups thanking pharmaceutical companies for their community spirited gesture of donating money for salaries. Corporation directors and managers by law aren't allow to make donations unless they further the profit objectives of the shareholders. Donations are there to hijack the objectives of the groups via bribes to salaried employees. 

The preacher wasn't getting any payment, but the self-serving interests of the students and college were paramount. We were pawns in their game. Isn’t this the height of ingratitude?

The simple meal included sausages, salad, garlic bread and Pavlova with no components emanating bad odours. The tables included cloths and good cutlery.

The cordial was warm on a hot day. The students liked the meal so much they abandoned their serving positions and joined the queue before the usual suspects had been served. Teachers took over.

I sat alone not wanting to be with the usual crowd and was soon joined by interesting strangers including students. A church member suggested I visit a men’s shed group. Who goes to men’s shed groups? They’re usually controlled by women.

Before lunch we went to the free food room in another building. The free bags are smaller than before. Thirty items reduced to six. The volunteer said we could visit once a month while another volunteer said six times a year. One client was there with her N.D.I.S. Carer. 
​
Lutheran Glenelg free food
St Paul’s Lutheran church, 48 Brighton Road, Glenelg (near corner of Jetty and Brighton Roads) Ph 8295 6376. Mon and Wed 11:00am -2:00pm. Parking at rear. Six free store-bought pantry items and toiletries plus bread. Centrelink card details kept on paper and destroyed each year. One visit per month. No card required for free lunch 11:30am to 1:00pm 2nd and 4th Weds of month. Coffee, cakes 1st and 3rd Weds. Nothing too weird about this joint.

Early 1 March 2025

For previous ten years of Adelaide Homeless Journal see the menu at top of this page

https://tinyurl.com/huttstreetcentrerobyn
  The Hutt Street Centre and Kent Town Rotary are portraying Robyn as homeless for the purpose of collecting money. However, Robyn is not homeless. She has lived  for years in a comfortable home in an exclusive suburb across the South Parklands and within walking distance of  the Hutt Street Centre. Rotary may not know this, but the Hutt Street Centre does as Robyn has been going there for decades. This is a problem with homeless welfare where  clients get drawn into an agency's  propaganda unit. Robyn has had a tumultuous life and has adapted her tactics to meet those challenges and her endurance is a credit to the survival skills of humanity.

www.predatorsandfriends.weebly.com 
The story of Sherri Robinson
and Tony DeKort

Photograph of Ngongotaha (Mark Nicholas Arstall, 39) given freely to Mark Brake of the Adelaide Advertiser and published by the webmaster of the Hutt Street Centre on their webpage.

http://tinyurl.com/mileskemppuffpiece

The WestCare Letters (click here)

Remembering PJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPCiBYTnN4c

All posts since 2007 have been archived and can be accessed via the menu bar at the top of this page. This website has also been archived by numerous American Net sweepers.

---

The sad world of corporate bullies Verity Kate Edwards
and Frank Pangallo

---