My Name is Ashley

I grew up in Sydney’s Inner West, but for a long time, I didn’t really have a place to call home.

I moved from suburb to suburb, couch to couch. For about two and a half years, I was without a home at all ­­­, ­just travelling around, trying to get through each day and figure out where I was going to sleep next.

Eventually, housing found me a place in Glebe.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. And after everything I’d been through, having somewhere I could come back to meant a lot.

I lived there for a couple of years before the owner decided they no longer wanted housing tenants in the building. So once again, I had to move.

They offered me a place in Balmain East. I remember taking the keys, walking through the door and thinking — this is home.

Nine and a half years later, I’m still there.

There’s something quite special about that. I grew up around that area when I was younger, so in a way, life has brought me full circle.

Faith has been another part of that journey.

My mum was Catholic, so when I was growing up, I was dragged along to church. Like a lot of kids, I drifted away from it as I got older. For a long time, faith wasn’t really part of my life.

But when things became difficult — really difficult — I found my way back to it.

There was a period when I struggled with suicidal thoughts. I don’t hide that, because it is part of my story. It was a very dark time, and I didn’t know how I was going to find my way out.

But I had people around me who saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. They reminded me what I was good at. They encouraged me to get back out into the world.

Their support saved me.

And if there’s one thing I would say to anyone going through something similar, it’s simply this: don’t give up.

Because there can be a life on the other side of that darkness.

Photography was one of the things that helped bring me back.

Not many people know this, but I used to be a photographer. I worked as a photojournalist for the South Sydney Herald, and one of the highlights of that time was shooting and interviewing people on the red carpet at the ARIA Awards in 2015.

I was doing photography and video for a music group at the time, and suddenly I found myself standing in the middle of the ARIAs.

It was wild - one of those moments where you stop and think, how did I end up here?

In 2017, that journey brought me to Newtown Mission through Johnson Street Jazz.

I started as the door person — very humble beginnings and eventually moved into sound and video. Over time, I became part of the community.

And almost ten years later, I’m still here.

I remember the first time I walked into the chapel here in Newtown. I was completely awestruck. The ceiling, the history, the atmosphere — there was just something about the place.

I’ve always loved old buildings, and that one got me straight away.

But what really surprised me about Newtown Mission was the people.

It taught me to be humble and to be open. There are no barriers here, and there’s no judgement. Artists, volunteers, people doing it tough — everyone can walk through the door and be part of the same community.

That means a lot to me.

There’s a real energy here, particularly on Wednesday nights on King Street. I’ve been to Sunday services too, and you see all sorts of people — familiar faces, new faces, people who are doing it tough, including people experiencing homelessness.

And somehow, everyone belongs.

At 8 O’Clock Sharp, I’m the Vice President with special responsibility for technical matters — which is a fancy way of saying I look after the video, audio, lighting and all the things that keep the show alive.

If something breaks, it’s usually, “Hey Ash, can you fix this?”

And usually, I can.

Sound and lighting might not always be the things people notice, but they’re the backbone of a live performance. Without them, you lose the atmosphere, the energy — the feeling that makes a night special.

One of my most memorable nights was the final gig at Johnson Street with the group “The Catholics.”

The place was absolutely packed.

It was one of the best send-offs a venue could have. There was sadness because we knew something was ending, but there was also something beautiful about seeing so many people come together to celebrate what that place had meant to them.

We’ve had some big nights at Newtown too, and I know there are more to come.

When I look back at where I started — moving from place to place, spending years without a home, and eventually finding myself in some very dark places — I don’t think I could have imagined where the journey would take me.

I found a home.

I found a community.

I found people who believed in me when I wasn’t sure how to believe in myself.

And somehow, I ended up back in the Inner West, surrounded by music, old buildings, good people and a community that made me feel like I belonged.

So, if I could leave people with anything, it would be this:

Be yourself. Enjoy life. Do what you need to do. And have fun.

Because you never really know where the next chapter might take you.