Take a walk through downtown Melbourne and learn of an era in which there was much more on offer at the local confectionery store than just lollies and soft drinks. Explore Melbourne’s underworld circa 1850s-1940s, an era in which Melbourne’s downtown slum district, ‘Little Lon’, was mostly run by women.

Learn about the battle for supremacy, madams who stood their ground against well-known gangsters such as Squizzy Taylor, and an all-female crime syndicate known as ‘The Combine’. Stop outside buildings which were once brothels and sly grog shops (speakeasies), and hear the stories of what occurred within their walls and on the streets and laneways around them.

You can also see examples of former opium dens and all night cocaine cafes, and learn of the characters who frequented these establishments. You will hear of shootings, bombings, bashings, brothels, robberies, opium, cocaine and sly grog (speakeasies), on a tour designed and delivered by writer and historian, Michael Shelford.