Lillie Langtry
Langtrees was named after Lillie Langtry (1853 – 1929), the famous high-society Victorian beauty. Mary-Anne pinched the lithograph of Lillie (picture left) from her grandfather. When she was trying to think of a name for her new bordello, an exhausted Mary-Anne looked up at Lillie’s picture and said “Come on, give me a hand!” Although Lillie didn’t answer, Mary-Anne took her surname anyway. Langtrees was born.
Mary-Anne discovered two years later that she had spelt the name of the brothel incorrectly.
Lillie was not available for comment. The lovely Lillie was a much admired English actress. It was rare for a woman of such high social standing to appear on the stage at the time. Known as ‘the Jersey Lily’ on account of her beauty and her birthplace, she toured the United States with her own theatre company and performed in Britain and South Africa. For a time she was the mistress of the Prince of Wales, who later reigned as King Edward V11. The Prince publicly acknowledged her as his lover, a most unusual step for a member of the royal family.
Lillie refused to live her life within the boundaries imposed on women by Victorian society. Not content just to be just a pretty face, Lillie was an astute businesswoman with wide ranging financial interests. She mixed with influential men on their level, started a winery in America and owned racehorses.
Lillie was a busy girl with a big fortune. A bit like Mary-Anne perhaps?
Welcome To the World of Langtrees
It is with great pleasure that I invite you to take a peek Behind Closed Doors and visit my beautiful bordello in the West Australian Goldfields. You’ll meet some amazing characters and learn a little about the history of the sex industry.
I became a sex worker at the age of 27 in New Zealand, where I was born. When I moved to Australia two years later I bought my first escort agency. Now I am the owner of Langtrees, Perth, the largest brothel in Western Australia. We have 17 rooms and up to 30 girls working at peak times.
In the year 2000, I redeveloped Langtrees, Kalgoorlie, creating the only working brothel museum in the world. Designed for tourists, working girls and clients, my six million dollar bordello has become a leading tourist attraction. Over 12,000 tourists a year visit the Kalgoorlie brothel for guided tours. I started doing the tours because the general public has always been fascinated by the sex industry. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to take a peak behind closed doors? Our visitors find the tours interesting, eye-opening and educational.
On the political front, I am constantly pushing for the legalisation of prostitution in Western Australia. For 20 years brothel and escort agency owners and operators have worked with the authorities without a written law. This has been confusing and frustrating for all concerned.
With legalisation, standards can be regulated and upheld by those in charge, creating a safer environment for sex workers. As a result of my innovative approach to the sex industry, I was awarded the ‘Sex Worker of the Year 2000’ trophy in London. I believe in an open and honest approach to the sex industry. Hence I am launching the Langtrees.com website, which will provide adult education and entertainment. You may even learn a few tricks of the trade …
Behind Closed Doors is a bedtime story with no fairytales. Enjoy.
What a great story for the name, and providing a safe beautiful place is wonderful. Love it x
