Anthony Albanese has gone from his mother’s humble council house to the lavish Lodge in Canberra after being elected to Australia’s top job.
Despite his dramatic postcode change, on the inner-Sydney streets, Mr Albanese is still considered ‘one of us’ by housing commission locals.
‘Coming from housing commission, Albo will know how f***ing hard it is,’ local Vince Morgan told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It might help him govern, especially coming from where we come from.
‘He might be different from every other pollie, because the rest of them are all f***ing a***holes, aren’t they?
‘It’s good to see someone like him get in, instead of all those rich bast***s. They all lie. Not him though – he’s got roots…’
Anthony Albanese (pictured with his mother Maryanne) is still Albo from the Block on the inner city streets of Sydney where he is considered ‘one of us’ by housing commission locals
Anthony Albanese live in the council house (pictured: the PM’s former kitchen) with his mother who raised him on a pension in this inner-Sydney housing commission flat
Neighbour Bart Faddoul runs a smash repair firm and has fond memories of Albo’s mum, describing her as ‘lovely’ and expressing regret he couldn’t attend her funeral
He has – and they run deep in Camperdown.
Mr Albanese, who was born in 1963, was brought up by his Irish immigrant single mum, Maryanne, in the blond-bricked, semi-detached, three-bedroom, two storey home on Pyrmont Bridge Road.
It was designed by an English architect and built in 1927 on the concept of the UK workers’ terraced house, which offered an affordable rented home close to the city, and a small backyard for kids to play safely.
Decades later, it is still housing commission stock – despite now being heritage listed – and while the building might be anonymous, its former tenant is anything but.
Anthony Albanese is pictured with his son, Nathan, and his mother Maryanne – just before she passed away in 2002
Mr Albanese was brought up in this blond-bricked, semi-detached, three-bedroom, two storey home on Pyrmont Bridge Road where he was born in 1963
The young lad who played in that modest backyard is now at an international summit as an equal with US President Joe Biden and world leaders from Japan and India.
But the Quadrilateral meeting in Tokyo comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the death of his beloved mother on May 25, 2002.
She was found on the floor of the Camperdown home’s laundry, having suffered an aneurysm on Mother’s Day 2002.
Ms Albanese was rushed to hospital, where she died two weeks later.
Across the road, neighbour Bart Faddoul runs a smash repair firm and has fond memories of Albo’s mum.
‘She was great,’ he said. ‘Lovely woman – had a maroon Ford Falcon and she was very friendly. She used to chat to use all the time. She was lovely.
‘I wanted to go to her funeral but I couldn’t close the workshop.’
Anthony Albanese (pictured with Penny Wong, girlfriend Jodie and son Nathan) secured a historic election win on Saturday
In the 20 years since his mother’s death – and the 32 years since Albo himself moved out – parts of Camperdown have changed, with some degree of gentrification of the area
He remembers Mr Albanese often popping in to see his mum, and was delighted to see him get the top job, but admitted: ‘I like him personally, but I hate his politics.
‘I’m not a Labor supporter but I’m happy for him. I couldn’t vote for him – I’m a Liberal. Labour economic policy is a mess – you increase the minimum wage, you’ll increase inflation and no-one will be able to afford anything.
‘You add $10 a week to the wage packet and you’ll get hit by an extra $40 a week at the supermarket checkout till. It’s nonsense.
‘But it’s great to see someone from his background get to where he has. It’s very rare to see that these days. Good luck to him – he’s worked hard to get where he is.
‘I hope he does good for the country – we need it. A lot of people are struggling.’
Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese (right) embraces his partner Jodie Haydon after winning the 2022 Federal Election
Today, Albo’s old home is now occupied by another single mum, Russian immigrant Rosa Yakubova, who treasures its place in Australian history (pictured, the outside of the unit block)
Today, Albo’s old home is now occupied by another single mum, Russian immigrant Roza Yakubova, who treasures its place in Australian history – and is keen to keep it as close as possible to what it was when the Albaneses lived there.
‘I’ve tried to look after it,’ she said. ‘I think it’s only respectful to a man who is dedicating his life to this country.’
Downstairs, it has a main room and large kitchen – famously captured in the photograph of a young Albo and his mum with a birthday cake.
Off the kitchen is a converted laundry, shower room and toilet which leads to the backyard, while upstairs is the main bedroom and two smaller bedrooms.
Albanese’s old childhood bedroom had a balcony that had been converted into a sunroom/study and looks out on the neighbours’ backyards.
