There are thousands of escorts plying their trade across Australia and New Zealand. The quality of service ranges, as you’d expect, from the very good to the mediocre.
Our escort service guides provide a city-by-city breakdown of the various companionship services available near you. We take a look at some of the top local escort agencies, as well as directories, classified listings, and social media profiles of popular courtesans.
AUSTRALIA ESCORTS 🇦🇺
ADELAIDE
ESCORT CHOICE
3/10
Escort agencies are not specifically banned in SA, but in practice they are likely to fall afoul of sex work laws. Meaning… while there is a fairly active escort scene, we can’t speak openly about it. Sorry! 🤷
BRISBANE
ESCORT CHOICE
7/10
Watch this space. Escort agencies were decriminalised across QLD in August 2024. We’re seeing signs of the city’s brothels opening up new outcall services. There’s no shortage of Brissie-based companions.
CANBERRA
ESCORT CHOICE
4/10
A smaller selection. Many of the girls taking bookings here are actually on tour from Sydney or Melbourne. Canberra’s escort agencies are legal as long as they are registered with Access Canberra.
DARWIN
ESCORT CHOICE
2/10
Darwin’s remote location means a much smaller pool of working girls. Many of the local escorts are Asian massage shop workers, or international party-girls stopping over between trips.
GOLD COAST
ESCORT CHOICE
6/10
Surfers Paradise attracts an international melting pot of private companions. Agencies were only recently legalised here, but the GC independent scene is a definite winner.
MELBOURNE
ESCORT CHOICE
9/10
Estimates put the number of active sex workers in Melbourne at anywhere between 5000 to 10,000. This is a metropolitan city… with metropolitan tastes. 😉
PERTH
ESCORT CHOICE
5/10
Perth has a well-developed escort scene that caters to the city’s fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers and business travellers. The Inner City is particularly well-served by luxury agencies.
SYDNEY
ESCORT CHOICE
10/10
Sydney has the largest escort scene in Australia. It’s also one of the most expensive, with prices driven up by the whims of international punters. Agencies and freelancers enjoy a roaring trade here.
NEW ZEALAND ESCORTS 🇳🇿
AUCKLAND
ESCORT CHOICE
8/10
Auckland boasts NZ’s most diverse and international escort scene. There are several high quality agencies, along with hundreds of independent sex workers catering to local and travelling punters.
CHRISTCHURCH
ESCORT CHOICE
4/10
CHCH has a much smaller selection of escorts with more of a focus on lower prices for regular punters. Many of the private companions are Asian, but there are some high-profile freelancers too.
WELLINGTON
ESCORT CHOICE
6/10
Wellington has a decent mix of professional agencies offering outcalls. Most are based in the CBD but can serve farther afield. Many local brothels operate as hybrid escort agencies.
For Your Information
Please note: We are not affiliated to any of the escort service providers listed in our city guides. If you have any questions, please contact the agent/provider through their respective contact details.
All of our listings are provided 100% free of charge and are for general informational purposes only.
We can’t take bookings on their behalf… since we do not work for them. Sorry!
LEGAL STATUS OF ESCORT SERVICES
As you can see from our ‘Escort Choice’ ratings above, some cities offer much better options for punters looking to book a verified and vetted escort.
Thousands of escort bookings are made across Australia every month.
It’s an open secret that only a small percentage of these are handled by agencies.
Punters have many options – freelancer directories, classified sites, brothel outcalls and even courtesans who advertise exclusively through social media.
We can debate the pros and cons of finding an escort on unverified sites like Locanto… but you need only cast your eyes on the thousands of active listings to see that it happens in every major city, regardless of the local laws surrounding escort work.
We’ve summarised the current laws regarding escort work below.
If you’d like to learn more about current sex work laws, we highly recommend the Scarlett Alliance website, which maintains some excellent resources for both sex workers and their clients.
Current Legal Status of Escort Services in Australia
- New South Wales (NSW): Escort services are decriminalised, making it one of the more permissive states for sex work. Since 1995, NSW has allowed sex work without stringent licensing, which means that brothels, escort agencies, and independent work are legal as long as they comply with health and safety standards.
- Victoria: Decriminalisation of sex work in Victoria was completed by 2022. Previously escorts had to register with the Business Licensing Authority (BLA). Each sex worker was given an SWA number to be used in advertising, but this system has been scrapped. Independent workers can now legally offer both incalls and outcalls.
- Queensland: In August 2024, Queensland shifted from a licensing model to full decriminalization. Sex workers can work independently without specific licensing requirements. Escort agencies and outcall services are slowly emerging from underground.
- Northern Territory (NT): Decriminalisation took place in the NT in 2020, removing sex work-specific criminal laws. Escorts can now offer both incall and outcall services.
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT): Any business with more than one worker that provides outcall services must be registered with Access Canberra. Independent sex workers can operate freely as ‘solo operator brothels’ or ‘solo operator escort agencies’, but they must not share premises with another sex worker.
- South Australia (SA): SA has considered but not yet passed full decriminalisation, with discussions ongoing. The legal framework is largely restrictive, allowing private sex work but criminalising brothels. In practice, escort work is effectively illegal.
- Western Australia (WA): WA maintains a prohibitive approach, criminalising brothel-based sex work while allowing limited private work with restrictions. The WA authorities have a history of tolerating escort work, but this could change at any time.
- Tasmania: Sex work is partially criminalised. Agencies are effectively banned since it is illegal to “be a commercial operator of a sexual services business“. Freelance sex work is permitted as long as the provider is self-employed.
Current Legal Status of Escort Services in New Zealand
In New Zealand, the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) of 2003 decriminalised sex work, making it one of the most progressive frameworks globally.
This act legalised escort services, brothels, and independent work, providing rights and protections to sex workers similar to other occupations. Under the PRA, sex work is legal for adults (18+), and contracts between providers and clients are recognised.
Escort agencies are commonplace in all of the major NZ cities, with little variation in how the law is interpreted. Local councils can establish zoning laws for brothels, but they cannot outright ban sex work in their jurisdictions.