Prostitution, also known as sex work, is one of the world’s oldest professions, and is subject to different regulations and laws based on location. Even throughout Australia, each state and territory treats prostitution differently, making for a complex tapestry of legalities that can be difficult to navigate.
In this article, we’ll explore the laws surrounding prostitution in Tasmania, as well as the history behind those laws. We will unpack what it means for individuals living in the state as well as visitors travelling to places like Hobart and Launceston, who wish to see a prostitute or sex worker.
Originally called Van Diemens Land by the British, Tasmania served as a penal colony and had over 75,000 convicts transported to the island until 1856, when the colony was renamed Tasmania to distance itself from its penal past.
Now, Tasmania, which is home to some of the world’s cleanest air, as well as over half a million people and the famed Freycinet national park, is a hotspot for the world’s rich listers like J.K. Rowling and other celebrities.
Tasmania is certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth, but is it also a place to enjoy the company of an escort or other sex worker?
Following Tasmania’s settlement, the Vagrancy Act 1824 was brought over from English common law, which found that “ every common prostitute wandering in the public streets or public highways, or in any place of public resort…shall be deemed an idle and disorderly person” and may face a penalty of fine or imprisonment.
This Act was then built upon with the Contagious Diseases Act in 1879, similarly based on UK legislation, which established Lock Hospitals. Women suspected of prostitution could be sent to a lock hospital in an effort to curb sexually transmitted and venereal diseases such as syphilis. Tasmania’s legal approach to sex work wasn’t explicitly punitive, but moreso tackled public solicitation through laws around public health and vagrancy; that is, until 1935.
In 1935, Tasmania introduced the Police Offences Act, which introduced penalties for many of the factors surrounding sex work, including public solicitation, keeping a bawdy house which ‘harbours prostitutes’, and living off the earnings of sex workers. While prostitution wasn’t directly illegal, the laws introduced in 1935 certainly added restrictions for women who made their living through sex work.
However, the Police Offences Act 1935 failed to effectively curb prostitution and sex work in Tasmania, and led to the introduction of The Sex Industry Offences Act 2005.
As of 2005, prostitution was made legal in Tasmania thanks to The Sex Industry Offences Act. While brothels and street prostitution remain illegal, self employed sex workers may operate legally with one other person.
This means, whether you’re in Hobart, New Town, Launceston or any other part of Tasmania, you can find a Tasmanian escort to suit your needs; even if you’re just a visitor stopping by on your way to the Mona Museum.
The 2005 Act’s introduction also means that whether you’re into erotic relief, phone sex or Only Fans in Tasmania, you don’t have to worry about dealing with law enforcement; you can enjoy yourself in peace.
While there have been complaints that the Sex Industry Offences Act doesn’t go far enough to liberalise sex work laws in Tasmania, the relatively liberal status of prostitution in this island state puts Tasmania alongside New Zealand, Belgium, New South Wales and other parts of the world which have decriminalised or legalised sex work.
So there you have it, those are Tasmania’s laws surrounding prostitution and sex work. You can enjoy the company of an escort, erotic masseuse, or any other kind of sex worker in TAS, provided you don’t visit them in a brothel.
If you end up travelling to other parts of Australia, we encourage you to read our extensive guides on hiring a Sydney escort and hiring an escort in Melbourne.
Or, if you’re interested in reading about the other laws surrounding sex work in Australia, be sure to check out our pieces on whether prostitution is legal in Queensland, in NSW, South Australia or Western Australia.
It is critical that you brush up on the relevant rules and regulations for each area you visit if you are considering hiring a sex worker or visiting an establishment like a brothel or an erotic massage parlour.
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