Hindley Street is known as the unofficial red-light district of Adelaide. But what kind of action can you expect if you visit the area? The lure of escorts? A chance encounter with a street hooker?
100 years ago, you could find working women plying their trade in hotels, theatres and on the streets around Hindley. Times have changed. These days, adult services are tucked away at a safe distance, via adult massage parlours, strip shows and gentleman’s clubs — with sex not being legally available for sale.
In our guide to the red lights of Hindley Street, we discover the fact and the fiction behind Adelaide’s ‘famous’ red-light area.
Does Adelaide Have An Official Red Light District?
Yes and no.
The Adelaide City Council is currently proposing new planning laws that would essentially confine all strip clubs and sex shops to the Hindley Street area. In our eyes, this would be paramount to declaring an official red light district.
AdelaideNow reports:
It proposes that development applications for “adult entertainment premises’’ in the “capital city zone’’ of the CBD will require a “buffer distance of 50 metres from existing residential uses or land used for a place of worship, childcare centre, primary school or secondary school’’
“As the pre-eminent evening and late-night entertainment hub for metropolitan Adelaide, it is proposed that the Hindley Street Subzone is the most appropriate location for future development of adult entertainment premises”
June 11, 2024
Of course, sex work is banned in Adelaide and the city lacks the legal, licensed brothels that are commonplace in Melbourne and Sydney.
Unlike red light districts across many cities, Hindley Street is not brash or ‘in your face’. It has gained a reputation for being the red-light area mainly due to the number of strip clubs located along it; namely, the Crazy Horse and The Palace.
The latest planning permissions debacle is the clearest sign that Hindley Street is considered both officially and unofficially as the red light capital of Adelaide. But the type of adult services you find there are extremely tame compared to other cities.
There are estimated to be around 1000 working women in and around the city offering escort services. We can assure you: they’re not all congregated around Hindley Street. That’s not to say street prostitution is dying out, but the Internet has reduced the need for an official red light area.
The History of Prostitution in Adelaide
The capital of South Australia was born in 1836 in the seaside suburb known as Glenelg. Adelaide grew rapidly from its birthplace, north to the deep water harbour of what is known as Port Adelaide and inland along the Karrawirra Parri.
In the mid to late 19th century, prostitution was rife on the streets of Adelaide with the City of Churches having more hookers per capita than Sydney. In common with a lot of cities, the first red light district in Adelaide grew around where the work was; the city’s port.
Port Adelaide, now a district some 14km northwest of the CBD, was the main commercial hub for the city and street hookers were known to keep regular hours touting for business. As the city spread south and the area we recognise today as the centre of the city became developed and prostitution followed.
Initially, it was the area around Light Square that gained a reputation for street hookers and brothels, as this report from The Register shows:
“Can you inform me how long the neighbourhood of Weymouth [sic] Street and Light Square are to be infested with brothels, and when the inhabitants are to be rid of the music, dancing, revelry and the mob of drunken blacklegs who idle about there all day and live on plunder and prostitution at night?”
The number of ‘pestiferous’ dens in this area gave the location a reputation as a den of vice with commentators of the time looking for an answer to this ‘great social evil’.
As is often the case, public pressure forced the removal of some brothels but merely moved many of them along to the next location; Hindley Street.
An area already popular with drinking establishments the street was an obvious migration with most hookers knowing there to be a plethora of potential johns.
Residents were still unhappy….
“It is about time that some means were adopted to prevent young girls parading Hindley Street all through the day with the most unblushing effrontery, sometimes drunk or nearly so, but at all times appearing in such guise that, taken together with their conduct, there is no mistaking the life they follow…”
By the 1880’s there were two classes of hookers working the streets and both within the Hindley Street area.
The first, and ‘better’ quality of prostitute would frequent hotels like the Theatre Royal with a favourite spot being colloquially known as the ‘Saddling Paddock’.
Wearing white gloves and red satin dresses, these women would service a higher class of men. Working class men could rely on the services of the women who lived in Boddington’s Row; a cluster of houses on Hindley Street which backed on to, what is now known as, Phillip Street. Demand for services usually peaked at around 7pm as men made their way home from work.
