Reporting Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill Prostitution 1896–1903

At the time of Federation (1901), Kalgoorlie, (Western Australia), and Broken Hill (New South Wales) promoted themselves as civilized and respectable living communities now that mining had become a series of long-term ventures. The local newspaper was a key player in the construction of this self-image. In order to appear respectable, the Kalgoorlie Miner and the Barrier Miner framed the prostitute as Other. This article contributes to the Federation sex trade and news reporting literature by exploring the gatekeeping of prostitution in two major mining communities between 1896 and 1903. It finds that the newspapers used four frames for presenting the prostitution issue: policing and court, moral judgement, creating the desired community, and the role of the local council.