Sydney’s Razor Wars: The Rise of Tilly Devine and Chow Haynes
After the 1927 Pistol Licensing Act, street crime and turf wars in Sydney were characterized by the razor as the weapon of choice.
The 1920s was the era that marked the rise of gang wars in Sydney. Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh led the notorious Razor Wars of 1927, known for its violence and depravity, to fight for their dominance in the underground world. The primary factor in these wars was the surge in demand for cocaine in the underworld due to the ban on its sale through legalized means.
Tilly Devine, known as the Queen of Woolloomooloo, and Kate Leigh, known as the Queen of Surry Hills, both owned criminal empires. Devine owned several brothels, and Leigh had made her fortune by bootlegging alcohol illegally after 6 pm. Due to the surge in demand for cocaine, both of them desired a monopoly on the business. This was the primary reason the Razor war started.
Since there was a ban on carrying firearms, both the gangs used straight razors for fighting. It was a popular choice because of its ability to be concealed in their coat pockets. The criminals wore the disfigured scars from the razors, a diagonal line across their face, with pride and used it as a means to intimidate others.
