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The Women of Little Lon: Sex Workers in Nineteenth-Century Melbourne
A vivid account of a remarkable but little-known chapter in Melbourne's history Sex workers in nineteenth-century Melbourne were judged morally corrupt by the respectable world around them. But theirs was a thriving trade, with links to the police and political leaders of the day, and the leading brothels were usually managed by women. While today a city lane is famously named after Madame Brussels, the identities of the other 'flash madams', the 'dressed girls' who worked for them and the hundreds of women who solicited on the streets of the Little Lon district of Melbourne are not remembered. Who were they? What did their daily lives look like? What became of them? Drawing on the findings of recent archaeological excavations, rare archival material and family records, historian Barbara Minchinton brings the fascinating world of Little Lon to life.
304 pages, Paperback
Published August 16, 2021
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218 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Minchinton
3 books4 followersBarbara Minchinton is a historian and independent researcher. For several years she collaborated with a team of archaeologists on the interpretation of artefacts from Melbourne’s Little Lon district. She is the co-editor of The Commonwealth Block, Melbourne, a historical archaeology of the city’s working-class and immigrant communities, and the author of The Women of Little Lon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 12, 2025
‘In the 1880s, Little Lon was Melbourne’s premier sex-work precinct.’
I did not know, until I read this book, that prostitution was not technically illegal for most of the 19th century. Instead of being charged with soliciting or prostitution, women (most sex workers were female) could be charged with ‘being drunk and disorderly’ or ‘behaving in a riotous or indecent manner’. Little Lon (Little Lonsdale Street) was not the only site of brothels in central Melbourne but thanks to C. J. Dennis, in ‘Songs of a Sentimental Bloke’:
‘Wot’s in a name? Wot’s in a string o’ words?
They scraps in ole Verona with the’r swords,
An’ never give a bloke a stray dog’s chance,
An that’s Romance.
But when they deals it out wiv bricks an’ boots
In Little Lon., they’re low, degraded broots.’
Little Lon became more infamous for drunkenness, gang violence and prostitution than Little Bourke Street.
In this book, as she describes the economy and the community centred around sex work, as well as the hazards, Ms Minchinton mentions many women by name. But the most powerful part of the book, for me, was Part 3, in which Ms Minchinton writes about five quite different women who demonstrate different aspects of the business of sex work. Some of these women were quite wealthy, with their own real estate empires. Many of the brothels were owned an operated by women. Some of the women may have turned to sex work because of financial necessity but others enjoyed the freedom provided at a time when most women could only choose domestic work or marriage (which would usually involve domestic work).
I found this book fascinating and while I appreciate the challenge Ms Minchinton had in trying to trace lives through public records, I found it interesting to learn about the different women involved.
‘When it comes to reforming sex-work legislation today, the history of Melbourne’s nineteenth-century industry offers one important lesson: while sex workers need the same protection from violence and exploitation as other workers, the more salient issue is the ongoing stigma and discrimination that sex workers suffer as a result of other people’s moral disapproval. Until sex workers and the services they provide are accorded legitimacy and respect, they will require a regulatory model that addresses the ugly moralism passed down from the nineteenth century.’
True.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I did not know, until I read this book, that prostitution was not technically illegal for most of the 19th century. Instead of being charged with soliciting or prostitution, women (most sex workers were female) could be charged with ‘being drunk and disorderly’ or ‘behaving in a riotous or indecent manner’. Little Lon (Little Lonsdale Street) was not the only site of brothels in central Melbourne but thanks to C. J. Dennis, in ‘Songs of a Sentimental Bloke’:
‘Wot’s in a name? Wot’s in a string o’ words?
They scraps in ole Verona with the’r swords,
An’ never give a bloke a stray dog’s chance,
An that’s Romance.
But when they deals it out wiv bricks an’ boots
In Little Lon., they’re low, degraded broots.’
Little Lon became more infamous for drunkenness, gang violence and prostitution than Little Bourke Street.
In this book, as she describes the economy and the community centred around sex work, as well as the hazards, Ms Minchinton mentions many women by name. But the most powerful part of the book, for me, was Part 3, in which Ms Minchinton writes about five quite different women who demonstrate different aspects of the business of sex work. Some of these women were quite wealthy, with their own real estate empires. Many of the brothels were owned an operated by women. Some of the women may have turned to sex work because of financial necessity but others enjoyed the freedom provided at a time when most women could only choose domestic work or marriage (which would usually involve domestic work).
