AustLit

Doris Leadbetter attended school at Bradford Girls' Grammar prior to studying at London University where she gained a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. While a student, Leadbetter was involved with productions at the Playhouse and Theatre School at Bradford working as a director and in various backstage capacities.

Leadbetter migrated to Australia in 1963. She initially settled in Perth where she took up work as a librarian with the CSIRO. She later became librarian at CSIRO in Canberra. Upon retirement in 1984 Leadbetter and her husband moved to Bendigo where Leadbetter began to develop her interest in writing. She wrote a regular, humorous column for the Bendigo Advertiser for four years.

In 1994 Leadbetter re-located to Melbourne and taught writing at both the Chisholm TAFE, Berwick and Victoria University TAFE.

Leadbetter's collected works of poetry and her first novel were published after her death.

(Source: 'Doris Leadbetter', Richard Leadbetter and Sherryl Clark, Herald Sun, 3 December 2004)