We often joke that Australia is a country of criminals, so it's fascinating to see a little snapshot from the country's actual criminal past. The New South Wales Police Department released around 2,500 mugshots of some of its finest female criminals picked up between 1910 and 1930. The snapshots provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives and livelihoods of the criminal underworld.

A good number the women arrested were brought in because of their involvement in the back alley illegal abortion industry, while another large subsect were charged with petty thievery. Another crime of the time -- drug use and cocaine possession.

The criminal life certainly was hardknock -- many of the women look much older than their rap sheets belie. Let their weathered faces be a warning to you -- crime certainly doesn't pay in moisturizing cremes. Click through to see their vintage mug shots and read their fascinating stories. [Daily Mail UK]