Suburb 4 Sale (ATOM Study Guide)

Hope and disappointment are recurrent themes in Suburb 4 Sale. As we observe three families attempting to move into or out of Airds, we share many of the hopes and disappointments they experience along the way.

When the Housing Commission of NSW (now the NSW Department of Housing) began construction on the Airds estate in the 1970s, one of their aims was '... to contribute to the building of strong and happy communities'. Although the Commission may have accomplished this aim initially, today Airds is one of the most socially disadvantaged suburbs of Sydney. While watching Suburb 4 Sale we should consider how disappointing this outcome must be for the present Department.

Daniel Torr's family is one of three cases followed closely in the documentary. Daniel makes the winning bid at auction and tells of plans to turn his new house into a family home. However this hope is crushed when his work takes the Torrs back to Queensland and they must start renting a house again.

Tracey Brotherstone speaks hopefully of the Department's plans to bulldoze her house because that will mean she, partner Lyn and daughter Braeley will be able to move out of Airds. Then she hears the plans have been stalled and she becomes 'bloody disheartened'.

Sandy May is hopeful that by moving to a new house and reuniting with her boyfriend Sean, they will become 'one big family' but Sean decides to go back to New Zealand leaving Sandy to raise her three children on her own.

We also witness the hopes and disappointments experienced by some of the minor characters in Suburb 4 Sale. After renting a house for twelve years, Gail hoped that the sell off in Airds would provide an opportunity for her to purchase her own home but on auction day the opening bid was larger than her finances would allow.

When we first meet real estate agent Robyn Harrison, she appears to have a lot of confidence in the property market and the Department's plans to redevelop Airds but by the end of the documentary she is disappointed by the lack of interest in the properties she is trying to sell.

Although Suburb 4 Sale ends unfortunately for the Torrs and the Airds redevelopment as a whole, things look more promising for Tracey and Sandy.

Through a twist of fate, the compensation payout from Lyn's bashing may provide her and Tracey with the opportunity to get out of Airds. In Sandy's case, even though her reunion with boyfriend Sean was short lived, she was able with the help of her mother, to get her family out of public housing and into a private home.