The story of sex workers in nineteenth-century Melbourne.
| Author: | Barbara Minchinton. Audiobook narrated by Fiona Macleod and James Saunders |
| Publisher: | La Trobe University Press. 16 Aug 2021 |
| ISBN: | 9781760642419 |
| Characteristics: | 304 pages, Paperback ; 234 x 153mm. |
| Source: | Melbourne City Library |
| Date Read: | 18-Dec-2025 audiobook |
I recall whilst working for Telstra in Exhibition Street a new development was starting at Casselden Place in 2002. Before the main excavation began archaeologists were given the opportunity to dig out the area’s history. A viewing platform and information placard were installed, and it proved to be a very interesting hidden world of the city.
An opportunity came up to listen to the audiobook, The Women of Little Lon. As for Under Full Sail, this would have been more fulfilling as a hard copy book, as names and places could have been more easily garnered. The text features many newspaper articles, and these were read out verbatim which was somewhat tedious to listen to.
A Sordid Business
The author heavily sympathises with the prostitutes’ life and prefers to call them sex workers instead. They can’t be blamed for taking on the work out of necessity, feeding children without a husband was impossible back then on the few meagre jobs the women could get. Prostitution was an unpleasant and dangerous means to keep your family alive. Disease isolation was heavily enforced on the women and not so much on the men, especially the naval sailors. The Navy had a particular dislike for prostitutes as it meant less manpower.
Some, however, actively sought to enter the business due to the tremendous money on offer; and as for now, it’s hard to sympathise with these women. Back then and now they were seen as moral failures.
I believe prostitution (or sex work) should be legally permitted and regulated and highly discouraged as well. It needs to be policed from both points of view of the provider and the clients. It can be violent and deadly, but also morally eroding over the years for the workers. Good social welfare and sufficiently paid non sex work jobs are vital to keep women out of the business and safe.
Entrepreneurs
Many of the women established themselves as sex industry entrepreneurs, owning the brothel premises and often buying adjoining properties to increase their empire. They built relationships with the police and other officials to help their business run smoothly. If men were in their lives they were generally in the background as the owners (women were not allowed to own property in the 1800s) and they left the women to manage the business affairs without interference.
So, a seedy business can give opportunities to women that not many other industries could. In a way sex work was emancipating for women.
Exhibition Street
I had always assumed the name was related to the nearby Exhibition Buildings. However, towards the end of Little Lon’s life the prostitutes and company were removed for an exhibition held on Stephen Street, which was renamed to Exhibition Street for the event.
Summary
It was interesting learning about early Melbourne and seeing the Casselden Place dig firsthand gave me a special interest in the subject. I found the author’s acceptance of sex work somewhat confronting at first, but can we judge others without walking in their shoes first?
A fascinating insight into a world separated by time and morals, The Women of Little Lon is well worth the reader’s time.
The Women of Little Lon — Summary
Some useful notes from Microsoft Copilot.
Barbara Minchinton reconstructs the lives of sex workers in Melbourne’s Little Lon district during the nineteenth century, challenging the moralistic narratives that long obscured their stories.
What the book uncovers
- Little Lon was a thriving, complex community, not the den of vice it was later portrayed to be. Minchinton uses archaeological digs, archival records, and family histories to bring this world to life Readings Books Black Inc..
- Sex work was a significant and organised industry, often run by women who were savvy business operators—figures like Caroline Hodgson (Madame Brussels), Sarah Fraser, Annie Britton, and Sarah Saqui Readings Books.
- These women often had working relationships with police and politicians, and their establishments were woven into the social fabric of the city Readings Books.
Who were the women?
Minchinton asks:
- Who were the “flash madams” and “dressed girls”?
- What did their daily lives look like?
- What became of them?
She answers these questions through meticulous research, revealing women who exercised agency, resilience, and entrepreneurial skill in a society that judged them harshly Goodreads.
Why Little Lon disappeared
By the early 1900s, conservative moral reformers pushed to shut down the district. In 1907, Little Lon was effectively dismantled, forcing sex work underground and linking it to criminalised activities in the decades that followed Readings Books.
Tone and approach
- The book is rich with anecdotes, newspaper excerpts, and archival documents, making it vivid and accessible Readings Books.
- It reframes sex workers not as moral failures but as integral contributors to Melbourne’s urban history, much like Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five does for Victorian London Readings Books.
Key Figures of Little Lon and Their Stories
(All factual details grounded in the search results you initiated.)
1. Caroline Hodgson — “Madame Brussels”
Sources: Google Books Readings Books
- The most famous madam in Melbourne’s history.
- Ran an upscale brothel on Lonsdale Street, known for elegance and discretion.
- Became a successful business owner and property investor, defying Victorian expectations of women.
- Eventually targeted in the “crusade against vice”, which sought to shut down Little Lon’s sex industry.
2. Annie Britton — The Sword and Cigar Icon
Sources: Google Books
- Featured in a chapter titled “Annie Britton with Her Sword and Cigar”.
- Known for her flamboyant personality and theatrical self-presentation.
- Represents the bold, unapologetic independence of many Little Lon women.
- Her story highlights how sex workers crafted public personas to command respect and clientele.
3. Sarah Fraser — The Woman of Exquisite Taste
Sources: Google Books Readings Books
- Associated with “exquisite decorative objects,” suggesting a refined, carefully curated brothel environment.
- A successful madam whose establishment attracted influential clients.
- Her possessions, uncovered through archaeological digs, reveal a life of style, wealth, and social navigation.
4. Sarah Saqui — The Woman Who Met Royalty
Sources: Google Books Readings Books
- Known for her connection to the Duke of Edinburgh, a detail that shocked moralists of the time.
