Introduction

While often debated as if it were a contemporary problem reflecting growing social and moral decay, prostitution has a history stretching back to antiquity. Evidence from early Greek and Roman societies suggests that not only was prostitution commonplace but it was also socially and legally accepted for men to buy sex (Bullough and Bullough, 1987; Philip, 1991; Roberts, 1992; Brooks-Gordon and Gelsthorpe, 2003). One of the first examples of the widespread selling of sexual intercourse developed in ancient Athens, in approximately 600 BC, when government-run prostitution businesses were established as a means of financing the expansion of the Greek military (Wells, 1982).

Tolerance for the purchaser, however, has seldom been matched by equal acceptance of those expected to provide commercial sexual services. Instead, the history of prostitution is largely characterised by condemnation and vilification of the ‘whore’, contrasted with a knowing wink and a nod at her/his clients. The primary legal stance adopted by governments reflected a desire to control and regulate the sex industry rather than seek its eradication (Robinson, 1984; Bullough and Bullough, 1987; Jordan, 2005). This attitude reflected that embraced by many in the early Christian church, who accepted prostitution as a necessary social evil (Tong, 1984). The justification for this view emanated from a belief in men's uncontrollable sexual appetites – driven by lust, it was virtually impossible for all but the most saintly men to remain virgins until marriage, or faithful after it. Individuals were required to provide prostitution services in such a way that men's ability to acquire or maintain wives to be the mothers of their children would not be disrupted. The result was the madonna/whore dichotomy, whereby women were divided and polarised against each other – the good and virtuous women fit to be dutiful wives versus the depraved prostitute (Robinson, 1984; Tong, 1984).

This chapter examines key aspects characterising the history of sex work in New Zealand prior to the passing of the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act (PRA). New Zealand as a country shares many similarities with other settler societies such as Australia and Canada, all of which had established indigenous populations when colonised by British and European nations (Tinker, 1995).