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23006
0a0f6a833af77aee427d6c1c88cd16dc96005b37
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History - 20th century
Crime - General
Biography
Perth
Social conditions
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Drunks, pests and harlots : criminal women in Perth and Fremantle, 1900-1939
DESCRIPTION
Author
Straw, Leigh S. L., author
Description
Esther Warden was the 'terror' of West End Fremantle and the most dangerous woman in Western Australia. Lilly Doyle kept company with thieves and rogues and was listed as an 'undesirable'. May Ahern was a 'fallen' woman who lured men into dark street corners, tempting them away from the paths of virtue. Esther, Lilly and May were notorious female criminals in early twentieth-century Perth and Fremantle. Criminalised as drunks, prostitutes and vagrants, women committing offences against good order faced a double punishment for their social and gender transgressions. "Drunks, Pests and Harlots" takes a trip through the underworld streets of Perth and Fremantle from 1900-1939. It offers a glimpse into the lives of criminal women facing close police surveillance, negative media coverage, strict incarceration and institutionalisation. These lives present historical perspectives on female offenders and the development of public critiques of women who fail to meet the expectations of society.
Imprint
Kilkerran, Scotland : humming earth, 2013.; ©2013.
Collation
xii, 247 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 23 cm.
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliography and index.
ISBN
9781846220425
Dewey Class
364.374 STR
Publication Format
Report
COPIES
Barcode
31111057286021
Location
Reference Collection
RELATED
Subject
History - 20th century
Crime - General
Biography
Perth
Social conditions
Collection
Publications Collection
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Please email the Fremantle History Centre: lhc@fremantle.wa.gov.au
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Straw, Leigh S. L., author,
Drunks, pests and harlots : criminal women in Perth and Fremantle, 1900-1939
. City of Fremantle Local History Centre, accessed 12/09/2026, https://history.fremantle.wa.gov.au/nodes/view/23006