History
The history of prostitution in Australia is best considered in three periods: the convict period to 1840, the late colonial period and the Federal period (after 1901). It is generally agreed that prostitution was unknown in the pre-colonial period, but arose once early settlers arrived and started exchanging sexual services from aboriginal women with European goods, exploiting a preexisting aboriginal wife exchange system.
During the convict period English common law was operative, and dealt with brothel keeping, disorderly houses and public nuisance. The late colonial period concentrated on prostitution as a public health issue, through the Contagious Diseases Acts. Finally the Federal period was driven by prohibition through criminalising activities associated with prostitution. Although not explicitly prohibiting the act of sexual exchange, the criminal law effectively produced a de facto prohibition.
Read more about this topic: Prostitution In Australia
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The history of his present majesty, is a history of unremitting injuries and usurpations ... all of which have in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world, for the truth of which we pledge a faith yet unsullied by falsehood.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“There are two great unknown forces to-day, electricity and woman, but men can reckon much better on electricity than they can on woman.”
—Josephine K. Henry, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 15, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“I cannot be much pleased without an appearance of truth; at least of possibility—I wish the history to be natural though the sentiments are refined; and the characters to be probable, though their behaviour is excelling.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)