The Petticoat Parade

Madam Marie Monnier (aka Josie de Bray) owned most of Roe Street from World War I up to the 1940s. But her business prowess was not appreciated by everyone because Madam Monnier reigned over 'Tail-light Alley' - the centre of Perth's brothel district. In the course of her life, Madam Monnier would survive a shooting, and incarceration in a concentration camp. She was just one of many colourful friends and competitors who lived and worked in the notorious precinct. This immensely readable and lively history explores the private world of the madams, brothel keepers and prostitutes who kept the secrets of the city even as they paraded in their petticoats on the verandas of the Ruse de Roe.