From A$30 per person
Book tickets on Viator (opens in a new tab): Melbourne Historical Walking Tour: Crime, Gangsters & Lolly ShopsYou book and pay on viator.com. Inclusable may earn a commission.
5.0 / 5 from 154 reviews on Viator
- Group size
- Up to 20
- Language
- English
- Rating on Viator
- 5.0 / 5 · 154 reviews
About this tour
Take a walk through downtown Melbourne and learn of an era in which there was much more on offer at the local confectionery store than just lollies and soft drinks. Explore Melbourne’s underworld c.1870’s to 1930’s, an era in which Melbourne’s downtown slum district, ‘Little Lon’, was mostly run by women. Learn about the battle for supremacy, madams who stood their ground against well-known gangsters such as Squizzy Taylor, and an all-female crime syndicate known as ‘The Combine’. Stop outside buildings which were once brothels and sly grog shops (speak easies), and hear the stories of what occurred within their walls and on the streets and laneways around them.
Shootings, bombings, bashings, brothels, robberies, opium, cocaine and sly grog (speak easies).
The tour is designed and delivered by writer and historian, Michael Shelford.
Accessibility, as stated by the supplier
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair-accessible surfaces
- Wheelchair-accessible transport
- Stroller accessible
Meeting point: We meet at the Coopers Inn Hotel, 282 Exhibition St, Melbourne CBD. The Coopers has great food, drink, and a friendly Australian pub atmosphere. The meeting point is recorded in the Inclusable venue database as The Coopers Inn with an accessibility score of 53/100. The nearest accessible public toilet to the meeting point is about 100 m away in a straight line, from the National Public Toilet Map.
Provided through Viator and not verified by Inclusable. Ask the supplier about your specific needs before you book.
Where it starts: The Coopers Inn
Accessibility score 53/100
Details for the meeting point only, from the Inclusable venue database, where available. They say nothing about the tour itself.
Itinerary
View itinerary · 1 stopHide itinerary
- 1
Little Lon Distilling Co is a Gin Distillery which operates from Melbourne CBD's only surviving single story cottage. It also happens to be a former house of ill repute. You will hear stories of the cottage's former inhabitants, sourced from original police files.(10 min)
Know before you go
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Included
- A tour booklet featuring photos of the characters discussed along the way.
Not included
- Please bring along your own food and drinks.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Nearest accessible public toilet to We meet at the Coopers Inn Hotel, 282 Exhibition St, Melbourne CBD. The Coopers has great food, drink, and a friendly Australian pub atmosphere.
The nearest accessible public toilet to We meet at the Coopers Inn Hotel, 282 Exhibition St, Melbourne CBD. The Coopers has great food, drink, and a friendly Australian pub atmosphere. is Exhibition Street & Lonsdale Street - No 12, Melbourne, about 100 m away.
Exhibition Street & Lonsdale Street - No 12 · about 100 m away in a straight line
Lonsdale Street & Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC (other)
- Ambulant cubicle
Open: 24 hours
Source: the National Public Toilet Map, data as at 1 September 2026. Distances are straight-line, not the walking route, and facilities can change — check before you rely on one. Facility record
Location & contact
- Area
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Meeting point
- We meet at the Coopers Inn Hotel, 282 Exhibition St, Melbourne CBD. The Coopers has great food, drink, and a friendly Australian pub atmosphere
- Contact
- The tour operator’s own details aren’t published. Questions about access or your booking go through Viator, which handles the booking and passes your request to the operator.
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