What do you think?
Rate this book
Sydney Noir : The Golden Years
The first ever book devoted entirely to the golden years of the Sydney underworld.
In the late 1960s Sydney was one of the most prosperous places on earth and one of the most corrupt. A large proportion of the population was engaged in illegal gambling and other activities that made colourful characters such as Lennie McPherson, Abe Saffron and George Freeman wealthy and, to many, folk heroes. Thousands of American soldiers on their seven-day leave from Vietnam turned Kings Cross, with its strip shows and night clubs, into one big party.
The whole corrupt carnival was run by the police in an arrangement known as ‘the joke’. They could just about get away with that term because heroin had not yet turned the underworld into the killing machine it would soon become. Two of the main jokers were also lovers: vice queen Shirley Brifman and violent detective Fred Krahe.
In Sydney Noir Michael Duffy and Nick Hordern revisit this dark yet fascinating chapter of Sydney’s history, telling stories that would be unbelievable were they not true. Finally, they make the bold argument that premier of the time, Sir Robert Askin, may not have been as guilty of corruption as many have claimed.
‘Duffy and Hordern give the city the kicking it’s been asking for, and the city gives up all the secrets and the bodies …’ – John Birmingham
‘An insightful retrospective on the emergence of organised crime and corruption in Sydney in the 1960s and 1970s.’ – Bob Bottom OAM, investigative journalist
In the late 1960s Sydney was one of the most prosperous places on earth and one of the most corrupt. A large proportion of the population was engaged in illegal gambling and other activities that made colourful characters such as Lennie McPherson, Abe Saffron and George Freeman wealthy and, to many, folk heroes. Thousands of American soldiers on their seven-day leave from Vietnam turned Kings Cross, with its strip shows and night clubs, into one big party.
The whole corrupt carnival was run by the police in an arrangement known as ‘the joke’. They could just about get away with that term because heroin had not yet turned the underworld into the killing machine it would soon become. Two of the main jokers were also lovers: vice queen Shirley Brifman and violent detective Fred Krahe.
In Sydney Noir Michael Duffy and Nick Hordern revisit this dark yet fascinating chapter of Sydney’s history, telling stories that would be unbelievable were they not true. Finally, they make the bold argument that premier of the time, Sir Robert Askin, may not have been as guilty of corruption as many have claimed.
‘Duffy and Hordern give the city the kicking it’s been asking for, and the city gives up all the secrets and the bodies …’ – John Birmingham
‘An insightful retrospective on the emergence of organised crime and corruption in Sydney in the 1960s and 1970s.’ – Bob Bottom OAM, investigative journalist
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2017
18 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Michael Duffy
13 books8 followersMichael is a court and crime reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun Herald.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 10, 2018
”It was a very different world to our own in so many ways, still a time of two postal deliveries a day, of degrees Fahrenheit, of miles and yards, pints and ounces, and pounds, shillings and pence…
Indoors, the prevailing odour was stale cigarettes, out on the streets it was unleaded petrol. Wearing seatbelts became compulsory only in 1971, and getting sunburnt was proof you were having a good time. Life expectancy was a full decade less than it is now. In Sydney Noir, it was even lower.”
”Have a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down.”
An interesting book about the “Golden Years” of Sydney crime’n’grime, when bent coppers and pollies weren’t adverse to sharing a beer and a bet, and a secret or two.
Illegal casinos were a good night out, SP bookies were the norm, and good time gals entertained the US troops on R&R leave from Vietnam. The Cross was slightly more glamorous and slightly less seedy than it became later. The book is scattered with the various “colourful characters” and “well known racing identities”. George Freeman, Darcy Dugan, Abe Saffron all make an appearance, as do many others.
Australia was undergoing change, not just in the conversion to the decimal currency, but undergoing sexual and societal revolution as well. The types of crimes committed reflected these changes. Arrests and charges for prostitution and drug possession became more common place, replacing arrests for crimes of petty theft, such as shop lifting. The stories are well researched, and give voice to an era that seems very removed from today’s world.