I found this book fascinating and while I appreciate the challenge Ms Minchinton had in trying to trace lives through public records, I found it interesting to learn about the different women involved.
‘When it comes to reforming sex-work legislation today, the history of Melbourne’s nineteenth-century industry offers one important lesson: while sex workers need the same protection from violence and exploitation as other workers, the more salient issue is the ongoing stigma and discrimination that sex workers suffer as a result of other people’s moral disapproval. Until sex workers and the services they provide are accorded legitimacy and respect, they will require a regulatory model that addresses the ugly moralism passed down from the nineteenth century.’
True.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
October 2, 2021
The novel is meticulously researched, with some really interesting facts - age of consent for women in the 1890's was 12. Yep. Scary. Most of the brothels were run by women.
However the writing did not engage me.
It's a very academic style book. At times patronising in its manner to the reader at the same time not explaining some of the terms used (assuming we'll know what they are).
The layout was annoying - reproduction of articles from various newspapers interspersed throughout the text - they could have been put at the end (like the footnotes) - it felt like 'padding' (to make the book seem longer than it was), and random photos and illustrations that felt like 'what's the point?'
The cover hails it as 'a vivid account'....mmm no. I've read much better. It felt like the present looking back onto the past, I didn't really feel 'taken back in time' in the sense of place.
However the writing did not engage me.
It's a very academic style book. At times patronising in its manner to the reader at the same time not explaining some of the terms used (assuming we'll know what they are).
The layout was annoying - reproduction of articles from various newspapers interspersed throughout the text - they could have been put at the end (like the footnotes) - it felt like 'padding' (to make the book seem longer than it was), and random photos and illustrations that felt like 'what's the point?'
The cover hails it as 'a vivid account'....mmm no. I've read much better. It felt like the present looking back onto the past, I didn't really feel 'taken back in time' in the sense of place.
November 6, 2021
Trigger warnings: slut shaming, death, death of a child, survival sex work, alcohol abuse.
Many years ago when I was but a humble undergrad student, I worked on the excavation of Casselden Place, so the second I saw that this was talking about the sex workers of Little Lon, I immediately borrowed it. And I sped through this because it was utterly fascinating from start to finish. Minchinton brings nineteenth-century Melbourne to life, and the women she discusses leap off the page.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I had a fabulous time.
Many years ago when I was but a humble undergrad student, I worked on the excavation of Casselden Place, so the second I saw that this was talking about the sex workers of Little Lon, I immediately borrowed it. And I sped through this because it was utterly fascinating from start to finish. Minchinton brings nineteenth-century Melbourne to life, and the women she discusses leap off the page.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I had a fabulous time.
February 13, 2023
The history of Melbourne in the 1800’s always fascinates me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the hardships and the successes of women in the sex trade during those days.
Great research and depth of detail though out the book. Only one whinge was the inclusion of great chucks of old newspaper information that may have have been better as an appendix.
The author must have had a great time trolling through archives to find so many precious gems of information.
Good reading!
Great research and depth of detail though out the book. Only one whinge was the inclusion of great chucks of old newspaper information that may have have been better as an appendix.
The author must have had a great time trolling through archives to find so many precious gems of information.
Good reading!
January 5, 2024
Such an interesting read. Thoroughly enjoyed it
August 17, 2021
A lively, well-researched and eminently readable book about sex workers in 'Little Lon' during the 19th century. ... Surprisingly, prostitution itself was not illegal in the 19th century. Women could be (and were) charged with 'behaving in a riotous or indecent manner' or 'being drunk and disorderly' but not prostitution or soliciting per se. The focus was on 'disorderly' behaviour, and there was a feeling that shutting down brothels in one area would only shift the problem elsewhere. ...Thanks to C. J. Dennis' Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, 'Little Lon' became notorious as the site for gang violence, drunkenness and prostitution. However, as Minchinton points out through her informative maps, there was an equally notorious site in the block between Bourke Street and Little Bourke Street, bounded by Spring Street and Stephen Street (today Exhibition Street).
Minchinton captures well a whole economy, dominated by women, that had spin-offs in other, more 'respectable' endeavours. Food, drink, drapers, dressmakers, chemists, money-lenders and furniture-hire companies all catered to the sex-work industry. Real estate lay at the base of it...
