Illustrator, painter and writer, born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, where life in the bush introduced her to the animals she became notable for drawing in a humorous way. Moved to Melbourne she studied at Toorak College and briefly at the School of Art, but financial problems forced her to do commercial illustrating, painting in her spare time. In 1931 she travelled to Europe and after a year in Spain settled in England where she continued to live, apart from the years 1948–51 in Australia. She made her name as a children’s illustrator after the success of her book Black Tuppeny in 1932, illustrating about 50 volumes, 10 of which she wrote. In the 1930s she was the first woman to be employed in the oil company Shell-Mex’s studio. During World War II as an unofficial war artist she produced a mural of Australian foresters in Scotland and drawings of women operating coal barges on London canals; she then painted portraits as an official artist to the Australian Air Force.