Thunder Down Under – Australia’s Booming Escort Business

When the topic of legalized prostitution and sex work comes up, the first places that come to mind are Amsterdam’s Red Light District, and the Bunny Ranch in Nevada.  But, dig a little deeper and you soon learn that for customers seeking companionship, there is plently to be legally found in all most of Australia.

Read on…

First, let’s take a look at the actual laws. As Australia is on a state government and legislation  model, state laws dictate this and vary from region to region.

Victoria:  Brothel prostitution was legalised in Victoria in 1994 with the Prostitution Control Act 1994. In 2011, the act was amended through the Sex Work and other Acts Amendment Bill and it is now referred to as the Sex Work Act 1994. Brothels are regulated through  Consumer Affairs Victoria  (as are estate agents and motor vehicle traders). Street prostitution remains illegal.  Melbourne escorts are widely available online and in licensed brothels.

New South Wales (NSW):  Prostitution in NSW is decriminalised, with brothels coming under local council planning regulations like any other business.

Queensland:  Brothel prostitution and single operators were legalised in Queensland in 1999 with the Prostitution Act 1999. Street prostitution, unlicensed brothels, massage parlour prostitution and outcalls from licensed brothels remain illegal. Legal Brisbane escorts may be readily found online and in local newspaper classified sections.

South Australia:  Brothels are illegal in South Australia as is soliciting in public places, receiving money from the prostitution of another person and procuring.  

West Australia:  Prostitution in this state comes under the Prostitution Act 2000. While prostitution itself is legal, many activities associated with it, such as brothels, soliciting in a public place and pimping, are illegal.  

Tasmania: The Sex Industry Offences Act 2005 regulates prostitution in Tasmania. Prostitution is legal, but brothels and street prostitution are illegal. Self employed operators are legal and may operate with one other person.

ACT (Australian Capital Territory): Prostitution was decriminalised in 1992 with the passage of the Prostitution Act 1992.  Brothels and escort agencies are legal but must be registered, as must the prostitutes, through the Office of Regulatory Services.

Northern Territory: Brothel prostitution is illegal under the Prostitution Regulation Act 2004 but sole operators are legal but unregulated. Street prostitution is illegal. Escort agencies are legal and must be registered with the Northern Territory Licensing Commission.  Workers in escort agencies must be registered with the police.

As the country’s mining industry expands, so does its sex trade.

The sex industry here is mostly legal, and it has boomed alongside the thriving mining industry. Sex workers from around the world have flocked to Western Australia, drawn to the big money earned by thousands of miners.

Perth—one of the most remote cities on Earth—has gotten fat off the back of Australia’s decade-long mining boom. In years past, this city of 1.9 million people was a backwater, albeit one with long, sandy beaches and endless days of sunshine. Now, as residents have become richer, gleaming skyscrapers have sprung up in the business district alongside hip cocktail bars and swanky restaurants. Perth Escorts are thriving from this.

Contractors often fly into Western Australia from homes elsewhere for fast cash. They work for weeks at a time offshore or in isolated mines. Because they have scant chance of finding a relationship if single, or find themselves far away from their wives and families if married, many turn to sex workers for intimacy. As one working girl says, “They’re young, they’ve got lots of money, and there is no shame in going to a brothel.”

Here, local newspapers are chockablock with classifieds ads for sex workers. Some charge as little as $40 an hour, often utilizing the back seats of their cars (or stretch limos). Langtrees, one of the oldest and most expensive establishments, is more upmarket. It is located a few minutes’ drive from Crown Perth, a vast Las Vegas–style entertainment complex consisting of a 24-hour casino, plush international hotels, a nightclub, and numerous restaurants and bars.

Let’s take a look behind the scenes with some very candid interviews with sex workers at “Stiletto”, a popular Sydney brothel…

So there you have it!  Who would have known that Australia of all places leads the way for legalized prostitution in a sane and safe way!  “Half your Luck” and “Have a Naughty” our Aussie friends!