Indoors, the prevailing odour was stale cigarettes, out on the streets it was unleaded petrol. Wearing seatbelts became compulsory only in 1971, and getting sunburnt was proof you were having a good time. Life expectancy was a full decade less than it is now. In Sydney Noir, it was even lower.”
”Have a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down.”
An interesting book about the “Golden Years” of Sydney crime’n’grime, when bent coppers and pollies weren’t adverse to sharing a beer and a bet, and a secret or two.
Illegal casinos were a good night out, SP bookies were the norm, and good time gals entertained the US troops on R&R leave from Vietnam. The Cross was slightly more glamorous and slightly less seedy than it became later. The book is scattered with the various “colourful characters” and “well known racing identities”. George Freeman, Darcy Dugan, Abe Saffron all make an appearance, as do many others.
Australia was undergoing change, not just in the conversion to the decimal currency, but undergoing sexual and societal revolution as well. The types of crimes committed reflected these changes. Arrests and charges for prostitution and drug possession became more common place, replacing arrests for crimes of petty theft, such as shop lifting. The stories are well researched, and give voice to an era that seems very removed from today’s world.
September 18, 2017
Sydney Noir is a book that tells a lot about a group of criminals and corrupt cops as they deal in underworld activities throughout the prosperous nightlife years of Kings Cross circa 1966-1972; a period in Sydney's time made more alluring to criminal enterprise thanks to a bounty of American serviceman frequenting the city of sin for rest and recuperation before being shipped off to the Vietnam war.
It's during this period in which nightclubs, gentleman's bars, brothels, illegal gambling dens, and mafia-ties are made and cops are paid and paid well if the sums in this book are somewhere in the vicinity of being accurate, especially the select few in Krahe, Kelly, and Phelan who had multiple fingers in many criminally crusted pies.
Shirley Brifman the prostitute turned madam turned whistleblower provides much of the rouge-colored and rose-tinted glasses these stories are told through giving the male oriented crime factory a deadly true life diamond in the rough, who, like near all of the 'noir personalities' in the book, ends up on a cold steel table after committing crimes, now and back then considered near unspeakable (read the book for this, I won't spoil it).
Whilst there are a lot of personalities spattered throughout the book, there's an easy flow from chapter to chapter (each chapter focuses on crimes/criminal events committed for each year of the golden years 1966-1972) which provides a nice sense of continuity, after a while the reader develops some familiarity with these peoples lives so the volume of said personalities doesn't become overbearing.
The book is not without its flaws but I tend to think these are more selective to the individual reader, depending on where your interests lie. Naturally the politics of the time play a part in the criminal proceedings be it on the prophetical or in the thick of it - that's fine, I enjoyed it, what I didn't find particularly interesting was the last chapter in the book where too much emphasis was placed on a question 'was he or wasn't he corrupt' and the lengthy critiquing of other peoples work on the matter - it didn't feel necessary, then again other readers may lap this portion up.
Overall Sydney Noir: The Golden Years is an enjoyable book that shines a light on the seedy side of Sydney circa 1966-1972 and provides some interesting insight into the criminal, law abiding, and political personalities of the time.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
http://justaguywholikes2read.blogspot...
It's during this period in which nightclubs, gentleman's bars, brothels, illegal gambling dens, and mafia-ties are made and cops are paid and paid well if the sums in this book are somewhere in the vicinity of being accurate, especially the select few in Krahe, Kelly, and Phelan who had multiple fingers in many criminally crusted pies.
Shirley Brifman the prostitute turned madam turned whistleblower provides much of the rouge-colored and rose-tinted glasses these stories are told through giving the male oriented crime factory a deadly true life diamond in the rough, who, like near all of the 'noir personalities' in the book, ends up on a cold steel table after committing crimes, now and back then considered near unspeakable (read the book for this, I won't spoil it).
Whilst there are a lot of personalities spattered throughout the book, there's an easy flow from chapter to chapter (each chapter focuses on crimes/criminal events committed for each year of the golden years 1966-1972) which provides a nice sense of continuity, after a while the reader develops some familiarity with these peoples lives so the volume of said personalities doesn't become overbearing.