There are nearly 100 women named in this book. Many are of Irish origin. Some appear just fleetingly, while others keep emerging from the court reports and newspaper articles that Minchinton has drawn upon, where she often reproduces the article in full. At times, the names threaten to become over-whelming, and so I was pleased when Minchinton drew breath to concentrate on five women in particular, who demonstrate the range of wealth (or poverty) and prominence (or anonymity and confusion in the public record) of women involved in the sex work network. ...
Minchinton's wide-ranging research and focus on whole lives emphasizes the networks between women in this largely (but not completely) female-dominated economy that extended far beyond just the provision of sex. You get a sense of the collective 'up-yours' of women who danced in the streets -not quite the vision of degradation and evil depicted by journalists and moralists.
For my complete review, please visit:
https://residentjudge.com/2021/08/17/...
Minchinton captures well a whole economy, dominated by women, that had spin-offs in other, more 'respectable' endeavours. Food, drink, drapers, dressmakers, chemists, money-lenders and furniture-hire companies all catered to the sex-work industry. Real estate lay at the base of it...
There are nearly 100 women named in this book. Many are of Irish origin. Some appear just fleetingly, while others keep emerging from the court reports and newspaper articles that Minchinton has drawn upon, where she often reproduces the article in full. At times, the names threaten to become over-whelming, and so I was pleased when Minchinton drew breath to concentrate on five women in particular, who demonstrate the range of wealth (or poverty) and prominence (or anonymity and confusion in the public record) of women involved in the sex work network. ...
Minchinton's wide-ranging research and focus on whole lives emphasizes the networks between women in this largely (but not completely) female-dominated economy that extended far beyond just the provision of sex. You get a sense of the collective 'up-yours' of women who danced in the streets -not quite the vision of degradation and evil depicted by journalists and moralists.
For my complete review, please visit:
https://residentjudge.com/2021/08/17/...
November 19, 2021
Excellent and well-researched history of sex-workers in Little Lon, a few blocks of the Melbourne CBD near Parliament which was notorious during the second half of the 19th century for being an area with a high concentration of brothels, mostly owned and run by women. Minchinton looks at the way sex-work was policed and viewed by the public, and how many businesses in the area relied on brothels for much of their trade (dressmakers, furniture suppliers, pawnbrokers, etc). She also follows the stories of five sex workers, from those catering to more wealthy clients to women who ran back lane brothels. Minchinton is sympathetic and respectful in her writing, portraying the women as individuals, who may have turned to sex-work out of financial need, but also sometimes chose the profession due to the freedom (both social and financial) that it gave them at a time when the options for women were between marriage and domestic work.
September 19, 2021
Minchinton writes with a tone of neutrality. Her sex workers are never spoken of as ‘Other’ nor homogenous in terms of why they entered the industry and their experience of it. With this, The Women of Little Lon has a refreshing dexterity compared to the regurgitated information, hyperbolic opinion, and moot debates flooding many feminist publications of recent years.
Sex work has and will always be real work; it’s an assumption Minchinton doesn’t need to breathlessly leverage. Instead, the book’s due diligence in pursuing dynamic but sound insights into the industry positions sex workers with a flexible existence hardly ever afforded to them by either historians or their contemporary feminist peers. It’s a relief to pick up a book not desperate to push an obvious point but rather richly imbue context to feminist thought.
Read my full review at: https://bit.ly/3AnZK3X
Sex work has and will always be real work; it’s an assumption Minchinton doesn’t need to breathlessly leverage. Instead, the book’s due diligence in pursuing dynamic but sound insights into the industry positions sex workers with a flexible existence hardly ever afforded to them by either historians or their contemporary feminist peers. It’s a relief to pick up a book not desperate to push an obvious point but rather richly imbue context to feminist thought.
Read my full review at: https://bit.ly/3AnZK3X
October 18, 2021
Interesting look at part of Melbourne's history I didn't know much about - the brothels around Little Lonsdale Street in the late 1800s. Minchinton brings the ladies to life through some excellent research and a real empathy for their plight. Though many were less than hopeless - some very strong, feisty, successful women among them. Her section on the destruction of the ladies way of life bring her feminist leanings to the forefront as she argues against the way they were treated - especially by the powerful men of the time. She really rips into historian Marcus Clarke for his overtly misogynistic view of history, his skewed retellings and his complete misunderstanding of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Classic! I feel I need to go for a wander around Little Lonsdale Street now - see if there are any traces of this fascinating part of our city's history remaining....
