Club 77 Brothel in North Melbourne. My friend Samantha, who introduced me to life in a brothel, ran a very happy establishment. Here are two of the girls fooling around, and the hand at the top is Sam’s, just wanting to be part of the game.

I had been working with these girls and Sam for over three years, and this particular photo was taken very soon after a client had come asking for a lass who was away sick. One of the girls called out “Why don’t you do a trick, Joyce?”. I must admit I was challenged and amused by the offer. I knew I had to handle it properly, and said “I don’t think I’m sufficiently qualified”. I was nearly seventy years old at that stage, and frankly it just wasn’t my bag.

Club 77 was in a working class area, and many of the clients were single migrant workers who had few friends and understandable needs. Club 77 was very much more ‘multi-cultural’ and ‘multi-class’ than Spellbound Brothel, which was a much more ‘traditional Australian’ establishment.

 

Amanda loved the job, and despite a private school education chose to work at Club 77.

 

Amanda, working girl, Club 77, North Melbourne, 1994

 

I noticed that many of the girls loved to look out at who was coming. I often wondered whether it was a symbol of feeling safe within this well run brothel.