An account of the day made by an amateur inspector, reports of Boddington’s Row:
“In the principal room…, were several men lounging about and three women, one of whom, a young creature apparently not more than 20 years of age was smoking a common black clay pipe. In the close evil smelling boxes were some men lying in drunken unconsciousness on the filthy beds.”
Residents of the area regularly complained to the authorities and a cycle of the women being turned onto the streets would occur.
Despite the continued harassment by both the police and society in general, brothels still flourished in the city (unlike today). Both a constant demand and a steady supply made prostitution an important economy.
Changes in Legislation
In 1907, it was reported that 103 brothels were operating in Adelaide.
Due to residents complaining about the value of their houses being affected by the unwelcome trade, the Suppression of Brothels Bill was introduced. A further piece of legislation, the Venereal Diseases Act of 1920 which threatened harsh penalties for knowingly permitting anyone with VD to occupy or use a premises for prostitution, had a further impact on the industry.
Hindley Street Gains Notoriety
Despite these changes, the Hindley Street area remained a popular haunt for street prostitutes of both classes into the twentieth century and still has a reputation for being a red-light district today.
Though soliciting in public and brothels is illegal in Adelaide, Hindley Street is still associated with the sex trade. These days adult services are performed via adult massage or strip shows and gentleman’s clubs with sex being officially off the menu.
Having said that, there are places in Adelaide where punters can still pick up prostitutes or get a happy ending to a massage. Many of these venues operate in a legal grey area — widely tolerated as long as they stay on the down-low.
Though there is no modern day equivalent to the red light areas of historical Adelaide, Hindley Street is still centrally located and commonly associated with the adult business.
If the Adelaide City Council planning permission changes come to light, Hindley will become the ‘official’ capital of adult entertainment in Adelaide.
Popular Adult Attractions on Hindley Street Today
Hindley Street has a good array of strip clubs, rub and tug services and adult entertainment in the surrounding area. This spot is central and convenient, with plenty of surrounding nightlife options.
A few of the better-known adult establishments include:
Crazy Horse
141A Hindley Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
Phone: +61 8 8231 2064
Known across Australia as one of Adelaide’s premier strip clubs, Crazy Horse is home to the annual Miss Nude Australia event. The venue usually has some event or other to keep the crowds coming back but even the regular shows are worth the entry fee.
A high-end club with fully interactive stage shows, the Crazy Horse is a popular strip club for bucks and hen parties. It gets pretty lively at the weekends and you may have to queue later in the evening.
The Palace
111 Hindley Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
Phone: +61 8 8221 5699
Another legendary venue on Hindley Street, and chief titty-bar competitor to the Crazy Horse.
Much smaller than its rival, the selling point of The Palace is its exclusive and intimate atmosphere. As lap dance bars go, this is still a classy place but it has less of a ‘chain’ feel about it. The venue is fairly cramped and it can get insanely busy, so be prepared to get hot and sweaty.
The Palace runs regular theme nights and special events so check the website for any offers or promotions.
Open daily from 8:00pm, The Palace stays open until around 4am/5am.
Club X (Hindley Branch)
73 Hindley Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
Phone: +61 8 8212 3134
An adult entertainment store on Hindley Street, Club X offers a XXX shopping experience. One of Australia’s better known adult stores, you can browse the selection of sex toys, pornographic films and books at leisure. The staff are friendly and helpful as well as discrete.
The Firm
142 North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: +61 8 8212 6292
Situated 200m off Hindley Street, The Firm is another of Adelaide’s high end gentleman’s clubs. Offering impressive interactive strip, stage shows, the competition heats up at The Firm for the city’s premier club.
The venue is home to their own revue style act with a pretty impressive line-up of performers with widely admired and seductive choreography. You can get table service and a good range of drinks inside but be aware that, as with other venues, there is a strict dress code.
Are There Street Hookers on Hindley Street?
Not like there used to be.
Because of the proximity of Hindley Street to the main drags of tourist town Adelaide, you are unlikely to find any street hookers (and legalised brothels are out of the question).
The area is well patrolled by the police which is deterrent enough but because of the lack of any discretion, the pick up opportunities are not great for daring johns.
For all the talk of Hindley Street being an unofficial red light district, it’s well-known that other parts of the city (like Hanson Road) are more popular with street hookers.
In any case, street prostitution is illegal throughout South Australia. We highly recommend you avoid soliciting on the street.
