Born in Dunedin in 1869, she was the daughter of a lawyer and amateur painter who had his foot in the door of the art world. Her first exhibition took place in 1890, however she began art school in Dunedin in 1895. She travelled throughout Europe at the turn of the century, and then returned to Wellington and opened a studio. She left New Zealand in 1907 and spent the rest of her working career in Britain.
