Legal Situation: Prostitution itself is not illegal in Australia. However: Street prostitution is illegal in New South Wales and Queensland (though not for the client) and allowed in Victoria if it doesn't happen near schools, churches or hospitals. New South Wales and Victoria allow resp. license brothels, whereas in Queensland everything but outcall service or one-woman-brothels is illegal. Then there are the usual laws against procuring and pimping. The police does not conduct sting operations.
The massage parlours in NSW usually require regular health checks from their employees, as do the licensed brothels in Victoria. Working conditions in these brothels seem to be rather poor: the women are bound by a large set of house rules, cannot reject clients and are required to sign a contract waiving their civil rights and entitlement to health and safety protection.
There are numerous prostitute's organizations throughout Australia which work together in the so-called Scarlet Alliance. An address list is available.
The age of consent is 16 in New South Wales and unknown otherwise.
Finding prostitutes: Magazines with informations: unknown.
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