Age, prostitution and punishment in the late-nineteenth century

Abstract

Considerable research has been undertaken by historians to understand the meanings of prostitution as it evolved in the nineteenth century. Initially, commercial sex was considered in terms of criminality and deviance. Later studies, influenced by the seminal work of Walkowitz (1980), explored the role of local economies in shaping the lived experiences of prostitutes. This article investigates the incarceration of women labelled as prostitutes in late nineteenth century Queensland, using prison and police sources. The analysis identifies similarities and differences between prostitutes and other female prisoners as a way of exploring the place of prostitutes in patterns of 'offending' in their communities. While situated in a criminal justice framework, the article takes account of recent work on historical images and representations of prostitutes. There is general agreement among historians on some core interpretations, but debate still surrounds the role of age, and particularly how concerns about age might have informed strategies of governance. In fact, it seems that age was less important in terms of control strategies. Instead, the reputation of women as street rowdies, petty criminals, and the carriers of disease were deciding factors in official regulation of their lives. However, considerations of age did inform contemporary visions of 'deviant' women, and especially popular views about divisions between deviant women themselves. Examples are provided of the formation of views about older and younger female offenders. Such views about generational divisions between 'fallen' women have exerted a tenacious hold on modern imaginations.