Kalgoorlie's Sex Trade and the Kalgoorlie Miner: 1896–1903

Abstract

Kalgoorlie and the sex industry are synonymous. Around the time of Federation, significant attempts were made by the community to rid itself of prostitution. An important contributor to this endeavour was the local long-running daily newspaper, the <i>Kalgoorlie Miner</i>. To date, research has overlooked its significant role in building community and reinforcing hegemony. The <i>Kalgoorlie Miner</i>’s framing of prostitution as the “social evil”—antithetical to Christian living, morals and civility—was a successful position because it appealed to the buying public and maintained pressure on the problem. This article explores the place of newspapers in a given community, Federation Kalgoorlie, and its prostitution. It finds that gatekeeping and community Christianism, particularly the laity, played an essential role in challenging and opposing prostitution.