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Kings Cross - Juanita Nielsen Historic Tour

On Thursday 6 August, twenty-three of our members met at Kings Cross for a street tour of this infamous portion of Sydney.

Coffee first on the freezing street of Kings Cross.

We met up with Elliot Lindsay, a local historian who specialises in Sydney’s underworld and fringe communities. Slums, pubs, larrikins, The Push, Razor Gangs, the East Sydney Red Light District, and early LGBT communities.

Elliot led us through the shady history of Kings Cross and the mysterious disappearance of Juanita Nielsen. As we explored locations tied to her life and unsolved disappearance on July 4th 1975, we stepped back into the world of Kings Cross circa 1955 to 1985 where corruption, greed, and the underworld thrived, and Juanita’s fight against urban redevelopment backed by organised crime, cost her dearly.

Our guide was a fabulous storyteller, bringing to life the historical context of Kings Cross from World War II to 1990. From this, we could better understand the neighbourhood which Juanita made home, and the dangerous people that she pitted herself against.

Even though we only walked 2-3 km, the history within that portion of Sydney was truly enthralling. So enthralling, that we were shadowed by two people and a dog, who enjoyed the tour at a very shady discount. That’s the Cross!!!

Lunch at the Potts Point Hotel brought a close to a fun and informative day had by all.

Thank you, Elliot, for a scintillating walk on Sydney’s wilder side.