Overview

Brothels, Bootleggers, and the Underworld of a Bygone Era Step back in time to explore the dark, hidden history of downtown Melbourne. Long before Lonsdale Street became a modern city thoroughfare, it was the epicenter of a notorious 19th and early 20th-century red-light district and the infamous slum known as ‘Little Lon.’ This immersive walking tour cuts through the myths to reveal the gritty reality of Melbourne’s gangster past between the 1870s and 1930s. You’ll discover historic buildings that once operated as secret brothels and illicit speakeasies, and uncover the shocking ways local gangs used everyday "lolly shops" (candy stores) as clever fronts for massive drug operations. The tour is researched and led by Michael, a private historian and journalist whose extensive work on Melbourne's criminal underworld has been featured on SBS TV, ABC Radio National, and the Herald Sun. Drawing directly from his 14 years of research and over 400 boxes of vintage police files, Michael bypasses the generic tourist tales to deliver a highly accurate, gripping narrative about legendary characters like Squizzy Taylor and the everyday inhabitants of Melbourne's old slums.