Controversial Sex Worker Statue in Darlinghurst, Sydney

From the first fleet of convict ships arriving in Australia in 1788, sex work was a central part of the new society British colonialists were building.

What was the reality for women when they arrived? What records are there of sex workers from this time? And how has sex work shaped modern Australia?

Today, Kate's joined by the fantastic Rae Frances, author of Selling Sex: A Hidden History of Prostitution, to find out more about sex work in early Australia.

This episode is edited by Tom Delargy. The producer is Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.

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