Flora MacKenzie is one of the most colourful characters in New Zealand history: A hard drinking, hard talking brothel owner from the s and 70s who won the affection of sex workers, police and punters alike. There are all kinds of crazy stories about her: The time she threw a dead dog at her neighbour, her famous revolving bed, her close friendship with the head of the Auckland police vice squad.
Flora McKenzie with a collection of 5, 10 and 20 dollar notes fanned out in a circle together with a cheque and topped with a bow for payment of a fine.
Elisabeth Easther is a playwright and actor - and also probably the closest thing to a Flora MacKenzie expert. Easther became fascinated by Flora MacKenzie after performing a monologue as her while at drama school. Flora McKenzie dressed for her court appearance on a charge of possessing prohibited goods American cigarettes Elisabeth Easther suspects the cigarettes might have been payment for sex workers at Ring Terrace.
Photo: Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, Instead, MacKenzie traveled to Australia in the s, mixed with the bohemian crowd in Sydney and developed a fascination with fashion design which she brought back to Auckland when she returned home. Photo of a boxed Ninette Gowns dress and illustration, The great mystery is how this high-class fashion designer changed careers to become the most famous brothel owner of 20th century New Zealand. Flora MacKenzie personally told the story of how she became involved in the sex industry to Radio New Zealand journalist Ray Hays in She was then 74 years old and had just been prosecuted for brothel keeping for the sixth time.
MacKenzie said her father had bought her an apartment building on Ring Terrace. She rented some of the downstairs rooms to a group of young single women, one of whom had told Flora that she was a private business secretary.
