Inside the life of an Australian male escort

When George Goulburn was made redundant from his corporate job, he changed direction in his career – and headed into the bedroom.

George Goulburn left his corporate world behind a year ago for the “beauty, kindness and generosity” of life as a male escort.

Today, his growing female clientele ranges from a “young, attractive” 30-something to an 80-year-old with an “extraordinarily high sex drive”.

“Sex with an 80-year-old is amazing. She’s older than my mother and that freaked me out at first but she is an absolute delight,” says the NSW-based 52-year-old, who charges up to $5000 for an overnight tryst and travels to clients all over Australia.

Male escort George Goulburn, 52, travels to clients all over Australia. Picture: Simeon John/simeonjohn.com

George Goulburn, 52. Picture: Samuel O’Neill

“She has a sex drive more than any other woman I’ve met. It’s an inspiration, it truly is.”

George (his professional nom de plume) was enthusiastically dating and “having lots of sex” when his career reached a crossroad a year ago.

The former executive was made redundant from his business development job in the renewable energy sector and took it as a launching point for his radical new role, which he describes as “an absolute gift and honour”.

“I’d been really proud of the work I’d done but increasingly frustrated by the lack of action and outcomes in the renewable energy sector,” he says.

“When I moved into this industry, it’s almost the polar opposite where I get immediate positive benefits and outcomes for women, I see it before my very eyes … you can see it change lives. It’s a different kind of renewable energy, I guess.

“Being paid to have sex is a different kettle of fish, it just ups the need for quality of service compared to when you’re dating. These women are paying good money … you need to acknowledge it is quite an expensive service.”

Over the past year, George has established himself in the industry and taken on a host of clients around the country, many of them “post-menopausal” widows, divorcees or women in sexless marriages.

“They’ve still got sexual urges but they’re not going to go on Tinder or pick someone up in a bar so this is a feasible option. And they’re getting a professional,” says George, who describes many men on dating sites as “woefully inadequate”.

George – who stands 172cm tall and describes himself as “kind, caring and a whole lot of fun” – charges $1200 for a two-hour “intimate tryst”, $2200 for four hours together, $5000 for a 12-hour overnight stay and $2500 for a four-hour hook-up with a couple.

He says one “delightful” client is paying $20,000 to take him on a week-long trip to Europe in September. On top of the extravagant fee, the retiree is also paying for his airfares, accommodation and meals.

“I get to travel with this wonderful woman. It combines all the things I love – sex, travel and new experiences,” says George, who has had a vasectomy and also uses protection.

“It’s an expensive service and I know these women are paying a lot to see me. There was one client who withdrew from her mortgage in order to be able to see me.

“But imagine you’re new to dating, you go on to various sites it takes, so much time, the quality of men available is pretty low. And then there’s all the time it takes in swiping and texting and then if you’re going to dinner … it all adds up.

“It is an investment of less time and more money to come to someone like me. I’m providing a service that’s in demand.”

George Goulburn’s clients range from an “attractive” 30-something to an 80-year-old with an “extraordinarily high sex drive”. Picture: Simeon John/simeonjohn.com

George, who professes to having a “high libido and a joy in the giving”, says he never struggles to find his clients attractive because he sees “beauty in everyone”.

“You can find any physical body attractive provided there’s a good person inside,” he says.

But he says up to 25 per cent of his clients are not interested in sex at all and pay just for the companionship. He charges women $750 for a four-hour outing – a dinner date or beach walk – with no sex. Attending a function together for four hours costs $1200.

“Much of my work is not sex … at least to begin with. These clients want companionship for various reasons but in the main because they’ve not been with a man for a very long time and they’re not comfortable,” says George.

“They may over time, and some of my clients have progressed to that, but it’s the intimacy that they miss. It’s things like someone holding their hand – a client who asked for that once hadn’t been touched in 20 years.”

George says he was happily monogamous when he was married to his ex-wife for 10 years. He also had a 10-year relationship but was repeatedly unfaithful – “I hated cheating” – and is now contentedly single with several private lovers.

His adult son, mum and siblings have all embraced his new profession. “My sister is a social worker and she’s like ‘I can absolutely see what you provide is a great thing’,” he says.

“My father passed away a few years ago but I think he would have been fine. Most people I tell are deeply fascinated.”

South Australia is the only jurisdiction where escort work is against the law.

It is legal in NSW, ACT, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania and decriminalised in the Northern Territory.

George – whose clients include women with disabilities – travels all over the country for his clients, who foot the bill for his flights and accommodation.

He says he is disturbed by SA’s “archaic” laws and hopes for reform.

“It does worry me,” he says. “But by the nature of my work it can include non-sexual activity, literally escorting someone to dinner or a wedding and anything else that happens beyond that is between two consenting adults.

“What I do is wonderful and it pays the bills … it’s so good and it’s so necessary.”