- Her story illustrates the intersections between sex work and elite society, challenging the idea that these women were marginal or powerless.
5. Mrs Bond — The Absinthe Bottles
Sources: Google Books
- Her chapter centers on absinthe bottles found in excavations.
- These artefacts open a window into the material culture of brothels, including luxury, indulgence, and the social rituals of the trade.
- Mrs Bond’s story is pieced together through objects rather than documents, showing Minchinton’s archaeological approach.
6. Mary Williams — The Back-Lane Brothels
Sources: Google Books
- Represents the women who worked in lower-tier, back-lane establishments, far from the glamour of Madame Brussels.
- Her story highlights the precarity, danger, and resilience of women who operated outside the more protected brothel system.
What These Stories Reveal
- Little Lon was not a monolith — it contained luxury parlours, modest houses, and rough back-lane rooms.
- Women ranged from wealthy entrepreneurs to struggling workers, each navigating a society that judged them while relying on their labour.
- Their stories survive through court records, newspapers, artefacts, and family histories, which Minchinton weaves into a vivid social history.
Character Map of Little Lon
(Based on the figures highlighted in Minchinton’s work and supported by contextual history from the search results.)
Central Node: The Little Lon District
A dense, working‑class, ethnically diverse neighbourhood bounded by Lonsdale, Spring, Exhibition, and La Trobe Streets eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online Wikipedia.
By the 1850s–1900s it was home to Irish, Chinese, German Jews, Lebanese, Italians, Syrians, and more eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online State Library Victoria Blogs.
From this central node, we branch out to the women who shaped its sex‑work economy.
Caroline Hodgson — “Madame Brussels”
- Opened her first brothel in Little Lon in 1874 State Library Victoria Blogs.
- Ran elegant, discreet establishments for 30 years.
- Symbol of the district’s high‑end sex trade.
- Targeted by moral reformers in the 1880s–1900s.
Connections:
- Linked to police, politicians, and wealthy clientele.
- Represents the “public face” of Little Lon’s notoriety.
Annie Britton — The Performer
- Known for her theatrical persona (sword, cigar).
- Embodied flamboyance and self‑fashioning.
- Represents women who used spectacle to command space and clientele.
Connections:
- Tied to the culture of larrikinism and street theatre described in reports of the area Wikipedia.
Sarah Fraser — The Curator of Luxury
- Associated with refined decorative objects found in excavations.
- Ran a stylish, well‑appointed brothel.
- Represents the entrepreneurial, taste‑driven side of the trade.
Connections:
- Her material world aligns with the archaeological richness of Little Lon’s digs Wikipedia.
Sarah Saqui — The Social Boundary‑Crosser
- Noted for her connection to the Duke of Edinburgh.
- Her story challenges the idea that sex workers were socially marginal.
Connections:
- Bridges Little Lon and elite Melbourne society.
Mrs Bond — The Absinthe Bottles
- Known through artefacts: absinthe bottles found on site.
- Represents the sensory, material culture of brothels — indulgence, ritual, atmosphere.
Connections:
- Her story emerges from the archaeological record rather than documents.
Mary Williams — The Back‑Lane Worker
- Represents women in the lowest‑tier brothels: narrow laneways, small cottages, “disorderly houses” described in police reports Wikipedia State Library Victoria Blogs.
- Her story highlights precarity, danger, and resilience.
Connections:
- Linked to the “larrikinism” and petty crime that newspapers sensationalised Wikipedia.
Timeline of Little Lon’s Rise and Fall
(All historical details grounded in the search results.)
1840s–1850s — Birth of the Neighbourhood
- A small hamlet of two‑room cottages emerges on Melbourne’s northeastern fringe eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online.
- Early residents largely Irish working‑class families eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online State Library Victoria Blogs.
1850s–1870s — Growth and Diversification
- Population expands; new waves of migrants arrive (Chinese, German Jews, Lebanese, Italians, Syrians) eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online State Library Victoria Blogs.
- Small factories, shops, and cottage industries appear.
- Prostitution becomes increasingly visible; by 1854 the area is already known as a red‑light district Wikipedia.
1870s–1890s — Peak of the Sex‑Work Economy
- Brothels flourish, from elegant parlours on main streets to rough back‑lane rooms Wikipedia.
- Madame Brussels opens her first brothel in 1874 State Library Victoria Blogs.
- Police reports describe larrikin gangs, petty crime, and prostitution intertwined Wikipedia.
- Newspapers sensationalise the district as a “loathsome centre” of vice Wikipedia.
1880s–1900s — Moral Reform and Crackdowns
- Evangelical groups and reformers attempt to “clean up” Little Lon State Library Victoria Blogs.
- Missions and charitable homes open in the district.
- Public pressure mounts to dismantle the neighbourhood.
1910s–1920s — Cosmopolitan Working‑Class Life Continues
- Despite stigma, Little Lon remains a vibrant, diverse community with shops, factories, and families eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online.
- Sex work persists but becomes less publicly visible.
1940s — Targeted for “Slum Clearance”
- Urban renewal schemes identify Little Lon as a slum to be removed eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online.
- In 1948 the Commonwealth Government compulsorily acquires major blocks eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online.
1950s–1970s — Demolition and Erasure
- Large sections demolished for government buildings, telephone exchanges, and office towers eMelbourne – The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online.
- The community is effectively erased.
1990s–2000s — Rediscovery Through Archaeology
- Excavations uncover artefacts from brothels, homes, and shops Wikipedia.
- These finds inspire new historical interpretations — including Minchinton’s work.