August 17, 2024
Minchinton draws on a range of sources from newspaper articles and family historians, as well as the archeological digs of the site, to sketch out details of the heyday of Little Lon's sex work district. Little Lon was a largely matriachial world, with women owning most of the businesses large and small, and dominating the housing. The book divides into sections to cover both the broader environment, the specific legal and social conditions governing sex work and, for nearly half the book, the stories of individual women. The sources she draws on are scattered, making this more opaque than I wanted it to be at times, but I also appreciated Minchinton's unwillingess to fill in the gaps with her own imagination, and hence yet again taking voice away from women.
April 6, 2023
Very fascinating, well-researched and an enlightening glimpse into the lives of the 19th-century sex workers of Melbourne.
This book gives a very vivid, balanced perspective of the hardships that sex workers faced, as well as the financial and social independence that some sex workers achieved during a time in history when it was extremely difficult to do so. There are many sources directly quoted, including newspapers and court proceedings, that communicate the attitude towards sex workers at the time, and the way that it shifted as life in Melbourne changed. I also greatly enjoyed the analysis of findings in archaeological digs in the area - there is much to learn from a discarded absinthe bottle.
Minchinton’s writing is respectful, and I appreciated her transparency and the simple, direct way in which she broaches the topic of sex work. The Women of Little Lon is an incredibly interesting and enjoyable read.
This book gives a very vivid, balanced perspective of the hardships that sex workers faced, as well as the financial and social independence that some sex workers achieved during a time in history when it was extremely difficult to do so. There are many sources directly quoted, including newspapers and court proceedings, that communicate the attitude towards sex workers at the time, and the way that it shifted as life in Melbourne changed. I also greatly enjoyed the analysis of findings in archaeological digs in the area - there is much to learn from a discarded absinthe bottle.
Minchinton’s writing is respectful, and I appreciated her transparency and the simple, direct way in which she broaches the topic of sex work. The Women of Little Lon is an incredibly interesting and enjoyable read.
August 16, 2023
Brilliant book and fascinating history of both the women mentioned and Melbourne itself. I'm so glad this book exists and these stories are being told.
I listened to this as an audiobook and I struggled with the monotonous voice hired to read the book - it's so much better when the author reads their own words.
My other feedback would be the writing / editing - it's so incredibly academic and can be difficult to wade through. I don't think it has been effectively adapted for a wider audience - such a missed opportunity for what is a fantastic book and important knowledge.
I listened to this as an audiobook and I struggled with the monotonous voice hired to read the book - it's so much better when the author reads their own words.
My other feedback would be the writing / editing - it's so incredibly academic and can be difficult to wade through. I don't think it has been effectively adapted for a wider audience - such a missed opportunity for what is a fantastic book and important knowledge.
January 23, 2024
Bit of a busman’s holiday what with me being a health care worker with an interest in women’s health. Meticulously researched highlighting how history written by men has a completely different lens when it’s reviewed by contemporary women. Fascinating facts and insightful stories about how women supported women in a society that tried to, and did, unfairly control them. An awesome level of research has gone in to this. Hope someone got a PhD out of it!
November 20, 2024
As I type these words a short distance away from Melbourne's former red-light district it would be hard to imagine the world of 19th Century sex workers without this incredible piece of reclamation. Minchinton achieves two goals: telling the story of the women who made the sex economy in Melbourne and advocating for the dignity and rights of all sex workers--past and present. This is an essential history that is too often overlooked or marginalized.
June 25, 2023
Very academic book that was sprawling at times. It was fascinating to listen to the stories of settler women in the 1880s who did sex work. The long inserts from newspapers killed me. There was very little paraphrasing in this book! The chapter on Caroline Hodgson aka Madame Brussels was the best, succinct and engaging.
February 23, 2025
I LOVED this book! Great history of Melbourne and powerful women. I also love how they debunk some Madame Brussels myths, which is great. I'll never look at Little Lonsdale the same way. I read this a few years ago and STILL talk about it! I was even talking to my mum about it, yesterday.
If you live badass women and the city of Melbourne, then this is a must read!
If you live badass women and the city of Melbourne, then this is a must read!