Local Addison Road outlet worker Greg Smedley (pictured) says Mr Albanese’s background stood him in good stead to help the local community which bred him
The modest backyard where a young Anthony Albanese played in as a child
Albanese’s old childhood bedroom had a balcony that had been converted into a sunroom/study and looks out on the neighbours’ backyards
The recent rain deluges saw the home flooded ankle deep in water and has left the backyard and alleyway mossy and slippery with green algae.
A sewage manhole in a neighbouring backyard also now has a tendency to back up and overflow in storms too, while the original fencing is looking decrepit in places.
But mother-of-three Ms Yakubova insists: ‘It’s warm in winter and cool in summer. It’s a great home.’
All the neighbours know each other, she says, adding: ‘There’s not much to hide when you live in public housing.’
In the 20 years since his mother’s death – and the 32 years since Albo himself moved out – parts of Camperdown have changed, with some degree of gentrification of the area.
A cool cafe sits across the road close to an upmarket hair stylist with designer dogs running around inside. Fancy cars fill up the car parks nearby.
But it still sits under the deafening Sydney Airport flightpath, and just a couple of doors down from Albo’s home is a food bank where people queue for vital supplies.
Just a couple of doors down from Albo’s home is a food bank where people queue for vital supplies while the block sits under the deafening Sydney Airport flightpath
Another local, Bill Sette, (pictured) pushed past Albo’s old home on his walking frame and said he felt optimistic about the future knowing he was in charge
Local Addison Road outlet worker Greg Smedley says Mr Albanese’s background stood him in good stead to help the local community which bred him.
‘He’s got that background in social housing,’ he said. ‘He knows what he’s talking about.
‘I voted for the first time in 18 years to make sure he got in – or else some goose like Clive Palmer might have got in instead!’
Another local, Bill Sette, pushed past Albo’s old home on his walking frame and said he was delighted the former local had landed the top job.
‘I’m happy he’s in because that other idiot had to go,’ he said.
‘I just hope he gets a decent chance because I think there’s a lot of people lining up and won’t give him an easy go.
Mr Albanese is pictured with the late Labor legend Bob Hawke in 1986 shortly after he graduated university
Clare Walsh (pictured) has lived in the area for 20 years and warned against setting expectations too high for the new PM
‘But he’s going to be for the people – not like those other idiots. Hopefully once he gets back from Japan, he’ll get into it.
‘I feel optimistic about the future again knowing he’s in charge.’
Clare Walsh has lived in the area for 20 years and warned against setting expectations too high for the new PM or putting too much emphasis on his humble origins.
‘I don’t like to wave that flag,’ she admitted. ‘And we shouldn’t be putting him on a pedestal. We have to be very careful about that.
‘But I think he will deliver in terms of decency.’
Neighbour Geoff Cousens was also delighted to see Mr Albanese come good – but was concerned he may need to toughen up to survive at the top.
Mr Albanese is pictured in 1986 at Labor’s National Youth Conference in Hobart when he was 23
Neighbour Geoff Cousens (pictured) said he was delighted to see Mr Albanese come good
‘I think he’s a bit too much of a softy,’ said the builder. ‘He seems like a soft teddy bear which may worry some voters.
‘But I think coming from his background will let him understand a lot more about how real families are struggling with the cost of living right now.’
Outside Albo’s house, Mr Morgan and his cousin Graham Weatherall walk past the PM’s old home on the way to the pub from their own nearby social housing for their daily schooner of grog.
The pair often stop outside Albo’s old front door while Mr Weatherall catches his breath.
The steep stairway a young Anthony Albanese and his disabled mother Maryanne would climb each night to reach the upstairs bedrooms
‘Chook’ as his cousin calls him, is ready for the last push to get on to the pub and that morning beer.
But Mr Morgan has one last spray for the usual breed of pollies that came before Albo.
‘They wouldn’t have a f***ing clue how we go – they go home with their belly full all the time, not like us,’ he said.
‘Every day is f***ing tough for us here. We struggle all the time.
Mr Albanese held ministries in the Rudd and Gillard governments and was deputy prime minister during Kevin Rudd’s second turn
Mr Albanese (pictured with his partner Jodie Haydon in Tasmania on Friday) is now at an international summit as an equal with US President Joe Biden and other world leaders
Camperdown is an inner western suburb of Sydney
‘We’re both on pension and it never goes far enough. By the end of the fortnight, you’re getting food off the van to survive.’
And he sent a message to their local hero.
‘I just want him to do right by the people,’ he said. ‘Do what you say you’ll do. Don’t bulls*** us. But I’ve never known a Prime Minister to keep his word.
‘Hopefully Albo will be the first. It could be different because he comes from this sort of area.’
But did he vote for Albo on Saturday? ‘Nah, mate,’ he said. ‘I don’t vote.’