Madame Brussels: the life and times of Melbourne's most notorious woman

Much has been written about life in parts of Melbourne towards the end of the 19th century. One section in Lonsdale Street, near Parliament House, was well known for its brothels. Madame Brussels' establishments were the best known and were often visited by politicians, landowners and some senior police.

In Madame Brussels: the life and times of Melbourne's most notorious woman by Barbara Minchton and Philip Bently, the authors present the findings of their extensive research on the life and times of Madame Brussels.

Caroline Lohmar was born in Prussia. In 1871 she married Studholme George Hodgson in London before they travelled to Melbourne. When Stud joined the police force and relocated to northern Victoria, his wife needed to find a way of supporting herself so she gradually began establishing what were, for a short time, the most impressive brothels in Melbourne.

This study examines the facts known about the rise and fall of Caroline's business until the early 1900s. She gradually came to use the name Madame Brussels which added to the prestige of the operation. Much of the information for the book comes from court documents - she was tried before the court on a number of occasions - and newspaper reports. Especially towards the end of the nineteenth century there was a movement to remove brothels from the city and newspapers, particularly Truth, often produced long stories venting against women such as Madame Brussels and their industry.

An interesting account of an aspect of Melbourne's history.