Western Sydney’s Postcode Wars
You’ve probably heard or seen, ‘OneFour, 21 District, ’67 or Cabraboys’ at some point or other
When I think of Western Sydney, I think of home. While others think of places plagued by violence amongst gangs and poverty-stricken throughout.
With a population of 2.5 million and ranging from 170 countries it makes up one of Australia’s most culturally diverse regions. Although this is not what Sydney thinks when they hear Western Sydney. They picture a world of gangs, violence, shootings and stabbings solidified by the media and interpreted by the people as the only image of Western Sydney.
This image is produced by youth gangs in conflict with one other commonly known as the ‘Postcode Wars’. These gangs are divided into various areas of Western Sydney. The most prominent gangs are located in far west Sydney: Mt Druitt’s ‘ONEFOUR’, Lethbridge Park’s ‘LF70’ and Doonside’s ‘67’. Their rivals include gangs in the inner west ‘21District’ and ‘Inner West Brotherhood’ located in Guildford and Merrylands.
The emerging sub-genre of drill within Australia
In the last decade drill has begun to emerge in Australia, as a subgenre of rap. Drill is characterised by its distinctive dark lyrics often referencing violence and criminal activities, Australia’s first drill rappers were ONEFOUR. Various gangs listed above have released their own music as a means to represent their gang and area, to story-tell their experiences or as a coping mechanism in some cases. This has fueled the ‘Postcode Wars’, especially with recent events such as the death of 21 District member, Tino Henry after a brawl between ONEFOUR and 21 District in 2018 at an underpass near Prince Alfred Square in Parramatta. Henry’s death was mocked and taunted by their rivals through the release of “the message’ by ONEFOUR. In response, 21 District released “the reply” which involved taunting and threats towards ONEFOUR. Drill is seen as an avenue in which gang-affiliated groups fuel their rivalry against one another through songs inciting threats, mocking and taunting one another.
Music has been known to have effects on our emotions and body. It can make us happy, energised, relaxed or even forget the troubles of our everyday lives. It can also be used as a coping mechanism or to story-tell one’s experiences. In the case of drill, the purpose has been debated. Although each song displays a ‘Disclaimer explaining lyrics and characters to be fictional and solely for entertainment purposes only’. Viewers and authorities take it as they wish. For instance, the founder of OutCast, Franny Loco expression on Postcode Wars is described as
and coincidentally drill is growing on a global platform.
“Easily kids and; youth want attention and to be famous and they’ll do anything to get it”.
Leading to youth to think:
“All I gotta do is go get a knife and be like these brothers in the local area and be a gangster.”
Youth in Greater Western Sydney are beginning to engage more in-depth with music especially in drill and rap in order to avoid engaging in criminal activity. New and upcoming key figures include Hooligans Hefs, Youngin Lipz and Dmonzz who have previously known to either be gang affiliated or engaged in crime but have transitioned their lifestyle away to focus on music. Although with the nature of drill music, youth may be influenced to mimic the lyrics of their favourite artists, resulting in further crime and gang membership.
In Recent Times
There have been 11 deaths in the last 4 years and in light of 2022’s Easter Show incident news outlets have produced programmes like ABC’s Four Corners and TrueCrime Australia: The War: Young Blood. These programmes showcase the cause, effects and influence of such incidents and behaviours among youth within these areas. Furthermore, it reinforces the impact of the Postcode Wars and crime in greater Western Sydney and how it’s contributed to its reputation and image.
In a recent incident in the postcode wars, a brawl between 2 youth groups resulted in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old, Uati Pele Faletolu and another injured whilst on break at the Easter Show of 2022. The Police Homicide squad have determined Feletolu is linked to ongoing violence between gangs in Mt Druitt and Doonside. As a result of this incident, there have been added security measures by organisers of the Royal Easter Show of 2023. These include a no-tolerance policy on anti-social behaviour, an earlier closing time of 9:30 pm, bigger police presence, mandatory metal detectors and CCTV entry requirements. But the most controversial and distinctive change was the banning of rap music throughout the showground fearing it may attract street gangs. This change has led vendors to accept these rules but many have said they lose revenue and noticed this year’s show has been slower than previous years.
In Conclusion…
The friends and family of the victims, Jason Galleghan and Mak Muon now strive to make a change, a social change.
Mak was allegedly murdered in 2020 when he took part in a home invasion allegedly targeting a member of a rival postcode gang. As of this tragedy, his older brother Martin has set up a record label in his honour and aspiring music career. The record label aims to help youth stay away from crime and out of the court system. In other words, therapy in some circumstances.
Whereas, Jason Galleghan was killed in 2021 in a fatal attack by gang members to denounce rival gangs. Jason’s best friend, Oswais Menzel has set up a not-for-profit service organisation, #YouthAgainstViolence that provides support and awareness of youth violence in Australia through effective strategies such as early intervention, prevention, and education.