November 30, 2021
Prostitution, sex worker, whatever you call it will always have a stigma. This book was interesting overall. Even though they do provide a Service , they will never be accepted as having a valid profession. I liked the narration of the Audiobook. Very well researched from historical records.
February 3, 2022
Definitely well researched, but the writing was a bit too academic for me in parts. I would have loved to have read of who went on to own some of these buildings now, or if any are still standing in the modern era.
July 8, 2022
Really good documentary, it gives a great insight to what Melbourne was like. Fascinating.
September 7, 2022
This felt like the most moralising anti-moralist lecture of a book. It became very repetitive, smug and inconsistent. However it was an interesting topic with some cool primary sources included.
September 17, 2022
3.5 stars, listened as an audio book so historical ads etc were read out which was quite entertaining. Interesting bit of Melbourne history
October 21, 2022
Really interesting to read an historical view of Melbourne sex workers in the late 1800’s and societies attitudes towards this.
May 22, 2023
Very cool to hear about the goings on in Melbourne in the 19th century. (Note to self, must ask Summerhayes about srgt Summerhayes)
July 29, 2023
A good read about an interesting slice of local history, I preferred the style of the first half rather than the second, which traces individual stories, for some reason this lost me a bit.
July 20, 2024
The ladies in this dark history deserved more than what is presented here.
It was interesting to see the old pictures of Melbourne and look up the places via modern maps.
It was interesting to see the old pictures of Melbourne and look up the places via modern maps.
July 5, 2025
Interesting and well researched.
September 29, 2025
Insightful and well researched academic text on women's history in Melbourne
July 31, 2023
A non-fiction book reclaiming the stories of sex workers and brothel madams in 19th century Melbourne, focused on the ‘Little Lon’ precinct.
This fascinating book draws from archaeological digs of the area and intricate primary research to bring to life the daily experiences of the women who worked, thrived, and struggled in the area, and the efforts of the politicians, policemen, and public moralisers who shamed and harassed them in public while privately paying for their services. Many of the women were, at least for a time, incredibly successful business developers and property owners, eking out a level of financial independence that was rare for women at the time.
It is also an interesting history of the buildings of Melbourne. Anyone who has lived in Melbourne and enjoyed the theatres, bars and restaurants in the East End will have, whether they know it or not, been traipsing through the alleys of this book. Madam Brussels, now better known as the namesake of a kitschy rooftop bar, was Caroline Hodgson, one of the most successful brothel owners of the time and has an entire chapter dedicated to the smear campaign ran against her. I kept finding myself looking up the addresses mentioned in the book to see the buildings in situ today.
Minchinton is careful to place the stories in the wider historical context of Australia and beyond (some of the laws put in place to curb the spread of disease were not enforced for years because the police in Victoria were too busy chasing Ned Kelly), but also in the context of current day. She aims to not only dismantle the myths and deliberate mistruths told about sex workers in 19TH century Melbourne, but also to reduce the stigma and increase respect for the lives of sex workers today.
A must read for fans of Hallie Rubenhold, or those interested in social and feminist history.
This fascinating book draws from archaeological digs of the area and intricate primary research to bring to life the daily experiences of the women who worked, thrived, and struggled in the area, and the efforts of the politicians, policemen, and public moralisers who shamed and harassed them in public while privately paying for their services. Many of the women were, at least for a time, incredibly successful business developers and property owners, eking out a level of financial independence that was rare for women at the time.
It is also an interesting history of the buildings of Melbourne. Anyone who has lived in Melbourne and enjoyed the theatres, bars and restaurants in the East End will have, whether they know it or not, been traipsing through the alleys of this book. Madam Brussels, now better known as the namesake of a kitschy rooftop bar, was Caroline Hodgson, one of the most successful brothel owners of the time and has an entire chapter dedicated to the smear campaign ran against her. I kept finding myself looking up the addresses mentioned in the book to see the buildings in situ today.
Minchinton is careful to place the stories in the wider historical context of Australia and beyond (some of the laws put in place to curb the spread of disease were not enforced for years because the police in Victoria were too busy chasing Ned Kelly), but also in the context of current day. She aims to not only dismantle the myths and deliberate mistruths told about sex workers in 19TH century Melbourne, but also to reduce the stigma and increase respect for the lives of sex workers today.
A must read for fans of Hallie Rubenhold, or those interested in social and feminist history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews