Razor Gangs of Darlinghurst
Welcome to Sydney in the 1920s — the city they called the Chicago of the East. Prohibition never made it here, but sly grog and vice flowed faster than the harbour tides. And the ones running the show? Not hulking gangsters in fedoras — but women with sharper tongues than
razors, like Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh, who built empires from brothels, booze, and brute force.
Darlinghurst’s backstreets were a battleground. Gangs slashed each other in alleyway wars, crooked cops played both sides, and survival meant loyalty to someone meaner than you.
These were nights of danger, glamour, and desperation — and the echoes still linger in the lanes.
What You’ll Discover
1.Razor Wars
Turf wars fought with razors, and the fierce crime queens who commanded armies of razor men.
2.Beneath the Neon
Sydney’s underworld of sly grog shops, gambling dens, and speakeasies buzzing behind shuttered doors.
3.Port City Perils
The haunts and hideouts where booze was smuggled, allegiances made, and knives drawn.
4.Culture Clash
Life in the shadows - how ordinary Sydney siders lived under the rule of gangs and queens.
Tour Details
Route
A 2 km walk through Darlinghurst’s most notorious alleys and laneways.
Guide
Ed — your resident history tragic with a love for Sydney’s murky past.
Duration
2 hours of storytelling that feels part history, part true-crime noir.
Group Size
Small (max 15) — so you hear every razor-sharp detail.
What to Expect
Don’t Just Visit Sydney. Roam Its History.
Small groups. Big stories. Tours that sell out fast — slip the leash and join the pack.