The book is not without its flaws but I tend to think these are more selective to the individual reader, depending on where your interests lie. Naturally the politics of the time play a part in the criminal proceedings be it on the prophetical or in the thick of it - that's fine, I enjoyed it, what I didn't find particularly interesting was the last chapter in the book where too much emphasis was placed on a question 'was he or wasn't he corrupt' and the lengthy critiquing of other peoples work on the matter - it didn't feel necessary, then again other readers may lap this portion up.
Overall Sydney Noir: The Golden Years is an enjoyable book that shines a light on the seedy side of Sydney circa 1966-1972 and provides some interesting insight into the criminal, law abiding, and political personalities of the time.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars.
http://justaguywholikes2read.blogspot...
June 22, 2017
This book promised so much but delivered so little. The title "Sydney Noir" is a contrivance of the authors, supposedly taken from "film noir", but they refer to it throughout the book as if it were a social movement or historical fact: devise an expression and then set out to justify it. At the centre of the authors' thesis for this book is that the NSW Premier, Robert Askin, was not really corrupt because there was no concrete evidence for his corruption. Hey! That's because he was so corrupt he was able to cover his tracks. Duffy and Hordern discredit David Hickie's seminal work, "The Prince and the Premier" for the same reason. However, they provide no convincing argument to the contrary, merely contradict with an assertion. According to Duffy and Hordern, "everyone" was up to their ears in crime such as SP bookmaking, gambling and prostitution rackets, so that if Askin dabbled a bit - well, that was OK. They gloss over the role of Askin's mate, Police Commissioner, Norman Allen's role in police corruption and have selectively chosen examples that do not reveal the extent of his involvement. For example, Allen had to give in to the demands of Wally Mellish, of the 1968 Glenfield Siege fame, because he was going to blow the lid off a police racket of car re-birthing, but Duffy and Hordern fail to examine this aspect although it was well-known at the time. Similarly, they do not give credit to Philip Arantz's attempts to expose police corruption, presumably because this does not suit the premise on which their book rests.
There are gaping holes in reports in this book because the authors refuse to name names or else provide pseudonyms for people involved. One of the reasons for writing a book such as this should be that there is no longer "fear or favour" in naming sources because most of them are dead. And yet they accuse David Hickie of not naming his sources in the earlier book.
Duffy and Hordern's political leanings are well-known so it should come as no surprise that they might want to set the record straight on a Liberal Party premier. It's a pity they couldn't have been more balanced, or else stated their biases up front. This book doesn't add very much to the history of the Sydney crime scene between 1966 and 1972. For a more honest and credible account, you can't go past David Hickie's 1985 book, "The Prince and the Premier".
There are gaping holes in reports in this book because the authors refuse to name names or else provide pseudonyms for people involved. One of the reasons for writing a book such as this should be that there is no longer "fear or favour" in naming sources because most of them are dead. And yet they accuse David Hickie of not naming his sources in the earlier book.
Duffy and Hordern's political leanings are well-known so it should come as no surprise that they might want to set the record straight on a Liberal Party premier. It's a pity they couldn't have been more balanced, or else stated their biases up front. This book doesn't add very much to the history of the Sydney crime scene between 1966 and 1972. For a more honest and credible account, you can't go past David Hickie's 1985 book, "The Prince and the Premier".
September 15, 2019
A well researched, engrossing look at Sydney's undercover history - all overseen by NSW's most questionably corrupt Liberal Party premier, Robert Askin.
February 8, 2020
Brilliant tale of old Sydney
August 17, 2025
Unlike some of the reviewers here, I am impressed by this book. It is scientific in that it does not go beyond the evidence, evidence that is not voluminous as the crooks were not inclined to tell the truth to the public and what they did say was often unreliable.
I started this book with no great expectations. I expected the usual Sydney attitude that this criminal activity was somehow a matter of civic pride as though having big time crooks made Sydney the Big Time.
This book does not mindlessly pass on the accepted “wisdom” and “truths” as though they were established facts. Where evidence, or at least testimony such as that of Shirley Brifman, exists it is examined and reported.
I was particularly impressed by the treatment of Premier Robert Askin and Police Commissioner Norm Allen. It is taken for granted that these two were monstrously corrupt but were they? Maybe, maybe not. The evidence lends itself to non-corrupt interpretation such as why Askin left a large estate. It can be accounted for by his enthusiasm for investing shares. The mining boom was great time for that, especially if one had insider information.
Norm Allen was criticised for presenting false or inaccurate crime statistics to the NSW parliament but he was an enthusiastic supporter of the IT system being developed to end that and advised Parliament that more accurate statistics would be available in the near future.
The authors doubt that there was a political or criminal Mr Big. Crime was decentralised as was the rather considerable police corruption.
Also, for anyone interested in crime and corruption, I recommend Matthew Condon’s trilogy on corruption within the Queensland Police. Not only is that story interesting in itself, but Sydney and Brisbane crime were connected.
I started this book with no great expectations. I expected the usual Sydney attitude that this criminal activity was somehow a matter of civic pride as though having big time crooks made Sydney the Big Time.
This book does not mindlessly pass on the accepted “wisdom” and “truths” as though they were established facts. Where evidence, or at least testimony such as that of Shirley Brifman, exists it is examined and reported.
I was particularly impressed by the treatment of Premier Robert Askin and Police Commissioner Norm Allen. It is taken for granted that these two were monstrously corrupt but were they? Maybe, maybe not. The evidence lends itself to non-corrupt interpretation such as why Askin left a large estate. It can be accounted for by his enthusiasm for investing shares. The mining boom was great time for that, especially if one had insider information.
Norm Allen was criticised for presenting false or inaccurate crime statistics to the NSW parliament but he was an enthusiastic supporter of the IT system being developed to end that and advised Parliament that more accurate statistics would be available in the near future.
The authors doubt that there was a political or criminal Mr Big. Crime was decentralised as was the rather considerable police corruption.
Also, for anyone interested in crime and corruption, I recommend Matthew Condon’s trilogy on corruption within the Queensland Police. Not only is that story interesting in itself, but Sydney and Brisbane crime were connected.
November 4, 2021
For an age that is so radical in its shifts, corruptions and stories, one would think a book would be easy. This however is not that book, grinding down a basic story from seven different stories and feeling overall quite bland and jumpy in terms of narrative. One of its big mistakes is to push the idea of noir into every nook and cranny without letting Sydneys unique atmosphere speak for itself, LA in the 40s and Sydney in the 60s - 70s is a world of difference. Even the parts that do fit (Fred Krahe and Shirley Brifman's stories) are held down by a lot of padding on things that dont connect to their worlds fully (that be of the Police Corruption and Prostitution respectfully) and will stop to jump to completely unrelated (Askin, Lennie McPherson, sb Bookies etc.)
I also feel the follow while somewhat chronological is also a bit of a mess, the story to have no real start or end, outside of Krahe and Brifman. I feel if more focused you could make a much better history and more endearing read than here. Though at that cost i would say 1/3 of this book could be slashed (particulary one off bits and bobs). Overall just dissapointed, especially when this book can at times be strong. Just a shame it feels like its a aimless trip through Swinging Sixties Sydney.
I also feel the follow while somewhat chronological is also a bit of a mess, the story to have no real start or end, outside of Krahe and Brifman. I feel if more focused you could make a much better history and more endearing read than here. Though at that cost i would say 1/3 of this book could be slashed (particulary one off bits and bobs). Overall just dissapointed, especially when this book can at times be strong. Just a shame it feels like its a aimless trip through Swinging Sixties Sydney.
February 14, 2020
Crooked cops, dodgy politicians, standover men, go go dancers, prostitutes, SP bookies, illegal casino operators, crims with descriptive nicknames, whistleblower cops declared insane = power, money and sex = “the joke” = Sydney in late 1960s.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews