Gangsters, Girls & Grog in Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
THE GORY STORY
Known as the ‘Chicago of the South’, in the 1920s and 1930s Sydney was famous for its vicious gang rivalry, streets full of working girls, cocaine addition, and sly-grog scene.
From the labyrinth of laneways littering Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, the criminal empires of an emerging underworld began to make their mark in response to a series of local laws that almost seemed to be made to be broken.
The most notorious of these criminal empires were ruled by two rival mob bosses with a difference – these bosses were women. Hailed as Queens of vice Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh had crawled their way up from obscure origins over the bodies (sometimes literally) of men to become the most powerful women in Sydney, and they were not about to give up that power — especially not to each other.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Join a local crime historian on a professionally guided exploration of the lesser known laneways and secrets of Surry Hills.
- Rewind the clock to reveal a criminal empire viciously fought over by Australia’s legendary female mob bosses Tilly Devine & Kate Leigh.
- Meet the colourful collection of working girls, gangsters, drug-dealers, hit-men and mysterious street identities such as ‘Mr Eternity’ who once plied their hidden trades in the dank corners of ‘Razorhurst’.
- Enjoy the chic surroundings and charming terrace houses of these former slums – turned fashionable neighbourhoods of the area today.
- Finish your underworld exploration in front of a former Razor Gang hotel on Stanley Street for a chance to grab a drink with your guide and group.
TOUR DETAILS :
WHAT: 2.5 hr small group walking tour (max 12 guests) throughout the historic laneways of Surry Hills and Darlinghurst
WHEN: 2:00pm — 4:30pm on Saturdays
COST: $55 per person
WHERE: From Central Station we will through Surry Hills (note that this suburb’s name makes it clear there are a few slopes to contend with) towards Oxford street and into Darlinghurst — finishing up on Stanley Street in Darlinghurst outside to a former Razor Gang hang out (The Lord Roberts Hotel) for a post tour drink opportunity and chat.
WHO: You are in good hands — your host is a local crime historian and professional tour guide with a knack for great storytelling.
WHY: Because we are passionate about bringing to life one of the most notorious and interesting periods of Sydney’s criminal history on the very streets where it once all went down.
NOTE: The minimum group size for this tour to run is 2-3 pax. Our reservation system will only start to accept single guest bookings once the minimum group size has been met. Please contact us to create a pending order for any single bookings if the tour is not appearing as available for 1x person yet.
